by Jeremy Johnson, Meat & Specialty Category Manager
The NFL playoffs are starting soon and that means gameday! Here are a few of my favorite game day recipes.
Corn Dip
4 oz. cream cheese softened to room temperature
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. mayo
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 Tbs. butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 poblano pepper, seeds and stem removed, finely diced
3 c. of corn (you can use canned, off the cob, or frozen)
1/4 c. of fresh cilantro, chopped and divided
1/2 c. cotija cheese, divided
Directions: Using a stand or hand mixer, whip together cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Mix until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat and sauté garlic and poblano pepper for 1-2 minutes.
Add the corn and cook for 5-7 mins. Remove from heat and transfer to your bowl with cream cheese mixture. Mix together. Carefully hand mix in 1/4 c. of cotija cheese and 2 Tbs. cilantro.
Pour the dip into a serving bowl and garnish with remaining cotija cheese and cilantro.
Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. ground paprika
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. buttermilk
2 Tbs. butter, melted
1/3 c. Buffalo Sauce (I like Frank’s, which is carried by Willy North and West.)
Directions: Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the spices, salt, and flour. Add the buttermilk and stir until combined. The mixture should be pretty thick
Add the cauliflower florets to the batter, coating each piece evenly in the buttermilk mixture. Place the coated cauliflower on the prepared baking pans, leaving room between each piece so the air can circulate around them.
Bake for 20 minutes and then flip the cauliflower over to its other side to get an even bake. Bake for another 20 minutes on the other side
While the cauliflower bakes, make the buffalo sauce. Combine the buffalo sauce with the melted butter and whisk to combine. When the cauliflower is done, add the florets into the bowl the hot sauce mixture is in. Toss to combine
Cocktail Meatballs
1 32 oz. bag frozen fully-cooked meatballs
12 oz. chili sauce
10 oz. grape jelly
Directions: To sauce the meatballs in a slow cooker: Add frozen meatballs to crockpot. Add chili sauce and grape jelly. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 hours on HIGH or 4 to 6 hours on LOW, until the sauce is hot. Serve directly from the crockpot with a serving spoon or toothpicks, or transfer to a serving dish.
Spinach Artichoke Dip
1 (8-oz.) block cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. mayonnaise
3/4 c. sour cream
1 c. Parmesan, freshly grated
1 c. shredded white cheddar, plus more for topping
1/2 c. Gruyère, shredded
1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 10-oz. package frozen spinach, defrosted and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix until fully combined and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking dish and smooth top with a spatula. Top with more shredded white cheddar. Bake until bubbly and slightly golden, about 30 minutes.