BIG-GAME BUFFET
Super Bowl XLI will be Feb. 4 at Dolphins Stadium in Miami. Many people find this day a great opportunity to have a gridiron party. It’s no fun watching such a spectacular sports event alone. Here are some recipes to serve at your party.
Award-winning chili
• 2 pounds boneless chicken breast
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cans (16 ounces each) Great Northern beans
• 4 cups chicken stock or broth
• 20 ounces Monterey jack cheese, grated
• Sour cream
• Jalapeno pepper, chopped
Put chicken in large saucepan. Add cold water. Bring to a simmer. Cook until tender. Remove chicken, discard water.
In same pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, cook until translucent. Stir in garlic, chilies, cumin and cayenne pepper. Saute 2 to 3 minutes.
Shred chicken by hand and combine with beans, stock and 12 ounces of cheese. Simmer 15 minutes. Ladle into large bowls.
Top each with 1 ounce of cheese. Serve with a side of sour cream and chopped jalapeno peppers. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Super easy dip
• 1 envelope (0.75 ounces) garlic and herb salad dressing mix
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 3/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
Blend all ingredients together. Chill at least one hour before serving. Serve with plain potato chips.
Halftime bean dip
• 1 jar (6 to 8 ounces) fat-free bean dip
• 1 small can whole kernel corn, drained
Pour bean dip into a bowl and add corn. Mix gently and pour into a serving bowl. Serve with tortilla chips.
Italian sandwich
• 1 package pizza dough
• Seasoning (salt, pepper, rosemary or oregano)
• Pesto sauce
• 8 ounces sliced prosciutto
• 4 ounces mozzarella, grated
• 4 ounces Parmesan, grated
Make a loaf of bread from pizza dough. When the loaf is baked, cover it with seasoning. Cut the loaf in half lengthwise. Smear the opened halves with pesto sauce. Cover the bottom half of the loaf with slices of prosciutto. Brush pesto on the slices, dust with grated mozzarella and Parmesan. Replace top half. Cut slices 1-inch thick. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Overnight vegetarian lasagna
• 1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 1 pound ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• Dash grated nutmeg
• Black pepper
• Parsley
• 1 large jar spaghetti sauce (flavor of choice)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 16-ounce box lasagna noodles
• 1 pound mozzarella cheese, grated
• Parmesan cheese
Squeeze excess water from the spinach. In a bowl mix the spinach with the ricotta cheese, eggs, nutmeg, pepper and parsley. In a separate bowl, combine the spaghetti sauce with the water. Spoon a thin layer of sauce onto the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch pan. Place a layer of uncooked noodles on top of the sauce. Do not overlap edges of the noodles.
With a spatula spread half the ricotta mixture over the noodles, covering them completely. Add a layer of sauce, then half the mozzarella, top with a sprinkling of Parmesan. Repeat the layers of noodles, ricotta mixture, sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If possible, bring the lasagna to room temperature before baking. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until golden and bubbly, 30 minutes longer. Makes 8 servings.
Layered taco spread
(About 30 servings)
• 1 1/3 cups refried beans
(preferably homemade)
• 1 1/2 cups tomatillo sauce
(or taco sauce)
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and mashed with 2 to 3
teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 medium-size ripe tomatoes, diced and drained
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup finely chopped ripe olives
• 6 green onions, white and 2 inches of green tops, finely minced
• 2 cups very finely shredded iceberg lettuce
• 3/4 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Tortilla chips
Combine beans with 1 cup of the tomatillo sauce, mix well, and spread in the center of a large round platter, making a round about 10 inches in diameter. Spread sour cream evenly over the bean mixture and then layer with remaining sauce, avocado mixture, tomatoes, olives, green onions and lettuce. Sprinkle with cheese and serve with tortilla chips.
Pecan pies in miniature pastry shells
• 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
Filling:
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup broken pecan pieces
To make shells: Combine cream cheese and butter; cream until smooth. Add flour, mixing well. Refrigerate dough 1 hour, then shape into 24 1-inch balls. Place balls in miniature muffin tins; press dough against bottom and sides, shaping into shells.
To make filling: Combine brown sugar, egg, butter, vanilla and salt; mix well. Spoon into pastry shells. Top each with 1 teaspoon of pecan pieces; pressing them into filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve plain or with a spoonful of sweetened whipped cream. Makes 2 dozen.
Chicken ole
• 2 chickens, (3 pounds each) cut into pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cans (16 ounces) tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons sweet sherry or equivalent apple juice
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano, crushed
• 12 small white onions, peeled (or frozen equivalent, thawed)
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen cut green beans
• 2/3 cup stuffed olives
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Jarlsberg cheese
• 1 medium avocado, sliced (optional)
In large deep skillet, brown chicken in oil on all sides. Add next 6 ingredients. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add onions and cook 20 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Add green beans and olives and cook 5 minutes longer, until beans are tender. Blend flour into water. Stir into sauce until thickened and smooth. Gradually blend in 3/4 cup cheese. To serve, top with remaining cheese and garnish with avocado, if desired. Makes 6 servings.
Kickoff salad
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 medium yellow squash
• 1 large carrot, pared
• 6 cups torn spinach leaves, washed
• 1 jar (16 ounces) pickled sweet peppers, drained
• 1 can (16 ounces) chickpeas, drained
• 1 can (6 ounces drained weight) pitted ripe olives, drained
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, washed and sliced
• 1/2 pound broccoli or cauliflower florets, steamed and chilled
• 1 bottle honey-mustard salad dressing
Cut zucchini, squash and carrot in half, lengthwise. Run a vegetable peeler down length of cut surface of vegetables, peeling off strips in long continuous pieces. Spiral each strip around finger, securing with toothpick. Place in ice water. In large salad bowl, layer all remaining ingredients except dressing. Drain vegetable spirals, removing toothpicks; arrange on top of salad; cover and chill. At serving time, toss with dressing.
If bottled dressing is not available, add 1 tablespoon each of honey and Dijon mustard to an 8-ounce bottle of vinegar-oil type dressing.
Stuffed shells
• 1 package (15 or 16 ounces) jumbo macaroni shells, cooked and drained
• 1 pound purchased chicken salad
• 1 pound purchased potato salad
• 1 pound purchased seafood salad
Fill 36 shells with 1 heaping tablespoon of salad each (1 pound of salad fills 12 shells). Place on tray; cover and chill. Serve an assortment of 2 to 3 shells per person with sandwiches. Makes 12 servings.
Halftime heroes
• 12 small (5-inch) rye or whole-wheat rolls, halved
• 1 bottle Caesar dressing
• 1 head lettuce, washed and crisped
• 2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 large purple onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced hard salami
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced smoked turkey breast
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced cooked ham
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced American cheese
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced Muenster cheese
Brush cut slices of rolls with dressing. Fill each roll with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheeses and meat. Arrange heroes on large tray; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until serving time. Makes about 12 heroes.
To make "footballs": Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut several slices of Muenster cheese into 12 4-by 1/8-inch strips. For each roll, cut four strips and two crescent-shaped pieces. Arrange one long strip, four short strips and two crescent-shaped pieces football-lace fashion, on top half of each roll. Arrange roll halves, cheese side up, on baking sheet. Heat 1 to 2 minutes in oven, until cheese melts very slightly and adheres to rolls. Remove from oven.
Rah-rah bourbon cake
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 2 teaspoons instant-coffee powder or crystals
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Dash of salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Grease 12-cup bundt pan, and dust with unsweetened cocoa. Rap pan sharply to remove excess cocoa. Set aside.
Combine water, instant coffee and bourbon in medium-size heavy saucepan. Simmer for 3 minutes.
Add chocolate and butter, and cook over moderate heat, stirring until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar until well blended. Let cool 3 minutes.
Transfer chocolate mixture to large bowl of electric mixer. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beating at medium speed, add flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time. When flour has been added, continue to beat for 1 minute. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, and mix until smooth. Batter will be thin.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake in 275-degree oven for 80 to 90 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in cake comes out clean and cake pulls away from the sides of pan. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Invert cake onto rack, remove pan and cool completely. Serve at room temperature. Makes 12 servings.
Chili-baked ziti
• 1/4 cup instant minced onion
• 1 1/2 cups water, divided
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 12 ounces ground lean beef
• 2 28-ounce cans tomato puree
• 1 16-ounce box ziti (tubular pasta), uncooked
• 1 8 3/4-ounce can red kidney beans, drained
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small cup combine onion and 1/4 cup water; set aside to soften, about 10 minutes. In a Dutch oven or large saucepot, heat oil until hot. Add onion and green pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef; cook and stir until brown, about 5 minutes; drain, if desired. Stir in tomato puree, ziti, beans, cumin, chili powder, salt, sugar, red pepper and remaining 1 1/4 cups water.
Spoon into 13-by-9-by-3-inch baking pan; cover lightly with foil. Bake until pasta is cooked, 50 to 60 minutes. Sprinkle with shredded Monterey Jack cheese, if desired. Yields 8 to 10 portions.
Strawberry pretzel salad
• 2 cups thin pretzels, broken into small pieces
• 1 stick butter or margarine, melted
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 8-ounce carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
Top layer:
• 1 6-ounce package strawberry gelatin
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 16-ounce package frozen sliced strawberries
For crust: Combine pretzels, margarine and sugar. Pat into a greased 9-by-13-inch dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool.
Make middle layer by combining whipped topping with cream cheese and sugar. Pour onto cooled crust.
Make top layer by combining gelatin with water and strawberries. When thick, pour on top of cream cheese layer. Chill until set.
If chicken or steak are on the Super Bowl party menu, take along this corn casserole as a side dish:
High desert corn casserole
• 2 16-ounce cans whole kernel corn
• 5 fresh jalapeno or serrano chilies
• 2 tablespoons salad oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 cup small-curd cottage cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Drain corn; set aside. Seed and finely chop 3 of the chilies. Heat oil in a wide frying pan over medium high heat. Add chopped chilies, onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onion is limp and pepper is tender to bite (3 to 5 minutes). Add 2 cups of the corn and stir until hot.
Meanwhile in a food processor or blender, combine remaining 2 cups corn, cottage cheese, eggs and cornstarch. Whirl until smoothly pureed.
Remove cooked vegetables from heat and stir in pureed corn mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread mixture in a lightly greased shallow 10- inch round or oval baking dish. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. At this point, you may cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Transport in a cooler.
Bake uncovered in a 375-degree oven until mixture puffs in center and cheese begins to brown at edges (about 30 minutes). Garnish with remaining whole chilies. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
This delicious cheese spread can be molded into the shape of a football and garnished with green pepper slices.
Homemade Boursin cheese
• 1 8-ounce carton whipped butter
• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
In large mixing bowl or food processor, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients and continue beating until well blended. Pack cheese mixture into containers as desired. Cover tightly and allow to mellow for at least 12 hours in the refrigerator. Will keep, tightly covered, for 2 to 4 weeks. Let come to room temperature before serving as a spread on crisp raw vegetables or assorted crackers.Yields about 3 1/2 cups.
Chocolate ice box pie
• 1 cup flour
• 1 stick butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup nuts
• 1 8-ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 12 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 3-ounce packages instant chocolate pudding
• 3 cups milk
First layer: Combine flour, butter or margarine and nuts. Press into a 9- by 13-inch dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool.
Second layer: Combine 1 cup whipped topping, cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Cream until fluffy. Pour over crust.
Third layer: Mix pudding with milk. Let thicken slightly and pour over cream cheese layer.
Fourth layer: Spread remainder of whipped topping over pudding. Sprinkle nuts on top, if desired. Refrigerate. Serve cold.
