Whether you’re more of a football, basketball or badminton fan, we can all agree that game day food improves things no matter who wins. You can’t be a poor sport with a plate of nachos on your lap. You just can’t. It’s science! So to get the good vibes going and feed those friends yelling at the TV, I came up with menu of dishes that will make everyone happy, win or lose, on game day.
FRESH NACHOS
Inferior nachos shouldn’t exist. Similar to salad, or ice cream sandwiches, nachos are good or bad based on the sum of their parts. So for a recipe perfect for Superbowl Sunday, I put together all of my favorite flavors to make some amazing nachos (see how I avoided a “touchdown” metaphor? That is some restraint right there). You can add cooked ground beef to make these a meal, or keep them vegetarian as an appetizer. The trick is in mixing the spices with the cheese first, so there’s amazing flavor in every bite. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
For 2 large plates or 1 platter
1 14-ounce bag tortilla chips
1 can black beans, drained
4 cups monterey jack, shredded
1 cup cotija, broken up
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 avocado, sliced
hot sauce, to taste
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Mix together the cheese, spices, and garlic. Spread about half of the tortilla chips on an oven proof platter in an even layer. Sprinkle half of the beans, cheese mix, red onion, and cilantro evenly over the chips. Repeat with remaining chips and ingredients. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with avocado and your choice of toppings. Serve immediately.
CHIPOTLE PALE ALE CHILI
INGREDIENTS
Made in a 6 quart dutch oven.
2 pounds chuck or sirloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound ground sirloin
1 bottle pale ale or IPA
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
1 16-ounce can refried beans
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 cloves garlic
DIRECTIONS
Brown all of the meat over high heat so it gets nice and seared. Put the meat in a pot and add the cumin, salt and pepper and stir for a few seconds until fragrant. Add add of the other ingredients, and season with another few pinches of salt and pepper. Let is simmer over medium low heat for at least an hour, or until reduced to chili consistency. Keep tasting and seasoning with salt, pepper, and more adobo sauce from the chipotles. Enjoy!
CHEDDAR JALAPEÑO CORNBREAD
INGREDIENTS
Made in a 10-inch cast iron skillet
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour crearm
1 cup stone ground yellow corn meal
3 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Pre heat oven to 400 F
In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk barely up to a simmer. When hot, stir in the cornmeal. Cook until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile, separate the eggs. Off heat, add the sour cream, butter, salt, sugar, beaten egg yolks, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff (but not dry) and fold them into the batter. Fold in cheese and jalapeños. Pour into a greased 9 inch cast iron skillet and bake for 25 minutes.
SMOKEY + SPICY CHEESE DIP
INGREDIENTS (IN A MIXING BOWL)
8 ounces aged sharp cheddar cheese, grated (net 3 cups)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon, adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
1/2 fresh jalapeño, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped
DIRECTIONS
Mix well until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate 2 hours prior to serving with warm tortilla chips.
BROWN SUGAR CHOCOLATE CHIP BLONDIES
INGREDIENTS
Made in a 9x7x2 pyrex baking pan
4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 tablespoons dark rum (optional)
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
Butter & flour a 9X7-inch baking pan, tapping out excess. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
In a standing mixer, cream butter and eggs together. Beat in sugar, rum, and vanilla until blended. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda and add a little at a time to the butter mixture on low speed. Stir in chocolate chips.
Transfer batter into your prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cut just before serving. Yields 12-16 bars.
