Sporty is the last word most people would use to describe me. I lived a short life of organized sports; once my coach came to my house for what I thought was a presentation of a MVP trophy, I was disappointed when he came empty handed, begging me to quit the team.
So it’s safe to say, sports are not my forte; I don’t voluntarily turn on ESPN to watch Cristiano Ronaldo score a winning goal (unless it’s the kind of goal he’s bound to rip his shirt off after).
When it comes to large sporting events, like next weekend’s Super Bowl, I am usually screwed. Most of my friends know player’s names and even some of their stats. I figured I’d be okay this year because I could passionately root for our Bears, but unfortunately they didn’t pull through. So this year I am focusing on one thing – FOOD!
Food is a lot more like sports than people think. Whether it’s around the dining room table or the big screen TV, they both bring people together. Foodies idolize Wolfgang Puck, Paula Dean and Tom Colicchio like sports fans follow Terrell Owens, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James (And no, I didn’t know these three athletes off the top of my head).
With the thought of this momentous event creeping towards us, I scrounged my brain full of recipes, and decided to reinvent three of my favorite game day bites – taco dips, rolls (think Totino’s pizza rolls but way better) and potato skins.
The Dish: Taco Dip
Whether tailgating in the bitter cold for a Bears game or watching a college bowl game from a Kam’s barstool, this layered taco dip will take any sports experience from ordinary to extraordinary. I am sure you’ve devoured a chip dip a time or two in your day, but this dip goes above and beyond. Coming from a group of friends that have dip parties on occasion, I consider myself an expert in the craft. So with a few extra steps you can make a taco dip that’ll make you forget all about the lack of Chicago love at this year’s super bowl.
(Not so) Quick (but delicious) Fix: Sauté garlic, onions, half a chipotle pepper and chorizo sausage in a pan for six minutes. Add freshly diced or canned tomatoes and cook for four minutes. While the meat is sautéing, chop fresh cilantro and mix it with two packages of cream cheese. Spread this mixture on the bottom of a casserole dish and then add a layer of refried beans. Once the meat is cooked thoroughly, add it on top of the beans. Then sprinkle a mixture of freshly grated sharp cheddar and Chihuahua cheese. Throw the dip in the oven until the cheese melts and enjoy!
A few notes…
This layered taco dip has many different variations. The small additions I made to my version make a huge difference and are worth highlighting. Using chorizo sausage instead of ground beef gives the following benefits: added spice and perfectly ground up meat. Sausage easily breaks down into small crumbled pieces perfect for a layered dip where you want a bite of every layer on each chip. There are multiple versions of this layered taco dip but adding fresh and flavorful ingredients make a huge difference. Stealing tips I mentioned two weeks back, I used both fresh herbs and peppers to add bold flavors. Keep in mind that as much as fresh ingredients add to healthy often bland food they do wonders to rich and delicious tailgating eats!
The Dish: Rolls
When biting into the flaky outside, and buttery cloud like inside of a Pillsbury crescent roll, you think to yourself ‘It doesn’t get much better than this’. I am here to tell you, it does. One of my roommates introduced me to the idea of making mini pizzas out of these crescent rolls. I took this idea and started to experiment with all different types of fillings and dipping sauces. One of my favorite renditions is a turkey sandwich gone wild wrapped in this cushiony, bite size roll.
Quick Fix: Sauté garlic, onions, mushrooms, turkey (deli meat), salt/pepper until veggies are soft and turkey is browned. Add fresh basil. Spoon this mixture on Pillsbury Flaky Dough Sheet and sprinkle with pepper jack cheese (or whatever you have handy). Roll the sheet up very tights and cut into ½ inch pieces. Bake and enjoy!
A few notes…
These dough sheets are your blank canvas to create these delicious rolls. So if you do not like one of the ingredients I mentioned or don’t have time to hit up the store, get creative and invent your own roll! You can even keep it simple and make pizza rolls with Prego (or leftover marinara from last nights Pokeys) and mozzarella cheese. Or maybe try to make three different fillings, and offer your friends a trio of these delicious snacks.
The Dish: Potato Skins
Studying abroad in Rome was a constant culinary adventure that I truly savored; I sampled everything from beef cheek to pigeon. But at times, my roommates and I missed that states so much that we had to reinvent America’s favorites right in our kitchen. We decided to tackle potato skins. Making this dish is a little time consuming and you need all hands of deck, but they are truly worth the wait. From the hundreds of ingredients and meals I sampled in Italy, I have to say my first homemade potato skin was on the top of my list.
Other than their scrumptious taste, potato skins have two great attributes for us college students. They are cheap and make a lot of food! A bag of potatoes usually costs around four bucks a bag. With that bag, you can make enough potato skins to feed multiple senior houses but it spreads the dollar even farther by the leftovers – mashed potatoes! The scooped out part of the potato can be eaten at the next night’s dinner or whip them up for the game! Add sour cream, milk, and a tad of butter to the taters in a casserole dish. Mix in your favorite cheese and bake until cheese melts!
(Not so) Quick (but delicious) Fix: Bake potatoes in the oven until you can easily pierce them with a fork. Be careful because they are very hot! Remove potatoes and let them cool slightly. Cut each potato in half and scoop out the inside to leave a 1/16 of an inch of potato left on the inside of the skin. Throw the potatoes back in the oven until they are crispy and can hold their boat like shape. Make sure to flip them over halfway in order to crisp both sides. Add cooked bacon, your cheese of choice and scallions on top of each potato half and throw back in the oven until cheese melts. Remember, cooking is all about having fun and being creative so go ahead and alter the toppings according to your taste buds. For an extra savory bite, steal a tip from my post two weeks back and add fresh herbs (like dill or rosemary) to sour cream and throw a dollop atop each spud!