game day Archives - The Tasty Fork

Cheesy Garlic Buffalo Wings

April 4, 2013 by admin · 21 Comments

The Final Four is this weekend….I’ll be watching but totally pouting. My Hoosier basketball team didn’t raise to the #1 seed they were given and totally flopped in the Sweet Sixteen against Syracuse. I’m still disappointed and mad at the Coach for not preparing our boys enough. Everyone who knows college basketball knows Syracuse plays a zone defense. DUH.

Ok, enough with my rant. Assuming you’ll be watching the Final Four or just like game day food, I’m sharing with you some finger licking good sauce which goes perrrfect with baked chicken wings.

I came up with recipe out of pure laziness. In my old neighborhood, there is a bar that has good chicken wings and I love their cheesy garlic sauce. I only moved a couple miles away but the traffic on that side of town is just terrible…and since the Cubs will be having their home opener next week, I probably won’t head in that direction until September.

I was really craving this cheesy garlic sauce and instead of driving over to the bar, I decided I could re-create myself and make it even better…which I did. I used parmesan cheese, a couple cloves of garlic and some Uncle Pete’s Buffalo Sauce (my favorite!). I think the bar uses more of a butter sauce, so I was happy to cut some calories from this already splurging meal. Also, the wings are baked in the oven for 30 minutes and they get perfectly crispy. (Yay, no frying! another calorie saver.)

The only mistake I made was only making 12 wings. Sub note – Why are chicken wing packages so hard to tell how many chicken wings are actually in the package??!! I don’t care how much the package weighs; tell me how many wings I’m buying. — My hubby and I gobbled these wings down and we were still kind of hungry. Next time, I’ll be sure to buy more because this sauce makes a lot.

If you’re a fan of wings, you must try this recipe! I think you’ll be licking your fingers to get every last drip of the Cheesy Garlic Buffalo Sauce.

Cheesy Garlic Buffalo Wings

Ingredients

4 lb buffalo wings (this is double what I bought)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup melted butter
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup Buffalo sauce
Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing

Instructions

Heated the oven to 400 degrees. Set a wire rack inside each of 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Place wings, oil, salt & pepper in a large bowl; toss to coat. Divide wings between prepared racks and spread out in a single layer. Bake for 45 minutes and check internal temperature. Return to the oven if needed.
In a sauce pan, melt butter. Add garlic and stir for 1 minutes. Add cheese and buffalo sauce. Stir to eliminate most of the cheese lumps. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
When wings are done cooking, toss with sauce. Serve with Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing

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Fire Roasted Jalapeno Turkey Chili

February 26, 2013 by admin · 14 Comments

Remember last week when I said Mother Nature doesn’t care about you. Well, I’m changing my statement. Not only does Mother Nature not care about you, she straight up hates you… or maybe she just hates me. I’m trying to write this post before the next winter storm hits. This week’s storm will be a combo of snow, rain, thunder and wind. No breaks from Mother Nature by any means.

Last week when we got snow, my husband was asking for chili. Who am I kidding, he’s always asking for chili. But this request was as man as it gets. He said, “Meghan, can you make chili? But not girly soupy chili. More like traditional meat chili..but I also wants beans.” I’m sure I shot him a you-think-my-chili-is-soupy-and-girly-look. Then I realized that most of my chili recipes have been more on the healthy & girly side. 1 point for the husband.

I think I met my husband’s request by “manning up” my recipe. For starters, I doubled the amount of meat I usually use. You can use any kind of ground meat — I picked ground turkey. I added a lot more heat by fire roasting jalapenos. (ahem, fire roasting as in blistering the skin with a gas stove burner.) And instead of using stock as my main form of liquid, I used beer. It doesn’t get any more manly than that.

I must say, I loved this chili. It was beefy and spicy. This chili is very versatile. It can be eaten as a chili or you can use it to make nachos or chili cheese hot dogs. Or maybe chili burritos. The recipe variations are endless!

My husband was very happy with the Fire Roasted Jalapeno Turkey Chili. He had two helpings on Friday night and finished off the rest Saturday afternoon. (this recipe makes 6 hearty serving.) I’m sure he’ll be asking for this chili after shoveling the latest havoc Mother Nature drops on us Tuesday afternoon. Riley is already surveying what’s fallen in the past hour.

Fire Roasted Jalapeno Turkey Chili

Ingredients

2 Jalapenos
2 lb Ground turkey, beef or chicken
1 Onion, diced
2 Garlic cloves, minced
6 oz beer, any kind you like to drink
2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes with chili peppers, drained
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 (16 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
Shredded cheese, for garnish
Diced onions, for garnish
Chips
Crackers

Instructions

Over a gas burner or under the broiler, char the skin of both jalapenos. When charred, put jalapenos in a ziplock bag and set aside till cool. When cool, chop jalapenos. Keep seeds and ribs if you like spicy chili. Set aside.
In a large pot or dutch oven, brown meat along with the onions and garlic. Drain excess liquid when cooked.
Add to the meat mixture - chopped fire roasted jalapenos, tomato sauce, Rotel, beans, 2 tablespoons of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and white and black pepper. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add beer, Worcestershire sauce along with another 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and chili powder. Simmer for 2 hours.
Serve with your favorite toppings - shredded cheese, chips, crackers, and onions

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Filed Under: Entree, Game Day, Recipes, Soup/Chili · Tagged With: chili, fire roasted jalapeno chili, game day, meat and beans chili, recipe, spicy chili, spicy turkey chili, turkey chili

BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Jalapeno Poppers

January 30, 2013 by admin · 25 Comments

BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Jalapeno Poppers #superbowl #gameday #baked

Are you ready for the Super Bowl?? I’m getting there — I’ve got my stretch pants all washed and ready to go. If your team isn’t in the Super Bowl, the only thing that matters is the food selection, right?? My hubby & I go to the same Super Bowl party every year and there is always a ton of food. When you’re the culinary girl in the group, there is always extra pressure to bring something super duper amazing. Well, I think I made the appetizer of the Super Bowl….

I have a major obsession with BBQ Chicken Pizza. I’ll order it from good pizza places. I’ll order it late night when I’ve had too many cocktails. And when I’m really desperate, I’ll even hit up my freezer and warm up a Lean Cuisine BBQ Chicken Pizza. I made BBQ Chicken Sandwiches the other day and I had a lot of chicken left over. Instead of making a BBQ Chicken Pizza, I got my Super Bowl Game Face on and decided to use my left overs to make BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Jalapeno Poppers…wrapped in bacon.

BBQ Chicken Jalapeno Poppers #superbowl #snackfood #gameday #baked

Ok, so these poppers are not healthy but totally worth all of the calories. I ate 5 in under 5 minutes. (I’m a pig and have no self control.) I love the taste of the BBQ sauce, fresh cilantro, pineapple and bacon. One great thing – the poppers are baked and I have a little secret I like to do to the bacon. After I’ve wrapped bacon around the jalapeno, I like to sprinkle brown sugar over the bacon. While the poppers are baking, the bacon gets very caramelized and the sweet taste is amazing!

Poppers can be assembled up to a day ahead of time and kept in the fridge before cooking. Or, they can be fully cooked and frozen in plastic bags. Just thaw and warm up in the oven before serving.

BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Jalapeno Poppers #superbowl #gameday

If you’re looking for the ultimate Super Bowl party dish, look no further. It’s a unique dish and will be the hit of the party!! So I guess that means you’ll be the most popular person there!

BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Jalapeno Poppers #superbowl #gameday #baked

BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Jalapeno Poppers, makes 24 poppers

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup shredded BBQ chicken
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp BBQ sauce
Salt, to taste
4 pineapple rings, chopped
12 jalapenos, cut in half, seeds and ribs removed
24 strips of bacon (I used Oscar Mayer Hardwood Smoked)
toothpicks
brown sugar

Directions:

Pre-heat over to 300 degrees.
In a bowl, use a hand mixer to fluff up cream cheese. Once it’s light and airy, add BBQ chicken and the next 4 ingredients. Fold with a spatula until it’s well combined. Add pineapple and stir.
Line a baking sheet with foil. Stuff each hallowed jalapeno with the cream cheese mixture. Wrap jalapeno in bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of bacon. Bake for 60 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

meghan sig

Filed Under: Appetizers, Chicken, Game Day, Pork, Recipes · Tagged With: appetizer recipe, baked jalapeno poppers. bacon wrapped appetizer, bbq chicken recipe, game day, jalapeno poppers recipe, recipe, super bowl

Feta Dip with Fresh Herbs & Lemon

January 9, 2013 by admin · 14 Comments

It seems like ages ago, but before Christmas, I went to a Holiday Theme Pinterest Party. Being a total pinning addict, this was such a fun party! Everyone made something to share and the recipes had to come from one of your pin boards.

I asked for help from my readers about their favorite party food pins. My friend, Maddie, gave me a great recipe from one of her pin boards. She said it’s always a huge hit anytime she’s made it. It’s super easy, no cooking required and it’s transportable.

I did make a couple changes to the recipe. I used reduced fat feta cheese (you can’t taste the difference!), replaced dried herbs with fresh oregano, parsley & basil and topped the dip with fresh lemon juice.

The dip was a huge hit! It was almost like a Greek style bruschetta since we ate it with bread. It’s definitely something I’ll be making again!!

Feta Dip with Fresh Herbs & Lemon

Extra virgin olive oil
1lb Reduced fat feta cheese (buy it in a block, not crumbles)
3 -4 Roma tomatoes, diced
10 Green onions, chopped
2 tbsp Parsley, chopped
1 tbsp Oregano, chopped
1 tbsp Basil, chopped
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1 lemon, juiced
1 baguette, sliced

Directions

In a large platter, pour olive oil. (it should cover the bottom of the platter.)
Crumble feta cheese over platter. Add tomatoes, green onions and herbs. Mix everything together.
Taste. Add red pepper flakes, salt & pepper.
Top dip with lemon juice.
Serve with bread. I bought a french bread baguette from the bakery section at my local grocery store and that was perfect with this dip!

Inspired by Clover Lane

Filed Under: Appetizers, Dip, Game Day, Vegetarian · Tagged With: Appetizer, dip, feta cheese, feta dip, game day, greek dip, herb dip, no bake dip, party food, pinterest, Vegetarian

3 Ingredient Chili Cheese Dip

November 5, 2012 by Miss Tasty · 24 Comments

I spent the weekend at my in law’s home in Fort Wayne, Indiana. We woke up early (thank you time change!) on Sunday to get back in time to watch football. About 20 minutes into the drive, I asked my husband, “What should we eat for lunch & dinner?” My husband replied, “Meghan, it’s 8:15 in the morning. I think we’ve got some time to figure it out.” He was kind of right…and I had a 3 hour drive in front of me to daydream about all of our options.

First hour into our car drive, my husband has started inviting people over to our house to watch the games. I go into pure panic mode– You mean I have to plan our game day food for a group of people, go to the grocery store, unpack our car, clean the house and make food all by noon??!! Just as my foot stepped down a little further on the accelerator, I remembered I have an easy, go to dip everyone always loves. 3 ingredient chili cheese dip.

I’ve been making this little dip for almost 10 years. It’s been referred to as Crack Dip — it’s incredibly addicting. Consider this a warning, don’t even try to think you can get away with just a couple bites. One time when I was living alone, I made this dip just for myself with intentions of eating the leftovers into the week… Too bad I didn’t have any leftovers. I ate the whole thing All.By.Myself. I probably shouldn’t be sharing that info, but seriously, this Chili Cheese Dip is just delicious.

So I’m sure all of you understand how tasty this dip can be. Another great thing — It’s just 3 ingredients. Cream Cheese, Chili and Shredded Cheese. That’s all you need! (And I even “cheat” by buying canned chili.)

Knowing I had this dip in my back pocket saved my day…and decreased the probability of me getting a speeding ticket.

3 Ingredient Chili Cheese Dip, serves 4-6 people

1 package of cream cheese, softened
1 can 15 oz chili
1 cup shredded cheese, I like to buy the Mexican or Taco Blend
Tortilla Chips

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread cream cheese to cover the bottom of a small casserole dish. Pour chili on top, spread evenly. Cover chili with shredded cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let it cool for 5 minutes before eating.

Filed Under: Dip, Game Day, My Kitchen · Tagged With: cheese, chili, chili cheese, dip, food, football, game day, NFL, recipe, snack, tortilla chips

Smoky Buffalo Style Chicken Chili

May 7, 2012 by Miss Tasty · Leave a Comment

Eating chili in May isn’t something I usually do. Chicago has been hit with rainy and gloomy weather the past few days. While the rain came down on Sunday afternoon, I was curled up on the couch enjoying this amazing chili.

It’s smokey. It’s cheesy. It’s crunchy. It’s like a nacho chili bowl.

I’m not going to go into great detail about this chili. We all know what chili tastes like… but there are two elements in this chili which make it a stand out. Pureed chipotle chilis and blue cheese. Never thought blue cheese would end up in my chili, but in this recipe it totally worked.

And like most chilis, it tastes even better the longer it sits. You’ll enjoy the leftovers.

Monday Night’s Dinner…YUM

Smoky Buffalo Style Chicken Chili, serves 4-6

2 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
2 pounds ground chicken
2 carrots, chopped
3 – 4 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
Salt and pepper
1 small can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
2 cups chicken stock
A couple of handfuls thin blue-corn tortilla chips
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
3/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
Pickled jalapeno chile pepper rings for garnish

Directions

Heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook to brown, stirring to crumble. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 10 minutes or so.
Place the chipotles and adobo sauce in a food processor or blender and puree. Spoon 2 to 4 rounded tablespoons into a small bowl and combine with the tomato sauce to make a chipotle-infused tomato sauce.
When the vegetables are tender, stir in the chile-tomato sauce and chicken stock. Simmer for a few minutes to thicken and combine the flavors.
Meanwhile, switch on the broiler and position a rack in the center of the oven. Arrange 4 bowls on a baking sheet and fill with the buffalo chili. Top with an even layer of the tortilla chips, cheeses and jalapeno rings. Broil for a couple of minutes to brown the cheese and crisp the chips.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Soup/Chili · Tagged With: buffalo style, chicken, chili, food, game day, nacho chili, recipe, smoky, tailgating chili

Roasted Red Pepper & Basil Hummus with Baked Tortilla Chips

February 7, 2012 by Miss Tasty · 3 Comments

Hummus is a product I always have in my fridge. It’s pretty convenient since all stores carry it and they have a variety of flavors. After making my own hummus, I doubt I’ll ever buy it at the store again. This is a cheap & easy recipe — Paying $3-5 for an 8 ounce container of hummus is just silly. If you’re a hummus lover, please stop the insanity with me and just make your own!

I decided to make Roasted Red Pepper & Basil Hummus. I had both of the main ingredients on hand, but really, you can make any kind of hummus you want. The main ingredients you need to make hummus are chickpeas, tahini & olive oil. Tahini is a sesame paste and it can be tricky to find. The only store by me that carried it was Whole Foods. Tahini can be stored in your fridge for 6 months. If you’re like me and forget when you buy things, be sure to write the date on the container so you know how long you can use it. (I also do that with cheese!)

This recipe is so easy to make. Throw all of the ingredients in the blender and blend. That’s it.

Then you have this.

Roasted red pepper & basil go so great together. This hummus so thick & creamy. But the best part about it is how fresh it tastes! That’s the reason why I’ll never buy hummus in the store again. A store bought brand can’t compete!

How do you like to eat hummus? It really is a versatile food but I love it as a healthy dip. Veggies are great with hummus but sometimes I want some carbs. Instead of having calorie loaded chips & crackers, make your own baked tortilla chips. All you need are tortillas cut into triangles, cooking spray and your favorite spices. I really like cumin & a little salt. They bake for 10 minutes and then you have your own baked tortilla chips. The chips are super crispy! This is a great way to use up tortillas before they get too stale.

This recipe makes 3 cups and will last 7-10 days in your fridge. I hope after making your own hummus, you’ll never go back to the store bought stuff!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
12 oz. jar of roasted red peppers, drained
2 tbs olive oil
Garlic, 2 cloves
1/3 cup tahini
1 lemon, juiced
Basil, 8 leaves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:

All ingredients go into the blender. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate for 3 hours before it’s served.

Baked Tortilla Chips

Tortillas
Cooking spray
Your favorite spices (I used cumin)
Salt

Directions:

Turn oven onto 350 degrees. Cut tortillas in half, and then each half into thirds. You should have a triangle shaped chip. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Place tortillas on the baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Season chips with salt & the spice you selected. Bake for 10 minutes.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Dip, Game Day, My Kitchen · Tagged With: Appetizer, chips, dip, food, game day, healthy, low calorie, recipe, vegan

Do you like exotic & hot?

February 4, 2012 by Miss Tasty · 1 Comment

Of course you do, who doesn’t…. but I’m talking about flavors. Curry & Mango Chutney to be exact. If you like the combo of a slow burn with some sweetness, then you should make these wings. ASAP.

Make them tomorrow for your Superbowl Party. You know someone will bring the same old buffalo wings. Why don’t you be the star of the show who brings the flavor no one has had before.

Besides these wings being absolutely delicious, they’re baked. No deep-frying needed yet they still get perfectly crispy. Jack up your oven to 500 degrees and you’ll get a chicken wing that has the crunch of being fried, minus the calories. I love that.

The dry rub on the chicken is the base of the heat. The sauce provides the hint of sweet. You can eat these wings alone or add a side of Ranch dressing for dipping.

Drumsticks will take longer to cook than the wings. Drumsticks = 40 minutes. Wings = 25-30 minutes.

We all know Superbowl Parties are all about the food. Make these wings and you’ll be the hero, not some Hot Quarterback.

Mango – Curry Hot Wings

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons hot Madras curry powder
2 pounds chicken wings and drumsticks
5 tablespoons red hot sauce, preferably Frank’s Red Hot
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 tablespoons Major Grey Chutney
Chopped Cilantro, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500°. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with vegetable oil. In a bowl, mix the flour with the salt and curry powder. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Spread the chicken on the baking sheet in a single layer and spray with vegetable oil. Roast the chicken for 25 – 40 minutes, turning once or twice, until browned and crispy.
In a bowl, whisk the hot sauce with the butter and chutney. Add the chicken wings and toss. Sprinkle with cilantro.