Game Day Food!

Game Day - the perfect excuse to eat all of your favorite foods and not feel guilty about it! In preparation for the big game, here are some of our favorite appetizers and comfort foods to enjoy while watching football! 

Jalapeno Poppers are great, and we took these up a level with bacon... Try these Cheesy BLT Stuffed Jalapenos. 

 

Chips and dip are probably my #1 guilty pleasure. You can't go wrong with this 5-minute dip that tasted like a loaded baked potato. Loaded Baked Potato Dip! 

I must have something for loaded baked potatoes! These hot Loaded Baked Potato Bites really are the perfect bite. Make your mashed potato a day ahead of time to make assembling these cute little bites a breeze! 

Pinwheels are perfect little bite-sized appetizers and can be hot, using Crescent rolls, or cold, using flour tortillas. Try these Baked Pinwheels or these cold Tortilla Pinwheels. 

I think deviled eggs always belong when having an appetizer party. Try these Western Style Deviled Eggs with ham, onion, green peppers, topped with pickled mustard seeds. 

You might want to eat the entire tray after trying one of these Sweet Ham and Swiss Sliders (say that 10 times fast!). Gooey melted cheese and baked ham on a toasted roll, all topped with a sweet and spicy Dijon and brown sugar butter glaze - perfection. 

You'll want to make these just for the creamy and cheesy roasted jalapeno sauce! Smothered Chicken Burritos - the chicken cooks in your crockpot all day, and then assemble and bake when you are ready to eat! 

Crisp, buttery grilled bread stuffed with creamy melted cheese and a hot and bubbly spinach artichoke spread. It's like everybody's favorite party dip in a sandwich. Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese - 

Finally, making pizza at home can be a lot of fun. This pizza combines a Philly Cheesesteak with a make-at-home pizza - Philly Cheesesteak Pizza. 

Enjoy!! 

 

Pepperoni Pizza Rolls

A few weeks ago I made Baked Egg Rolls that were filled with ground pork and lots of veggies. My little one and I had so much fun making them together that I wanted to do something with the remaining egg roll wrappers.

I checked out my fridge and spotted the package of string cheese I just bought as well as a package of sliced pepperoni - instant inspiration! These pepperoni pizza rolls were crunchy, gooey, fun. They would make a great appetizer for a party or game day. We enjoyed them as dinner - I rounded out the meal by serving them with some sautéed baby spinach.

Pepperoni Pizza Rolls

Ingredients

(for 8 rolls)

• 8 egg roll wrappers
• 4 reduced fat string cheeses
• 24 slices pepperoni
• Pizza sauce (for in the roll and for dipping)
• Cooking spray

Directions

One note: when working with eggrolls, be sure to keep the wrappers covered with a wet paper towel as they are waiting to be used. Once I would finish rolling one, I'd cover it with another wet paper towel. You don't want the wrappers to dry out and crack before you cook them.

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
• Lay one wrapper on a cutting board (lay it so a point is facing you).
• Spoon a small amount of sauce just below the center of the wrapper, spooning from side to side.
• Place three slices of pepperoni on top of the sauce, going from side to side
• Put one of the halves of string cheese on top of the pepperoni.
• Roll the rolls - Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay a wrapper flat on the sheet (like a diamond - pointed end facing you) and spoon a small amount of sauce onto the bottom third of the wrapper. Add three slices of pepperoni somewhat overlapping from side to side, and then top with one of the halves of string cheese. Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the ingredients and fold in the sides. Roll it once and fold in the sides again. Roll it until sealed (about 1.5 more turns) and place seam side down for baking. Continue rolling all of the rolls until done and then spray them with cooking spray.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Note: when I made the pork egg rolls I flipped them halfway through cooking. I didn't flip these until 3/4 of the way through cooking since the cheese wanted to ooze out. I put the broiler on at the end to brown up the tops.

     

Grilled Naan Pizzas

I have been wanting to try grilled pizza for ages. My parents do it all the time and they like using Naan bread (Indian flat bread) so I picked some up at Wegman's one day.

We made these for lunch one weekend and everyone picked their own toppings. I wanted something light and fresh without traditional pizza sauce so I went with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, arugula, and some spicy Italian sausage. Jon wanted something more traditional as did the little one, so they both used sauce, cheese, and sausage. That's what I love about making personal pizzas - you can set out a toppings bar and let everyone assemble their own.

 I cannot get over how fabulous these were! The bread got nice and crispy and wasn't too doughy like pizza can sometimes be. Besides loving the way these tasted, I have two other favorite things about them. First, no need to turn on the oven and heat up the house. And second, removing the foil for the last 30 seconds of grilling really crisped up the bottoms and gave them that charred taste (a good char!) you get with wood or coal oven pizzas.

Forget traditional pizza crust - I'm hooked on Naan and think these will be a go-to dinner when we want something simple and on the grill this summer.

Grilled Naan Pizza

Ingredients for my Sausage, Tomato and Arugula pizza

• Naan flatbread, 1 per person
• 1 links hot Italian sausage (per pizza), casings removed
• Mozzarella cheese
• 2 vine ripened tomatoes per pizza, sliced
• 1 c arugula per pizza
• 1 tsp olive oil plus a touch more for brushing
• Salt and pepper

Directions

• Heat a large sauté pan and crumble the sausage in to it. Cook until browned (alternatively you could cook your sausage on the grill and then slice it - keep all the mess outside!)
• Put the arugula in a bowl and toss it with 1 tsp olive oil and some salt and pepper
• Brush the toppings side of your Naan with a touch of olive oil.
• Layer your pizza - tomatoes, mozzarella, and sausage.
• Place a sheet of foil on a hot grill and place the pizza on top of the foil. Let cook approximately 8 minutes with the grill lid closed. Once the pizza is almost as crispy as you want it, add the arugula. Close the lid and let the arugula wilt. If you want an extra crispy and slightly charred pizza, pull the foil off the grill and let the pizza cook another 20-30 seconds, watching it carefully.
• Slice and serve!

   

Philly Cheesesteak Pizza

Born and raised in Philadelphia, I love a good Cheesesteak, and I have a great recipe for making them at home here. I have used leftover cheesesteak ingredients to make a cheesesteak omelet inspired by one I had in Philly, and have also had cheesesteak calzones and strombolis, but never a pizza.

These pizzas are the best of both a cheesesteak and a pizza - a super creamy, cheesy sauce is what takes them over the top! 

You can use your own pizza dough recipe for these, or buy a pre-made crust.

I made 2 personal pizzas so Jon and I could adjust them to our preferences.  My pizza followed the original recipe exactly, but I made a few changes to Jon's including adding pizza sauce and some shredded pizza cheese.

I was SO happy with these! The soy sauce with the meat adds great flavor, and the cheese sauce is to die for. Note - make extra cheese sauce because it's great poured over nachos or in a quesadilla! I actually had some leftover meat and peppers too, so the next day I made cheesesteak quesadillas using those ingredients and the cheese sauce. 

 * A few notes on the recipe and ingredients.

 - The original recipe calls for flank steak. If you don't have flank steak, try rib eye (put it in the freezer for a bit so you can slice it super thin). Another option is using frozen thinly sliced steaks packaged for cheesesteaks - note, not SteakUms but meat frozen in a meat pack by the butcher. These work fine and will save you some cooking time, and they can be shredded as you cook them instead of sliced after cooking.

 - Also, the cheese sauce is a must. Don't get worried that there isn't any cheese that melts on the pizza while it is baking - you won't need it with this cheese sauce. When you make the cheese sauce, try adding some American cheese to it to make it super creamy.

 - One final note - make extra of everything! Trust me, you will be happy to have leftovers!

Philly Cheesesteak Pizza 

Adapted from: The Redhead Baker

Ingredients

• 8 oz flank steak, halved lengthwise (or rib eye or frozen thinly sliced steaks; see my note above)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp olive oil

• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips




1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1/2 sm onion, cut into strips
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 ½ tsp soy sauce

½ cup milk
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 oz (½ cup) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ tsp onion powder
⅛ tsp salt
⅛ tsp red pepper flakes

• 2 personal sized pizza crusts (your own, or a pre-cooked one like Boboli or even Naan bread)

Directions

• Place a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet in your oven, and preheat oven to 500° (keep stone or baking sheet in oven).
• Season steak on both sides with the black pepper salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steak to the pan; cook for 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak across the grain into very thin slices. (or shred meat as you cook - see my note above)
• Add the oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the onion and bell peppers; sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add sliced steak; sauté 30 seconds or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, onion powder and soy sauce. Arrange steak mixture over crust.
• Combine milk and flour in a small pot; stir with a whisk until smooth. Place on the stove over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in your cheeses, whisking until smooth. Drizzle the cheese mixture over the pizza.
• Cook the pizza according to the directions on the crust packaging. 
• Cut into slices and serve.