The Big Game is Almost Here!

Are you a fan of Football? Or are you like me, only interested in the new commercials that debut during the Super Bowl. That, and the food. I look forward to Super Bowl Sunday just to eat.

We’ve done some themed Super Bowl Parties in the past. Usually those themes are centered around the teams. This time around, it was all about location, location, location. Arizona. Are you kidding? Nachos, tacos, spicy foods. Oh yeah!

That said, some of the recipes I’ve selected are darn near a tradition at our Super Bowl table. Christmas? Deviled Eggs. New Years? Deviled Eggs. Friends over for a back yard barbecue and cards? Deviled Eggs. I know, old school. Yet I’ve never had leftovers, so Deviled Eggs are a must. And not just any Deviled Eggs, we’ve modified a favorite recipe to bring in that Arizona influence.

Just as Nachos for an Arizona Super Bowl made perfect sense. Besides, who could resist that football shaped presentation? So while idea of Nachos isn’t new, the recipe and presentation are. What goes better with Nachos that tacos bites? I could blame it on the whole Arizona Theme, but Two-Bite Tacos are always a hit with my guys. One undeniable fact – you can’t have a Super Bowl party without Chicken Wings. Would you believe over a billion chicken wings are eaten on Super Bowl Sunday. Wow! Margarita Wings were in keeping with our Arizona Theme

I debated mini hamburger bites or Pigs in a blanket. Pigs, pig skin, football. Seems obvious. But when I saw Pigs in a Blanket baked into a football shaped pull-apart, that clinched it for me. In keeping with the whole Arizona Theme, we’ve added a little heat to the mix with pepper jack cheese and spicy ketchup. You can either buy spicy ketchup or add your own selection of kick.

Now all that’s needed is a self-serve bar packed with an assortment of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Enjoy!

2023 Super Bowl Ideas
Football Deviled Eggs
Pigs in a Blanket Pull-Aparts
Game Day Chicken Nacho Board
Two-Bite Mini Tacos
Margarita Chicken Wings

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Football Deviled Eggs
16 Hard Boiled Eggs
4 tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Sour Cream
2 teaspoons Ground Mustard
1 Dash Hot Sauce
Taco Seasoning to taste
Salt to taste
Black Pepper as desired
Chives for garnish

Tip: Boil 2 eggs more than required to fill serving tray. The extra eggs give more yolk filling, the extra whites allow for tasting and adjusting seasonings if necessary.

Place eggs in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a full boil. Remove from heat, cover and let rest for about 14 minutes. Drain, plunge eggs into ice-cold water to cease the cooking process. The results will be a perfectly cooked egg with a sunny yellow yolk.

Once eggs are cool enough to handle, roll gently on counter to crack shells. Place into cold water, refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from water and peel. Water will work its way into shell, the result is an easily peeled egg.

Peel eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Remove egg yolks and place yolks in food processor with mixing/chopping blade. Place 12 white halves on serving dish or egg platter. Select best of the halves.

Chop yolks until fluffy and resemble moist bread crumbs. Add mayonnaise, sour cream and mustard; mix until creamy. Mix in hot sauce and season to taste.

Spoon filling into egg white shells. Just before serving, garnish with chives to create football laces. If desired, place line serving platter with shredded lettuce for “field” effect.

Spicy Pigs in a Blanket Pull-Apart Football
1-1/2 slices Pepper Jack Cheese
2 (8 oz) tubes Refrigerated Crescent Roll Dough
24 Smoked Cocktail Sausages
1 Egg, for wash
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Coarse Salt
Yellow Mustard for garnish
Spicy Ketchup for serving

Heat oven to 375-degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

Cut Pepper Jack Cheese in quarters, then cut each quarter into a 4 strips. Set aside.

On a large cutting board, unroll crescent dough 1 tube at a time. Slice roll lengthwise into thirds. Separate triangles on the board, lay 1 strip of cheese topped with a mini sausage on the thick end of each triangle and roll up. Set wrapped sausage aside. Repeat with remaining tube.

Arrange the wrapped sausage into a football shape on the prepared baking sheet. Place wrapped sausage side-by-side, allowing the dough to touch to remain it’s shape.

Whisk egg to create a wash. Brush football with egg wash, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the heated oven, bake for about 15 minutes or until the crescents are golden.

Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes. Slide out to a serving platter. Serve with ketchup for dipping and enjoy.

Game Day Chicken Nacho Board
1–1/2 cups Cilantro
1/2 cup Nacho Jalapeño Slices, drained
3 medium fresh Jalapeño Peppers, sliced thin
5 Limes, cut into wedges
1–1/2 cups shredded Iceberg Lettuce
1/2 cup sliced Green Olives
1–1/2 cups sliced Green Onions
1 lb. boneless, skinless Chicken Tenders
1/2 cup Barbecue Sauce
8 oz Spicy Guacamole
8 oz Thick Salsa Verde
1 (15 oz) can Spicy Refried Beans
1 (32 oz) bag Round Tortilla Chips
12 oz shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
1/4 cup Sour Cream
2 Avocados, diced into chunks

Snip cilantro, set aside Drain Nacho Jalapeño peppers, set aside. Stem and thinly slice fresh Jalapeños, set aside. Cut limes into wedges, shred lettuce and drain green onions. Trim green onions, snip and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken tenders and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Reduce the heat to a simmer; add barbecue sauce, coating the chicken completely. Cover skillet with a tight-fitting lid, and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until chicken is tender enough to shred. Shred chicken, set aside.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut out desired size football from parchment paper, trace football onto a second piece of parchment paper that is the same size as the serving board. Place cutout shape on a baking sheet. Place remaining paper on a flat work surface to act as a guide.

Empty refried beans into a microwave safe bowl. Add a little bacon drippings to the beans. Heat for about 2 minutes, stir drippings into the beans. This will thin the beans, making them easier to spread. If you don’t have bacon drippings, a little beef stock or water will also work. Spread each round Tortilla Chip with some refried beans; arrange on the football-shaped parchment paper to create the first layer of chips in a football shape.

Sprinkle the first layer of chips with a layer of shredded cheese. Repeat this process with another layer of chips, beans and cheese.

Bake in the heated oven for about 12 minutes or until the cheese starts to turn golden brown in spots. Pull Nacho Football from oven, cover with the shredded chicken and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

While the Nacho Football bakes, place guacamole and salsa into small bowls. Check guide to make sure bowls will fit on the serving board without crowding the football. This will also give you a visual aid for the placement of the remaining field surrounding the Nachos. Play around with the arrangements until you are satisfied.

Remove Nachos from the oven. Carefully slide the nachos from the baking sheet onto the serving board.

Move remaining ingredients around the football to create the illusion of the football field. Use the sour cream placed in a sandwich bag to create football laces on the nachos. Finally slice avocados and arrange as desired to finish the presentation.

Serve and enjoy!

Two-Bite Mini Tacos with Chipotle Sour Cream
Chipotle Sour Cream
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Chipotle Seasoning
1 pinch Jalapeno Pepper Seasoning

In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, seasoning and sauce for the Chipotle Sour Cream. Taste and adjust as needed.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Seasoned Taco Filling
1 tablespoon Onion Flakes
1/2 cup Hot Water
1 lb Ground Beef
1/4 cup Flour
1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning
1 tablespoon New Mexican Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Mix dried onion with water in a small bowl and let stand for five minutes.

Combine ground beef, flour, taco seasoning, chili powder, paprika, and salt. Add onions and water. Mix well. Set aside for 15 minutes for the flavors to come together.

In a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef mixture until browned. Stir often while cooking so no large chunks form; it should be more like a paste. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Two-Bite Tacos
24 Corn Tortillas, street size
1/2 cup Nacho Cheese Sauce

Note: You want to make 24 mini shells. You will need 12 regular size taco shells or 24 street taco shells. Any left-over meat can be used to make regular size tacos or burritos or added to scrambled eggs. I like 24 mini shells because there are less scraps per tortilla.

To create taco bites: Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut small circles from each tortillas. Spray the tiny tortillas with cooking spray on both sides. Warm the shells on a griddle just until pliable. Lay out a large sheet of foil on a cutting board. Line up the tortillas and begin to assemble.

Spread nacho cheese on each tortilla round. Spoon a small amount of filling down center, fold over and press lightly to seal. Repeat until all the tortilla shells are filled.

Lightly coat a skillet with just a little oil. Heat over medium heat. Working in small batches so as to not over-crowd skillet, fry tacos until shell is lightly brown and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. (If shell opens, press lightly with spatula to help keep the folded shape). Carefully turn the tacos and continue to fry.

Remove from skillet, drain on paper towels to soak up any grease. Arrange the bite-size tacos on serving platter and keep warm until ready to serve.

When ready, serve with chipotle sour cream. Tacos can be dolloped with a little of the sour cream or dipped, however you like.

Margarita Chicken Wings
3 cups Margarita Cocktails
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 teaspoons Kosher Salt
4 lbs Chicken Wings
2 Limes, cut into wedges

In a large, non-reactive bowl, mix Margarita, lime juice and salt. Stir until salt has dissolved. Pour Margarita mixture into a gallon zip-lock bag. Place in a casserole dish to prevent leaking.

Rinse wings and pat dry. Place wings in the bag with the marinade. Close bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Lay flat in a rimmed baking dish and let marinade for several hours or overnight (best).

Heat oven to 500-degrees. Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil and coat lightly with oil. Arrange wings skin side up and brush with reserved marinade.

Bake wings until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Turn over, brush with marinade, and bake another 5 to 6 minutes. Turn once more, brush with marinade, and bake until skin is brown and glossy, 2 to 4 minutes.

Serve warm, with lime wedges.