Menu Wednesday #14 - Super Bowl Party Food Menu

I'm not a huge football fan - the games are just soooo long - but I'm happy to make party food and gather anywhere it is being served. And I am a huge fan of party food that is hearty enough to count as a meal! These recipes are all tried-and-true winners with the guys around my house, so they have become my go-to recipes when I need something easy to make ahead that will last throughout the whole game. Spicy, sweet, crunchy, messy, neat, spread, dip, chicken, seafood, pork, and even a bit of vegetables - a little something for everyone. Make them all or pick and choose. Add some big fudgey brownies for dessert and you'll have everything you need. Just be sure to make enough, so no one expects to see you in the kitchen for the rest of the day! Go team!

BUFFALO WINGS
1 pkg. chicken drumettes
1 c. flour
salt & pepper
1 c. cooking oil
1 stick butter
1 tbsp. hot sauce (Texas Pete, Red Hot, etc.)
celery sticks
1 c. good blue cheese salad dressing

Place flour, salt and pepper in a ziploc bag and shake to blend. Add chicken wings to flour, zip closed and shake to coat. Fry chicken in a pan with 1 inch of hot oil; drain on paper towels. Melt butter in a large baking dish; add hot sauce and mix. Toss fried chicken pieces in butter sauce until coated. At this point, the wings can be frozen and reheated later, or placed on a platter and served with celery sticks and good blue cheese dressing for dipping.

DIANA'S SNACK MIX
2 c. Bugles
2 c. cheese flavored snack crackers
2 c. pretzel sticks
1 c. Corn Chex
1 c. Wheat Chex
1 c. pecan halves
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

In a large bowl combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl combine butter and syrup, Worcestershire sauce, Cajun seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Pour over cereal mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake uncovered at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

CPK SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE DIP
1/4 c. olive oil
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 c. diced white or yellow onion, cut into 1/8-in. dice
1 1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. chicken stock (preferable homemade)
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. dehydrated chicken stock base or crumbled bouillon cubes
1 1/2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 c sour cream
12 oz. frozen spinach, defrosted, drained, wrung out by hand, and coarsely chopped
6 oz. canned artichoke bottoms, drained and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 c. finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 tsp. Tabasco Sauce
Tortilla chips

In a large saucepan, warm the olive oil and butter together over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently and stopping before the onion and garlic brown.

Sprinkle the flour and continue cooking, stirring continuously, until the mixture turns a golden-blond color, 10 to 15 minutes. Then, whisking continuously, slowly pour in the stock until it is smoothly incorporated. When the mixture begins to simmer, stir in the cream. Let it return to the simmer. Remove from the heat, add the Parmesan, chicken base or bouillon cubes, lemon juice, and sugar, and stir until thoroughly blended.

Add the sour cream, spinach, artichoke bottoms, Monterey Jack cheese and Tabasco sauce, and stir until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the cheese has melted. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately, accompanied by blue and white corn tortilla chips.

CINDY'S BROWN SUGAR BACON DOGS
Sliced bacon
Cocktail wieners or regular wieners cut into small chunks
Brown sugar

Cut bacon in half or third. Wrap around little wieners. Secure with toothpick. Place in dish. Generously cover with brown sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Broil to brown.

WINSTON’S CRAB DIP
1 c. mayonnaise
6 oz. cream cheese
6 tbsp. sour cream
1 tbsp. prepared horseradish
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1 1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 lbs. crab meat, picked over to remove shell
Crackers or oven-toasted bread slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, cream cheese, sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice, Parmesan, pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. In a food processor (or by hand) thoroughly blend all ingredients except crab. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl, then add crab meat, being careful not to break up the crab meat too finely. Transfer to a small, flat baking dish and bake until browned, about 20 minutes. Serve with slightly toasted slices of French bread, or even crackers.

PICKLED SHRIMP
2 qts. water
2 1/2 lbs. unpeeled fresh medium to large shrimp
3 medium onions, sliced
freshly ground pepper
whole peppercorns
3 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 c. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the shrimp and cook until just pink, about 4 or 5 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse in cold water to prevent further cooking. Peel the shrimp, except the tail and remove dark vein. In a large 1 1/2 - 2 quart glass jar with a lid, layer shrimp and onions and top each layer with ground black pepper, peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme, and a clove of garlic. Keep layering until jar is about 2/3 full. Pour vinegar and lemon juice over layers until jar is almost full, but leaving some space at the top, so you can gently shake jar to mix ingredients. Seal jar tightly and chill for 2-3 few days before serving. Pickled shrimp will keep up to 2 weeks. Turn jar upside down every day to mix ingredients. Serve chilled as an appetizer.

SHOPPING LIST for Menu Wednesday #14 –
Super Bowl Party Food
Buffalo Wings
Diana’s Snack Mix
CPK Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Cindy’s Brown Sugar Bacon Dogs
Winston’s Crab Dip
Pickled Shrimp

Produce
Celery – 1 bunch
Onions – 4 white or yellow
Garlic – 1 large head
Fresh thyme – 3 sprigs
Lemon (for juice ) – 2
Blue cheese salad dressing – 1 c.

Meat
Chicken drumettes or wings
Bacon, sliced – 1 pkg.
Cocktail wieners – 1 pkg.
Crab meat, fresh pasteurized – 1 lb.
Shrimp – 2 1/2 lbs. unpeeled medium, fresh or frozen

Pantry
Flour
Sugar
Brown sugar
Salt
Pepper
Peppercorns – approx. 2 tbsp.
Bay leaves – 3
Worcestershire sauce – 1 1/2 tsp.
Cider vinegar – 1 c.
Mayonnaise – 1 c.
Hot Sauce – 1 bottle
Cajun seasoning – 3/4 tsp.
Cayenne pepper – 1/4 tsp.
Maple Syrup – 2 tsp.
Cooking oil – 1 c.
Olive oil – 1/4 c.
Chicken stock – 1 1/2 c.
Canned artichoke bottoms – 6 oz.
Crackers for dips – 2 boxes
Bugles – 2 bags
Chez-Its or Goldfish – 2 c.
Pretzel sticks – 2 c.
Corn Chex – 1 c.
Wheat Chex - 1c.
Pecan halves – 1 c.
Tortilla chips - 2 bags

Dairy & Freezer
Butter – 3 sticks
Heavy cream – 1 1/2 c.
Sour cream – 16 oz.
Cream cheese – 6 oz.
Parmesan cheese, grated –1 c.
Monterey Jack cheese, finely shredded – 1 c.
Prepared horseradish – 1 tbsp.
Frozen chopped spinach – 12 oz. box or bag