Excited for the Super Bowl? We are too. There isn’t much going on right now because of the pandemic, so to be able to hang out on the couch and watch games like normal is some kind of strange blessing. However, seeing as sitting on the couch is tough work, here are some fun tailgate recipes for your pandemic Sunday football.
Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
-mini burger buns
-2 chicken breasts
-barbeque sauce
-chopped cabbage
-baby tomatoes
-pickled jalapenos
-vegetable oil
-sweet paprika
-onion powder
-garlic powder
-salt
-pepper
-cumin
-mustard powder
-cayenne pepper
Instructions
-Begin by adding two tablespoons of vegetable oil to a frying pan. Add your chicken breast and cook for five minutes on medium heat.
-Flip your chicken breast, add two cups of water to the pan, and cover with a lid. Let sit for ten minutes.
-While the chicken is cooking, prepare your spice rub. In a bowl, add three tablespoons of sweet paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cumin, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix in one cup of brown sugar. Add less cayenne pepper if you don’t want it to be too spicy.
-Flip your chicken again, adding another half cup of water. Cover with lid for another five minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and discard ¾ of the water. Let the chicken breast sit untouched for five minutes.
-With two forks, pull the chicken apart. It should come apart in stringy pieces, and using the two forks to tug at it, pull the entire breast apart into small pieces. Then add your spice rub and the pulled chicken back into your pan with the small amount of water that remains. Cook on low heat for seven minutes.
-While the chicken is cooking again, chop your tomatoes and pickled jalapenos. Mash them together to form a relish.
-Set your buns in the toaster.
-Remove your chicken from the pan.
-Assembly: Spread the barbeque sauce of your choice onto the bottom bun. Then add your relish. Then cabbage. Finally, add your pulled chicken. Top with either more barbeque sauce or blue cheese dressing if you feel a little adventurous.
Mini Macaroni Balls
Ingredients
-two cups fresh grated parmesan cheese
-one cup macaroni noodles
-salt
-one cup cheddar cheese
-bacon
-three garlic cloves
-plain panko breadcrumbs
-vegetable oil
Instructions
-Fill a large pot with water. Salt the water and set it to boil.
-Add two tablespoons of vegetable oil to a saucepan on low heat. When the oil is hot, add three minced garlic cloves. Let sit for three minutes. Add your noodles to the boiling water and set a timer for ten minutes.
-Slowly add your bacon to the saucepan with the garlic. Cook to your desired bacon consistency and then transfer the bacon onto a plate with a paper towel on it and pop it into the freezer to let it cool. Don’t rinse your pan.
-Remove your pasta from the pot after your timer goes off. Scoop your macaroni into the saucepan with the bacon fat and the garlic. Remove your garlic from the freezer and crumble it into the saucepan on medium heat.
-Add one cup of the pasta water to the saucepan, then slowly stir in all your cheese until a thick, creamy sauce has formed. Set the saucepan aside and let the pasta cool.
-In a fresh pan, heat up enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat it up until it almost looks like it will begin to spill.
-Pour your panko into a large bowl. Scoop up a large spoonful of the macaroni and form a ball. Roll the ball in the panko, then drop it in the oil. Flip the ball until each side is golden and crunchy. Repeat.
-Remove each macaroni ball from the oil and set on a plate. Dab them with paper towels. Enjoy hot or cold!
Guacamole and Chips
Ingredients
-2 avocados
-1 lime
-celery salt
-tabasco sauce
-tapatio hot sauce
-seasalt
-tortilla chips
Instructions
-Scrape the meat of the avocados into a large bowl. Mash with a fork until it forms a nice paste.
-Add the juice from the lime, making sure to get out as much of the juice as possible.
-Add two tablespoons of Tapatio and Tabasco, along with two tablespoons of celery salt, and one teaspoon of seasalt. Adjust the amount of hot sauce to your personal preference from there. Add more lime juice if necessary.
-Serve with tortilla chips to dip.