Riceah Roni's Recipes: Super Bowl!

Well, I forgot that Super Bowl is just a few days away…so I thought I would add a few Appetizers to my blog…Go Seahawks!!! I get a little crazy here…I know you start out with the usual tons of chips and dips and whatever ungodly thing you put in your mouth unconsciously, or consciously. But here are some great and sometimes healthy…shhh (don’t tell anyone about that last comment). So, here they are in no specific order…you can pick and choose to add too or round out your “forget the diet food for Super Bowl Day” …and Warning!! Don’t eat and yell at the same time, it might cause you have spirit, but it also may turn blue in the process and we don't want to lose anyone. Maybe you can wait until half time for the good stuff. Drink cold non-alcoholic drinks (water), too keep the people up and not down and out.

Warm Skillet Bread with Artichoke Spinach Dip

(A lot of work, but oooh so worth it...)

Warm Skillet Bread and Artichoke Spinach Dip Perfect for game day or family get-togethers, this dish is warm, creamy and cheesy. Adapt it by using any baked dip in the center. Do watch the hot skillet and wrap the handle, if necessary.

Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 30 min

Total time: 1 hours 30 min

Number of servings (yield): 24

Ingredients:

•           Bread Dough: (or use one loaf of frozen bread dough, thawed)
•           2 3/4 – 3 cups all-purpose flour
•           2 1/2 tsp. active dry or instant yeast
•           1 tsp. fine salt
•           1 cup milk, warmed but not hot
•           2 Tbsp. vegetable oil or melted butter

Artichoke Spinach Dip:

•           4 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach (or 1/2 of a 10 oz. package frozen      spinach,      thawed, drained)
•           1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped (can also use regular canned artichokes, about 2/3 cup chopped)
•           4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature (1/2 a typical brick)
•           1/2 cup sour cream
•           1/4 cup mayonnaise
•           1 clove garlic, minced
•           1/2 tsp. Sriracha sauce (or any “hot sauce” you like)
•           1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
•           1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded + more for topping
•           Salt and pepper
To serve:
•           1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded
•           Freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. For making bread dough: (If using pre-made dough, skip ahead to make the dip and then Cutting/shaping dough below)

2. Add two cups of the flour to a large bowl of the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a kneading hook. Add salt and combine. Warm milk to lukewarm. Stir in yeast and let stand a few minutes. Add yeast mixture to bowl, along with the vegetable oil or melted butter. Mix and add additional flour in 1/4 cup increments until a smooth dough forms. Knead until smooth. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

3. Make Dip: Meanwhile, place fresh spinach in a bowl with 1 Tbsp. of water. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from microwave, leave covered and let stand 15 minutes to cool. Drain spinach well and add to a medium bowl.

4. Add the remaining dip ingredients and mix until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

5. Cutting/shaping dough: Turn dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board. Use a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into 16 equal pieces. (I cut in half, then each piece in half, and then repeat cutting each piece into equal parts until I have 16 pieces). Shape each piece into a ball by pinching the edges together underneath.

6. Generously butter an 8-inch cast-iron skillet. Find a bowl that is about 5 1/2-inches across the top, spray the outside with cooking spray and place it, top side down, in the center of the skillet. (*If you can’t find a bowl, take a sheet of tin foil and shape it into a tight circle about 5 1/2-inches around and 1 inch high and place it in the center. Spray it with cooking spray.

7. Arrange the dough balls around the outside of the skillet, pushing them together as

needed until they all fit. Brush dough balls generously with melted butter. Cover the skillet with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, about 30 minutes.

8. Pre-heat oven to 375° F. with rack in center of oven. Remove bowl from center of skillet. Spoon prepared dip into the center space, pushing it right up to the edge of the dough. Sprinkle top of dip with additional mozzarella/Parmesan. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes, until rolls are golden and sound hollow when tapped and the dip is bubbly.

9. Remove from oven. Raise oven rack to the top third and switch oven to broil. Sprinkle the rolls with additional mozzarella cheese and return skillet to oven under the broiler, until the cheese and dip is browned.

10. Let skillet stand at least 5-10 minutes, or until just warm (not hot). Add a bit of freshly ground pepper on top, if you like. Do watch the hot skillet handle and wrap in a towel if it is still too hot to hold. Serve with a dip “knife” and let everyone go for it.

Brown Sugar Smokies

"Mini smoked sausages disappear extra quickly when blanketed in crisp bacon and topped with a brown-sugar glaze."

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients:

· 1 pound bacon

· 1 (16 ounce) package little smokie sausages
· 1 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.    Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Place the wrapped sausages on wooden skewers, several to a skewer. Arrange the skewers on a baking sheet and sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar.
3.    Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar melted.

Guacamole

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 10 Minutes
Servings: 4
"Cilantro and cayenne give this tasty guacamole a kick.

Ingredients:

· 3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed

·         1 lime, juiced
·         1 teaspoon salt
·         1/2 cup diced onion
·         3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
·         2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
·         1 teaspoon minced garlic
·         1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

Touchdown Pizza

"Touchdown pizza topped with blue cheese, barbeque chicken, and celery is the perfect appetizer to serve your football fans during the big game."

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
·         1 (14 ounce) package prebaked pizza crust (such as Boboli®)
·         1 cup diced cooked chicken breast
·         3 tablespoons Buffalo wing sauce
·         1/2 cup Buffalo wing sauce
·         1 (4 ounce) package crumbled blue
·         Cheese
·         1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
·         1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1.    Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2.    Place pizza crust on the prepared baking sheet.
3.    Mix chicken and 3 tablespoons wing sauce together in a bowl until evenly coated.
4.    Spread 1/2 cup wing sauce on the pizza crust; top with blue cheese, chicken mixture,    and celery. Cover pizza with mozzarella cheese.
5.    Bake in the preheated oven until pizza is cooked through and cheese is bubbling, about 12 minutes. Cool pizza about 5 minutes before cutting into squares.

Seven Layer Taco Dip

"Seven layer taco dip made with refried beans, sour cream, and salsa is the perfect platter for parties and family get-togethers."

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Ready In: 30 Minutes
Servings: 56

Ingredients:

·         1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
·         1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
·         1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
·         1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
·         1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
·         1 large tomato, chopped
·         1 green bell pepper, chopped
·         1 bunch chopped green onions
·         1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
·         1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
·         2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1.    In a medium bowl, blend the taco seasoning mix and refried beans. Spread the mixture onto a large serving platter.
2.    Mix the sour cream and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Spread over the refried beans.
3.    Top the layers with salsa. Place a layer of tomato, green bell pepper, green onions and lettuce over the salsa, and top with Cheddar cheese.
4.    Garnish with black olives.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

"Using root beer to season slow cooked pork tenderloin makes a novel, yet tasty preparation method guaranteed to win applause."

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 7 Hours
Ready In: 7 Hours 10 Minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

·         1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
·         1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer
·         1 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce
·         8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted

Directions:

Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Note: the actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker. Drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve over hamburger buns.