Football Season is officially here! Whether you are a fan of the Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M Aggies, Baylor Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, or another team, football season is a fun time of game day parties and tailgating. Another fun aspect of these get togethers is definitely the food! Below are some yummy ideas to make your game day even more fun!
PIGSKINS IN BLANKETS
Ingredients:
13 ounce package kielbasa sausage
All purpose flour
17.3 ounce package of frozen puffed pastry, thawed
Large egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup mustard, for dipping (brown, yellow, Dijon, etc.)
Directions:
Split the sausage in half lengthwise and then cut each half into six even pieces, cutting on an angle.
Cook in a large skittle over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the skin is crisped and some of the fat has been released.
Transfer to a plate to cool.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Take a clean, dry, flat surface and lightly dust with flour.
Rollout one piece of puff pastry to create an 8×11 inch rectangle.
Use a 3 ½ inch round cookie cutter to cut out 6 circles from the pastry. Cut the circles as close together as you can and save the scraps.
Repeat steps 6 and 7 with the second sheet of puff pastry.
Wrap a circle of puffed pastry around each piece of sausage, making sure the seams all the way around are closed and the sausage is completely covered. Also gently pull the ends to make a tapered football shape.
Place all “footballs” on an ungreased baking sheet, seam side down.
Brush each “football” with the beaten egg. Use the pastry scraps to create laces on each “football” by placing one strip lengthwise and three smaller strips crosswise over it. Press down gently on the laces to make sure they stick and brush with more egg.
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until the pastry is browned and crisp.
Serve with mustard and enjoy!
CHEESE BOAT
Ingredients:
Loaf of French or Italian bread
Two 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened at room temperature
2 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
6 ounces corned beef, finely chopped
1 bunch of green onions, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
½ red bell pepper (core and seeds removed), finely chopped
½ teaspoon of hot sauce
½ teaspoon of chili powder
Corn or tortilla chips, for serving
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Take the loaf of bread and cut out an oval in the top of the bread, scooping out the bread in the center to create a “bread boat”. Place the “bread boat” on a cooking sheet.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, corned beef, green onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, hot sauce and chili powder and mix well.
Spoon the mixture into the center of the hollowed out “bread boat”.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Serve warm with chips.
GRILLED CORN AND BEAN SALSA
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and fresh black pepper
4 ears of corn, shucked or 4 ½ cups frozen or canned corn kernels
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed well
½ medium red onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced and seeds removed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons of lime juice
1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
Corn or tortilla chips
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the canola oil, chili powder and salt and pepper to your taste. Brush the corn with the mixture.
Place the corn on a hot grill, turn frequently, for 10 minutes.
Let cool on cutting board. Once cool enough, cut the kernels from the cob.
Take a large bowl and combine the tomatoes, black beans, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, garlic and grilled corn. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix well.
Serve with corn or tortilla chips.
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