Last Football Food Post – I hope

After today, it is someone else’s turn to babysit and feed the boys. I am in the process of a massive fall cleaning, getting rid of stuff campaign.  I am busy. Yesterday while I was at work tending my garden of fragile student engineer test candidates, I let my crockpot do the cooking work for me. Today, I pulled the crock out of the fridge and put in the heating element for reheat.  By the time the rest of the crew gets here at noon, the food will be ready to rock and roll.

Simple Saturday Menu: Italian sausages and peppers on hoagie rolls, assorted chips and onion dip, in-shell roasted peanuts, brownies, soft drinks and sweet tea. The Brownies are a classic Hersey recipe. My grandmother made them, my mother made them, I make them. You can frost with homemade or purchased chocolate icing if you choose. I don’t.

For the in-shell peanuts:  I buy several large bags and dump into THE punchbowl. Ready at hand is a small lined trash can for the shells. House Rule:  You vacuum the area before you leave.  Vacuum is in the area as a reminder.

Douzo meshiagare, y’all!

 

               

 

Easy Crockpot Italian Sausages
16 (4 ounce) links fresh Italian sausage (hot, sweet, pork, turkey – your choice. I use hot turkey)
1 large can crushed tomatoes
4 green bell peppers, seeded and sliced into strips
2 onions, sliced
salt and pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning Optional
Hoagie rolls – 4 guys = 8 rolls

Brown sausages in skillet and drain off grease. In bottom of crockpot, place peppers and onions. Top with sausages. Mix rest of ingredients and pour over. Cover and cook on low for six hours. Serve on rolls.

Onion Dip: the Classic
Recipe is on the onion soup mix box. I use low fat sour cream and add a few dashes of hot sauce. I make a double recipe.

Hershey Classic Brownies
1 cup Butter melted
2 cups Sugar
2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
4 large Eggs
3/4 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
1 cup All purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. (I use parchment paper) Into melted butter, stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Add cocoa; beat until well blended. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; beat well. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. About 36 brownies.

I hate football but love to cook….

Last Saturday was the saga of how the pantry saved me from my husband’s last minute football extravaganza. This Saturday, I had plenty of notice, since the game is at 1:30 and he told me yesterday afternoon.  As we speak, the house is filled with the aroma of slow cooker “Asian” chicken for pulled chicken sammies.  Slaw was made last night. A punch bowl of mixed snack food and M&M’s are centered on the coffee table in front of the couch. On the kitchen counter are a plate with hand sized watermelon wedges and chocolate chip cookies.  A plate of assorted pickles are also good. Kosher dill slices, hot pickled okra (I’m Southern, remember?), bread and butter chips, assorted olives –  It’s up to you and what you have on hand.  If they’re still hungry, they’ll have to go out in the backyard and bag some squirrels during halftime.

When folks visit, I send them home sober.  Soft drinks, sweet tea and lemonade are in the fridge.  Strong paper plates, heavy duty plastic cutlery, and a couple of rolls of paper towels for wiping mouths and hands stand at the ready.  Are you ready for some football??? Heck no. I’m ready for a nap.

どうぞめしあがれ douzo meshiagare y’all!

Asian Pulled Chicken Sammies
6 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup lite soy sauce
1 – 2 tsp. fresh minced ginger
1 – 2 tsp. minced garlic
1 – 2 sriracha sauce (optional)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 can (16 oz.) tomato sauce

Preparation:
Wash chicken; pat dry. Place chicken pieces in a crockpot. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and tomato sauce. Pour sauce over chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or until chicken is tender and juices run clear. Take chicken from sauce and use two forks to shred. Return meat to sauce and mix well. Have buns and slaw ready for them to assemble. Serves 6.

Easy Vinegar Coleslaw
14-oz bag store-bought cole slaw mix, rinse in cold water and drained
several scallions, sliced, to taste
1/4 cup chopped red or green pepper
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1 – 3 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger root
Juice of 1/2 lime
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl, combine last five ingredients and whisk together.  Stir in the veggies, and toss well to combine.  Let the slaw sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then toss again.  Refrigerate for at least one hour, and up to two days.  Use a slotted spoon to serve the cole slaw, as quite a bit of liquid will collect in the bowl as the slaw sits in the refrigerator.  Or to make it easy for guys, drain and place slaw in a bowl for them.

Punchbowl Munchie Mix
The ingredients are up to you. This mix will be: Cheetos, bbq corn chips, cocktail peanuts, pretzels, wavy potato chips, large bag of peanut M%Ms. The object is to fill the bowl. Mine belonged to my great-grandmother and is large enough to use to bathe a toddler – just the right size for four guys.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
I make the standard Tollhouse cookie recipe. During holidays or bake sale times, I quadruple the recipe. I make rolls of the cookies from one recipe, wrap well and freeze. On occasions like this or just because, I bring out a couple of rolls, thaw, slice, and bake. You can also purchase the rolls or tubs of cookie dough. Quick and easy.