Tag: game day

Barbecue Pork Potato Skins and Nachos

Posted on Posted in Meat, Small BitesTagged , , 4 Comments

These appetizers with pulled pork are game day favorites in my hometown of Memphis, Tenn., and they are about as popular as Elvis around my old stomping grounds. For my take on this southern classic, I recommend a tangy and slightly sweet sauce. I keep my pantry well stocked with my favorite barbecue sauces so I am ready for any good sports event throughout the year or a summer get together. Using leftover pork that has been smoked and pulled the day before, makes this a quick recipe you can whip up during halftime or for a meal with friends.

Barbecue Pork Potato Skin Ingredients:
7 to 8 small Yukon gold potatoes
2 cups pulled pork
¼ cup barbecue sauce
½ cup yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
½ cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
hot and sweet jalapeño pepper slices
Light sour cream for serving

Barbecue Pork Nacho Ingredients:
4 ounces tortilla chips
2 cups pulled pork
½ cup barbecue sauce, divided
¼ cup yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 extra small red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
hot and sweet jalapeño pepper slices
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and diced

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Pierce potatoes a few times with a fork and bake for 30 minutes.
  2. Remove potatoes, leaving oven on. Let potatoes cool enough to touch and cut each in half. Scoop out a small amount of potato, leaving a divot like space in the potato halves.
  3. In a small bowl, toss 2 cups of pulled pork with barbecue sauce and stir to evenly coat. Place potatoes on a baking dish and add equal amount of pork to potato halves and top with two types of cheddar cheese and 1 jalapeño pepper slice.
  4. On another baking dish, arrange tortilla chips across the pan and top with pork. Drizzle half of the barbecue sauce over the pork and chips and top with cheddar cheese, onion slices and jalapeño slices. Drizzle the remaining sauce on top of the nachos.
  5. Bake potatoes and nachos for 7 to 10 minutes, until cheese has melted. Top potatoes with sour cream and nachos with diced avocado before serving.

Grilled Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Posted on Posted in Pizza, PoultryTagged , , , , 2 Comments

This pizza tastes like buffalo wings and cheese pizza had a baby. When it is game day and you can’t decide which of your favorite appetizers to serve, just combine them into one delicious pizza. My grilled pizza tastes more like a flatbread with a thin crispy crust and it is really quick to make. You’ll have a meal on the table in less than 20 minutes, leaving you more time to cheer on your favorite team.

Round out your meal with cauliflower buffalo bites. Just make extra sauce, coat the cauliflower and roast in your oven until tender. Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese dip or ranch dressing.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons hot sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 medium chicken breasts, cooked and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons corneal
1 homemade or store bought pizza dough ball, about the size of a grapefruit
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
2 celery sticks, trimmed and thinly sliced

Directions:

  1. Add butter and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When butter has melted, whisk in the brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, hot sauce, honey, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to simmer and stir occasionally until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat, add chicken to the saucepan and stir to coat.
  2. Sprinkle cornmeal over a large cutting board or flat working surface. Use a rolling pin to roll or your hands stretch (I do a combination) the pizza dough to a thin layer, about ⅛ inch thick and 12 to 14 inches in diameter. Prepare the grill for medium-high, indirect heat. For a gas grill, leave one or two burners off and for a charcoal grill, place coals on one side and use the coal-free side.
  3. Place crust on the grill (a pizza peel is handy here) and cook for about five minutes, until top of crust starts to bubble and light brown grill marks appear on the bottom of the crust. Remove crust from grill. Top cooked side of crust with chicken and buffalo sauce. Add cheeses and top with celery slices.
  4. Return pizza to the grill and cook for about five minutes, until cheese has melted and bottom of crust has light brown grill marks. Remove from grill, slice into 8 wedges and serve.

Servings: 4

GRILLED HAWAIIAN BITES WITH TANGY MUSTARD AND CREAMY BBQ SAUCES

Posted on Posted in Small BitesTagged , , , Leave a comment

Grilling intensifies the delicious flavor of pineapple, adding an extra burst of caramelized sweetness. The deli ham and grilled bell pepper complement the sweet fruit, turning this appetizer into a sweet and salty snack on a stick. This is a great appetizer for game day, especially if you’re a Green Bay Packer fan and want to add a little green and gold to your plate. Leftovers make a wonderful salad topping, just add lettuce and your favorite dressing.

Ingredients:
1 medium pineapple
4 medium or 3 large bell peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
toothpicks
4 tablespoons mayonnaise, divided
4 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt, divided
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons BBQ sauce

Directions:

  1. Trim and core pineapple, and slice into four large sections. Remove stem and seeds from the bell peppers and cut each into two halves. On a large platter, brush both sides of pineapple and bell pepper with olive oil.
  2. Heat a gas grill or prepare a charcoal grill to medium heat. Place pineapple and pepper on the grill and cook for four to five minutes per side, until produce is tender with lightly browned grill marks. Remove from grill and set aside until cool enough to touch.
  3. Lay ham flat on a cutting board and cut into 1 inch strips. Starting at one end, roll each piece into a tight roll. Cut pineapple and pepper into bite-size pieces.
  4. Prepare tangy mustard sauce by combining 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, yogurt and dijon mustard in a small bowl and stirring until well combined. Similarly, combine and stir the remaining mayonnaise and yogurt with the BBQ sauce to create the creamy BBQ sauce.
  5. Thread toothpicks with bell pepper, ham and pineapple. Serve with two dipping sauces.