This is the time of year that ALL football fans are most confident. This is THE year….the year we’ll make the playoffs…the year to GO ALL THE WAY…this is it.
We’ve signed the best new quarterback, drafted the top receiver, firmed up the defense, and how about the new coach!
It’s all there. This is it…the year!
Let’s celebrate the kickoff of the new season with some well-established football fav snack foods. Because, after all…the season is probably not going to go the way we want. And when all else fails….the food still TRIUMPHS!
Take a look at these tried and true winners!
Hot Garlicky Wings
If you are craving a game-day wing experience, make a great dish with my Sunday Best recipe for Hot Garlicky wings. Whether your team is winning, or on the verge of winning!
REALLY GOOD TURKEY BURGER SLIDERS WITH CRISPY SHALLOTS AND PIMENTO CHEESE
They’re bite size and couch perfect. Use sharp cheddar and do NOT forget the pickles. Oh, and good news, the recipe makes enough pimento cheese to entertain your game-watching pals twice in one week!
The dish that tames the angry fantasy football beast and totally scored in overtime is my sausage and refried bean nachos. I mean, these are truly a punched-up bit of nacho cheesiness. I serve these on every game day, regardless of the success of my quarterback.
Potato Fries with Crispy Buffalo Chicken, topped with Blue Cheese Gravy
I’m just in in time for football pre-season tailgating! You may have heard of a dish called “poutine”. It involves fries, gravy and cheese curds. My version kicks it up a notch!
Whether you prepare your own fan-favorite appys or arrange store-bought (and there are tons of them) items on your board, the secret is to be surprising. Mix and match your favorites and be creative with your choices. After all, you never want to be bored with your board!!
There’s just something about this that is super spicy but not hurtful! I use deli chicken as a shortcut, but you can use leftover chicken if you have it. Boar’s Head has a Blazing Buffalo chicken that just adds a little bit of somethin’ somethin’ to the dip, and Fritos corn chips bring the whole experience to critical addiction levels!
Cooking an ooey gooey cookie dough bar for game day always makes the house smell delicious and provides an awesome activity when the grandkids come over!
My best Super Bowl party recipes will make Kick-Off memorable. Plan your football party menu and host a Super Bowl party that you will enjoy as much as your guests will!
Read on for my 5 best Kick-Off party snacks!
Tip 1
Invite your pals… regardless of their team preference. Since this is a casual party, an email or text invite will do just fine. Let your guest know your time frame. If you plan to participate in a betting board, make sure you give everyone enough time to buy their squares BEFORE kick-off.
Tip 2
Set up your party space. If you can, have at least 2 screens for watching. The more guests, the more screens. Set up your libation station the farthest place away from the front door. Your guests will move into the room a little faster this way.
Tip 3
What are the best Super Bowl foods to make for your kick-off party? Serve food that you can place and let your guests pick and choose as the games ups and downs lay out. Make ahead is best. I have tons of ideas for you to think about.
Tip 4
Have a menu game plan (just like the coaches do!). First and second quarter place appys around for fans to nibble. Dips and appy boards are perfect here. At Half Time present your hot food like wings and sliders. The third quarter brings the winners/loser desserts like my decadent Caramel Toffee Cookie Dough Brownie Bars.
No matter which team wins the game, we’re all winners with this dessert!
Really Good Turkey Burger Sliders with Crispy Shallots and Pimento Cheese
They’re bite size and couch perfect. Use sharp cheddar and do NOT forget the pickles. Oh, and good news, the recipe makes enough pimento cheese to entertain your game-watching pals twice in one week!
For as long as I can remember, our Game Day staple came from a little restaurant in Pompano Beach called Wings ‘N Things. We would get our wings with extra garlic and extra hot sauce, and they were the best wings I’ve ever eaten. If you ever find yourself in South Florida, you must try their wings! This recipe comes pretty darn close to our favorite.
Sometimes, you need a hot dip, and you need it now! This recipe fills the bill. There are tons of versions of Hot Buffalo Wing Dip, so use this as a guideline to make the one you like best.
I would love to see what you did with this recipe. Share your creation by tagging #inthekitchenwithjorj and with Scrumptious Possibilities With Jorj, my free private home cooking group.
As the clock winds down on 2022, let’s celebrate good taste with my most popular recipes of 2022! From appys to super fresh salads to dinner dishes that are anything but boring, explore all of my tastiest recipes and make something different! Wishing you joyful cooking experiences and a fantastic New Year ahead.
Take the stress out of Thanksgiving with this step-by-step Thanksgiving meal planning guide! Get my best tips and recipes to organize your best Thanksgiving menu ever…while jhaving fun!
Face your foodie fears with this Chicken Liver Mousse recipe, a timeless party appetizer that I’ve been enjoying since I was a kid! You’ll be surprised how easy (and tasty) chicken liver can be.
The Kentucky Derby is this weekend and it’s time to prepare your party provisions! Share these on Saturday in a small backyard soiree or savor them television side with the hubby.
We all know and love the term, “Spring is in the air,” but imagine, too, the divine way it smells, beckoning us to our backyards with the promise of barbeque with the fixin’s….And with Kentucky Derby right around the corner, we can really pull out the Southern stops for a safe and delicious outdoor gathering. Whether you’re setting an elegant table or wearing a Kentucky Derby hat as you graze an outdoor buffet, consider these your go-to Kentucky Derby party plans:
The Kentucky Derby doesn’t have to be a marathon if you play host this weekend. A simple charcuterie board elevated with Southern-style taste and ingredients will come to the rescue! This board’s arranged with deviled eggs, spiced crackers, pimento spread, pickled okra, millionaire’s bacon, my special cilantro shrimp recipe, and an assortment of turkey and ham roll-ups. Serve with Kentucky Derby’s infamous Mint Juleps and you’ll have yourself a party: The Savoy Cocktail Book, Harry Craddock, 1930
4 sprigs fresh mint
½ tbls powdered sugar
1 glass bourbon, rye, or Canadian whisky
Use a long tumbler and crush mint leaves and dissolved sugar lightly together. Add spirits and fill glass with cracked ice. Stir gently until glass is frosted. Decorate on top with 3 sprigs of mint.
From family to family, here in the South, there is debate about how to make a traditional hand pie. But one thing is for sure: This recipe makes for a delicious peach pie! This recipe yields a pie that looks like a puffy, jelly doughnut and is over-the-top delicious. Top with confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon and serve with vanilla ice cream for a delicious Southern treat.
This Southern recipe was made from my Farmer’s Market opening day bounty and pulls together a few of my favorite farmer’s market finds: Tender collard greens, paired with rich pork belly. This dish is perfect if you’ve just had a stash of your greens in your drawer that you’ve been looking to work into a dish or perhaps bought a bushel too much from your local farmer’s market trip. This dish makes for a lovely first course or a wonderful side dish.
My chilled soup adds farm-fresh sweet strawberries for a cool and refreshing treat.This recipe features both ways of making a gazpacho – you have the option to seed the tomatoes or you don’t. Either way, you’ll still have a great batch of gazpacho!
Like pickles? You’ll love this recipe, and you’ll be delighted to discover that there are so many ways to create a delicious batter for your fried pickles. I personally like the combination of seasoned flour and buttermilk for a tangy topping. You can fry them whole or sliced, fried in vegetable or peanut oil – Whatever floats your boat! The comeback sauce featured in this recipe is definitely to die for.
I’ve always considered that my recipe for hush puppies is TOO GOOD…Try it and you be the judge. This recipe is my own version of that South Carolina fisherman’s special recipe. The great thing about it is that you don’t have to follow it precisely to get a tasty result. If you’re looking for a recipe that you can get creative with, this is it! Pick and choose your add-ins and sauces.
What’s better than the Patriots and the Rams in the Super Bowl this year…. Well even if you are a Saints fan, the best part of the Super Bowl is always the game day food!! Well, maybe not if you are a Saints fan…. But for everyone else… let’s talk about the food!
Here’s my Game Day plan. For pregame and first half, I serve finger food that guests can munch on while they are filling out the betting squares. My choice is Veggie Chips with Roasted Garlic Onion Dip. You can make the chips in advance and keep them warm for scooping in silky-smooth onion dip.
Half time requires tummy soothing for fans of the lagging team, and spicy flavor for those coming out ahead. My Turkey Burger Sliders with Crispy Shallot and Pimento Cheese works for both! Again, you can make everything ahead and just grill the sliders right before the half time show starts. Serve a pile of Real Deal Fries alongside the sliders and everyone is ready for the third quarter.
The fourth quarter requires chocolate. Some of your guests are going to be deliriously happy, while some are …. well in need of chocolate. My Chocolate-Walnut Torte is the perfect answer, especially if you serve it with Salted Caramel Ice Cream, featured on a blog I just did on January 7. If your friends haven’t subscribed to Jorj.com yet, forward this post to them with my as of yet unbroken promise of delivering delicious and doable recipes each and every Monday!
As for these sliders, they’re bite size and couch perfect. Use sharp cheddar and do NOT forget the pickles. Oh, and good news, the recipe makes enough pimento cheese to entertain your game-watching pals twice in one week!
Really Good Turkey Burger Sliders
with Crispy Shallots and Pimento Cheese
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
Crispy Shallots
4 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced, about 1 cup
1 cup canola oil
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon coarse ground pepper
Heat the canola oil in a small pot over medium high heat. Add the shallots and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer the shallots until golden (this will take about 20 to 30 minutes). Remove the shallots with a slotted spoon to a dish layered with paper towels. The onions will become crispy as they sit. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm in a warming drawer or in the oven on low heat.
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Pimento Cheese
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese
4 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese, about 1 cup
4 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese, about 1 cup
½ cup mayonnaise
1 (4-ounce) jar pimentos, drained
2 to 3 green onions, sliced, about 2 tablespoons
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
Place the cream cheese, cheeses, and mayonnaise into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is creamy. Add the pimentos, onions and spices and season with salt and pepper. Pulse 3 to 5 times more. You will have more cheese than you need for the burgers. Store in an airtight container to serve on warmed Saltine crackers later in the week.
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Burger
1 pound ground turkey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder
6 slider rolls (about 2-inches in diameter) sliced open horizontally and warmed
Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
Sliced dill pickles
Place the ground turkey into a large bowl. Add olive oil and Worcestershire sauce. Add garlic powder. Use your hands to combine and form into 6 patties. Season the patties with salt and pepper.
Coat a grill pan with vegetable oil spray and heat on medium high. Place the burgers onto the grill pan and sear on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip the burgers and cook until seared on the second side, about 3 minutes more. Top each burger with a slathering of pimento cheese. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, so that the cheese begins to melt over the burgers. If the burgers are done and the cheese has not melted, remove the pan from the heat and tent with aluminum foil for 2 minutes.
To assemble the sliders, place the warmed rolls onto a platter. Open the rolls and place a burger patty with the melted cheese onto the bottom half of the roll. Cover the burger with crispy onions. Layer the top half of the roll with slices of tomato and dill pickle. Put the two halves together and dig in!
It’s GAME DAY! Time to plan a meal around the big game…. And the last-minute Christmas shopping. Bring your weekend warriors to the peace table with a grilled burger that scores a TD every time. The secret is a simple, yet flavorful patty that comes from grinding beef brisket. The special sauce elevates the favor of da burger along with lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions and perhaps a sesame seed bun!
Check out my recipe for my Sunday Best Burger to see just what happiness is made from! If you don’t want to grind the beef yourself, ask your butcher to do the grinding for you. Most grocery store meat departments will be happy to do this for no extra charge.
Merry Christmas, everyone. We don’t have long to go now!
Sunday Best Burger
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
Burgers
1 (3-pound) beef brisket
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced, about 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
Place the shaft, blade and knife of a food grinder (or food grinder attachment) into the freezer to chill. Cut the brisket into 1-inch pieces. Lay the pieces onto a baking tray with lip and place into the freezer until the meat is firm, but not frozen, about 15 minutes. Remove the meat from the freezer and toss with olive oil. Assemble the meat grinder attachment. Push through 2 to 3 pieces of meat at a time into a bowl. After all of the meat has been through the machine, grind it all a second time.
Season the meat with Worcestershire and garlic. Form into 8 (or more) patties. Refrigerate until you are ready to grill. Just before grilling, season the burgers with salt and pepper.
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Burger Sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sweet pick relish
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper
Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
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Buns and Toppers
8 large burger buns, sliced
2 tablespoons butter, melted
8 (1-ounce) American cheese slices
2 large tomatoes, sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 large ripe avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
Dill pickle chips
Heat a grill over medium high heat. Brush the inside of the buns with butter. Grill the burgers on one side for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side, until desired degree of doneness, about 4 to 5 minutes more for medium rare. Place a slice of cheese onto each burger.
Brush the buns with melted butter and lay onto the grill. Toast for 30 to 45 seconds. Place the buns onto a platter. Lay the burgers into the buns. Slather with special sauce and offer your favorite toppers, like those suggested above.
What a wonderful night to host a party… maybe a Game Day Party!! Wait a minute. Maybe? Heck yeah, we’re doing this! Here’s the 2017 NFL schedule that’ll keep us entertained through Christmas Eve. We’ll need something to eat, though! My recipe for Beef and Black Bean Nachos with Goat Cheese Sauce is a winner… regardless of the outcome of the game!
Here’s how this SUNDAY BEST “couch potato” chapter standout is nacho your average snack. The lime, cumin and fresh goat cheese are heaven on a black bean drenched tortilla chip! Meat lovers will see it all marries perfectly with the sirloin suggested in this recipe, but healthy swaps like lean turkey work just as well…
These are a perfect finger food for meat lovers, looking for savory comfort food on Game Day. I love a DISH OF THE DAY that requires those hand wipes they pass out at BBQ joints. Once you’re all cleaned up, commence to order an autographed copy of my book! All you have to do to ensure it’s signed is simply email me.
Love & half-time pigouts,
–Jorj!
Beef and Black Bean Nachos with Goat Cheese Sauce
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
Beans
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained
Juice of 1 large lime, about 2 tablespoons
½ medium white onion, peeled and chopped, about ½ cup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, peeled and minced, about 1 teaspoon
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
Place the beans, lime juice, onion, olive oil, garlic and cumin into a medium sauce pan. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Pour this mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 4 to 5 times for a chunky puree. Return the bean mixture to the sauce pan over very low heat to keep warm.
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Sauce
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, plus more for garnish
½ cup heavy cream
In a medium saucepan, whisk together crumbled goat cheese and cream over medium heat until the mixture is smooth and melted. Keep warm.
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Beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced, about 1 tablespoon
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded, veins removed, diced, about 2 tablespoons
1 pound ground sirloin beef
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 bag (18 to 24 ounces) large tortilla chips
Avocados, diced
Fresh tomato salsa
Fresh chopped cilantro leaves
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeno to the pan and cook until the veggies are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until browned and crumbling, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the chili sauce and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble the nachos, lay out tortilla chips in a single layer on a serving platter. Spoon the beef over the top of the chips. Spoon the beans over the meat. Pour the creamy goat cheese sauce over all. Garnish the nachos with diced avocado, fresh salsa, crumbled goat cheese and cilantro.
What’s better than the Patriots and the Rams in the Super Bowl this year…. Well even if you are a Saints fan, the best part of the Super Bowl is always the game day food!! Well, maybe not if you are a Saints fan…. But for everyone else… let’s talk about the food!
