Super Bowl FEASTMODE Recipe Round-up

Every single thing that these guys do makes me love them even more! Sherm, being a straight up team player, and, let's face it, total boss. BeastMode, being so charming and adorable I just want to watch cat videos with him all day. You guys! I mean, they're awesome players and everything, but what I love is that they're are actually trying to make a statement and change some of the shittier things in the NFL (for the better), rather than just sitting back and accepting the status quo. LOVE. Also, they're Hawks, so I love that too. 

You know what else I love? Football snacks. 


Whether you�re one of the good guys (the Seahawks), a Patriot, or someone who watches only for the commercials, food, and drinks, I think these meaty (ahem, beasty) snacks and bites are perfect for your SB party! Or your snow-day party. Or your Wednesday night. 

Pigs 'n a Blanket with Grilled Onion Cream Cheese Dip: Just like a Seattle style street dog, these little bite-sized snacks combine dogs, cream cheese, and grill onions. Plus jalapenos, if you like to bring the heat. 
Beastmode Hawk-Wing Pizza AKA: Buffalo Chicken Pizza: My favorite pizza. Spicy, sweet, saucy buffalo chicken, with gooey melted cheese, a lil' blue cheese drizzle, and celery leaves to round it out.
Smoked Salmon Dip: This dip is creamy and smoky, with a little bite from the horseradish. Perfect for crackers, veggies, or a spoon!
Carnitas (for tacos or nachos!): No one says no to carnitas. Especially my recipe... just sayin, you won't regret bringing this to a gathering. You'll only regret not setting some aside at home for later. 

Hawaiian Sliders: With half the country buried under snow, this year's Super Bowl is the perfect excuse to make something tropical, to remind you of sunny days ahead! 
White Chicken Chili: Likewise, snowy weather is also a great opportunity to hunker down with a bowl of hot, comforting chili. A big pot of chili is a SB no-brainer.
BBQ pulled pork hand pies: These are a little more involved, but they're great make-ahead game day food. Also, you could make them football shaped!
Shredded beef (for tacos or nachos!): This spicy, tangy shredded beef is just begging to be on top of a pile of tortilla chips with black beans, melted cheese, and some fresh avocado. 

Other drool-worthy SB recipes from around the blogosphere:

• Stephanie kills it with the best looking mashups ever. California roll nachos and pulled pork banh mi tacos are things I need in my life, like, daily.
• Molly shared a BBQ chicken nacho recipe from her book, plus a classy SB line up including meatballs... girlfriend knows how to party!
• Tieghan posted a lineup of 26 "dude-food" recipes, and I can't even make it all the way through the list because I keep stopping on the chipotle cajun shrimp and guac pizza.
• Emily shared this fried hot dog + egg sammy for the big game. I don't even like hot dogs, but these look amazing... maybe I'll try 'em with spam instead!
• The gals at Spoon Fork Bacon have the cutest tiniest bloomin' onions ever! Related: one time Evan accidentally selected cippollini onions instead of brown/yellow onions at the self-checkout and we paid like $7 for 1 boring-ass standard onion. 
• Mandy's recipes always look rich, flavorful, and a little bit insane. In the best way possible. Can we just talk about her hot wings and her baguette sub for a minute!?

And, in case you missed it, these ChampionChip Cookies are a must: pretzels, dark chocolate, butterscotch, M&Ms. BOOM. (Legion of Boom, obvi). 

BEASTMODE ChampionChip Cookies

Super Bowl week! Let�s snack!
Obviously I�m cheering hard for my Hawks, and packing these cookies full of blue and green M&Ms, but that doesn�t mean you can�t enjoy them even if you�re not a Seattle fan. I don�t like it, I don�t support it� but go ahead, put other colors of candies in them. I�ll look the other way. 

I�ve been making far too many cookies lately. Like, it�s becoming a problem. It�s all because of Ashley, and her insanely good recipe. I first made them exactly as written. Then I bought her mix, and made that (which I highly recommend!). Then I started using the base recipe, and adding other mix-ins. Seriously this chocolate chip cookie base is so solid. The cookies are chewy and have that perfect buttery brown sugar flavor that makes classic chocolate chippers so good. I made a riff of her Christmas cookie, with peppermint, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. I made a batch with dark chocolate and smoked sea salt. A batch with espresso chocolate and nuts. Then I made these: pretzels, dark chocolate, and butterscotch chips! WINNER. Then, because this batch was so good, I made them again for your Super Bowl feast, with mini M&Ms for team spirit. 
Sweet, chewy, crunchy, salty, chocolatey, butterscotchy. BeastMode FeastMode time! 
BEASTMODE ChampionChip Cookies
Makes about 24 cookies
Adapted from Not Without Salt (PS. she has a new cookbook out!)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla paste, which I�ve been using for extra vanilla flavor and vanilla bean speckles!)
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, roughly chopped
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup pretzels, broken up into smallish pieces
2 tablespoons mini M&Ms (Seahawks colors, obviously)

In bowl of stand mixer or with electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together on medium speed, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and beat to combine. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time. Mix until combined. Stir in chocolate, butterscotch chips, and pretzels. 

Ashley recommends refrigerating the dough for up to 24 hours for best results. I tend to agree, but they�ll still work out if you don�t. I would recommend chilling a bit at least, to firm up the dough so that they don�t spread as much while baking. 

Preheat oven to 360 degrees, and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop dough into balls just over a tablespoon-sized, place evenly spaced on cookie sheet, and press 5-6 mini M&Ms on the top of each one. 

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, and let cool before eating. 

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

ONE WEEK! ONE WEEK! 

One week until my Hawks play in the SUPER BOWL! Here in Seattle, we're in full-on BEAST MODE. 

I'll be watching the big game at the bar where I watched our last two winning games, in our lucky booth. It's only weird if it doesn't work, right? So I'm getting my football food on leading up to the game. I have a few Super Bowl recipes for you this week, because as you know, one of the best things about football is the food! 

The first recipe I have for you is one of my favorite things ever: buffalo. chicken. pizza. 

You can't have a football game without saucy, spicy chicken wings, right? Well, this pizza has all the gooey, spicy, sweet, chickeny goodness of wings, but without the pesky bones� and with a whole lot of cheese! I like to keep it simple: dough, saucy chicken, cheese. Bake it until bubbly, then drizzle on blue cheese dressing and celery leaves. Get it in your mouth. 

Beast Mode Seahawk-Wing Pizza (AKA: Buffalo Chicken Pizza)

Makes two 12-inch thin crust pizzas

Shredded Buffalo Chicken

3 lbs chicken breasts (about 4 breasts), diced large

2 teaspoons cayenne 

salt & pepper

11 tablespoons butter

1 cup Franks Red Hot sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken in a large baking dish (i.e.: 13x9 pirex), and sprinkle with cayenne, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, melt butter, and whisk together with hot sauce and brown sugar. After chicken has baked for 30 minutes, pull out dish, and pour on sauce. Put back in oven, and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove and let cool for 10-15 minutes.

To shred, either use two forks, a food processor, or my favorite new trick (from this blog): put chicken and sauce in stand mixer with paddle attachment, and mix on low until chicken is shredded. GENIUS.

Pizzas

1 recipe pizza dough (this is the recipe I use--split the one recipe into two balls/two pizzas)

Cornmeal for pan or peel

1 recipe shredded buffalo chicken, above

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup blue cheese dressing

Leaves from 2 bunches of celery, chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. If using pizza stone, preheat in oven.

Turn dough ball (half of recipe) out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round the size of your pizza stone or baking sheet (potentially rectangle, if using cookie sheet). Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or pizza peel (or flexible cutting board, which is what I use) dusted with cornmeal. 

Spread with half of chicken mixture, then top with half of cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy around the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then top with blue cheese dressing (I add to a sandwich bag, and cut the corner so I can drizzle) and celery leaves. 

Repeat with remaining ingredients for second pizza. 

Pigs 'n a Blanket with Grilled Onion Cream Cheese Dip

In Chicago you have your sport peppers, relish, and celery salt. In the south you have coleslaw. In New York, you have mustard (and you better not ask for ketchup). Here in Seattle, we have grilled onions and cream cheese. I'm talking about hot dogs, and I think our Seattle dog pretty much can't be beat. 

Every hot dog cart in Seattle serves up a variation on the Seattle dog. Some people like a polish sausage, others get a veggie dog. Sometimes you add sriracha or jalape�os. If you're smart, you add mustard. But you always, ALWAYS add cream cheese and grilled onions. 

And what better time to get your hot dog on than the Super Bowl!? This recipe is super fun, especially if you're a Seahawks fan! I'm hoping we beat the Broncos so bad that they'll be running back to their mommies, asking for their blankies� so I made baby broncos in blankies, Seattle dog style! 

Basically, we have pigs in a mustard-brushed puff pastry blanket, with a grilled onion, jalape�o, cream cheese dip, plus a little sriracha on the side. These little piggies are also fun on their own, and the dip is great with crackers or chips. 

Just plan ahead, there's a bit of prep work, but nothing too crazy. The store-bought puff pastry has to thaw (it takes about 45 minutes), and the onions take about the same amount of time to caramelize and cool. I used all-beef lil' smokies, and Aidell's chicken and pineapple mini sausages, but you could also use full size sausages and cut them in quarters.

Pigs 'n a Blanket with Grilled Onion Cream Cheese Dip (AKA Cry Baby Broncos in a Blankie, Seattle Dog Style)

Grilled Onion Cream Cheese Dip

1.5 large sweet onions, diced small

2 tablespoons butter

salt & pepper

1 8oz package cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sour cream

Pinch granulated garlic

1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

1 small can chopped jalape�os (optional)

In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add onions, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions start to brown. Turn heat to medium low, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until onions are brown and caramelized, but not burnt, about 30 minutes. Add a bit of salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from stovetop and cool to room temp. 

Mix together cream cheese and sour cream, and add cooled onions. Add garlic and parmesan, and if needed, salt and pepper to taste. Add as much jalape�os as desired (or none at all, or do as I did, and split into two batches, one with peppers, one without. Chill until ready to serve. 

Broncos in a Blankie

Adapted from this recipe

1.5 packages (about 48) mini hot dogs / lil smokies

Flour, for work surface

1 box (17.5 ounce) frozen puff pastry (thawed according to package instructions)

2 tablespoons mustard (of your choice) plus water for thinning

Sriracha & Dip, for serving

Using a fork, poke a few holes in hot dogs, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or cooking spray). 

On a lightly floured surface, roll one thawed, unfolded puff pastry into a 14x11 inch rectangle. Add mustard to a small dish, and whisk a splash of water in to thin it enough to brunch. Brush onto puff pastry. Cut lengthwise into six strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 4 rectangles (so, you should have 24 strips). Place a hot dog on the narrow end of each pastry strip, and roll up. The mustard should help seal the edge. Transfer to baking sheet, and repeat with remaining dogs and 2nd sheet of puff pastry. 

Bake until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Serve with grilled onion cream cheese dip and sriracha.