ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOOOOOTBAAAAALLLLLLL!
FULL DISCLOSURE:
I’m a HUGE football fan.
I grew up going to football games every weekend.
I play fantasy football.
Football is on in my house every weekend and into the post season. And by “on” I mean every TV is tuned to football.
Yep, every TV.
College. NFL. I’m here for it all.
If you ask my family and friends, I pretty much bleed cardinal and gold. But also love cheering for my home team. Sadly, they didn’t make it to the Super Bowl this year. Honestly, for me, it’s a toss up on who I’m rooting for. I do like Kansas City, but I also like the Eagles. Maybe I’ll root for one team during the 1st half and the other team during the second half.
My love of football was pretty much cemented as a kid.
My parents had season tickets and we would always arrive a few hours early, set up our blankets, drink pink lemonade (it was the 70’s after all!) and eat quiche.
Yes, quiche.
Sometimes there would be other things to eat (I’m pretty darn sure poached salmon made an appearance or two), but quiche is the dish I remember most.
Why quiche?
Well, my mom has NEVER been a huge fan of football. I’m pretty sure she was only in it for the food. So that’s where she focused all her attention and love. And, for my mom, hot dogs and hamburgers were too ordinary and regular. She would make her homemade crust, shop for the sweetest and juiciest tomatoes and always…..I mean ALWAYS…..arrange fresh cut flowers from the garden into a plastic cup.
While my mom taught me to DEFINITELY color outside the box when it comes to picnics, it was my dad who taught me all about the game of football.
I’d sit next to him at every game.
He would chat about the difference between a tight end and wide receiver, explain play calling, and ALWAYS tell me when the refs got the call wrong. He would explain, in great detail, how you could tell it would be a running play instead of a passing play. And he would patiently answer every question I would ask.
Every. Single. One.
Last year, my dad was in town for my fantasy football draft, and we sat over my computer, drinking wine, and picking players.
I called my Dad every Tuesday to give him the recap of how my team did, and get advice on who I should draft for next week.
And when I came in 2nd in my league, my Dad was the first person I called.
Both my kids are huge football fans, too.
So, if you haven’t figured out by now, football is kind of a big deal in my house.
Now you know where I stand……what about YOU, my friend?
Are you excited for Super Bowl Sunday?
Are you in it for the game?
Or are you just planning on using the game as an excuse to snack?
It really doesn’t matter WHO you’re rooting for (or if football isn’t your thing at all) because these tasty treats are sure to score big points either way.
These seriously couldn’t be easier. Everything goes in a crockpot. A few hours later you have tender, fall off the bone, ribs. And that sauce! OMG….talk about finger licking good!
I honestly don’t think there’s a better Super Bowl food than nachos. These are loaded with everything, including the kitchen sink!
And what makes them even MORE perfect is you can make them with whatever you have on hand — leftover steak, rotisserie chicken, EXTRA of your favorite cheese (I’m a big fan of Monterey Jack), pickled jalapeño……you’re only limited by your imagination!
If you’re looking for something easy, it really doesn’t get much easier than this Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip. Everything goes in your slow cooker, including pre-cooked rotisserie chicken (I TOLD you this is easy!), and cooks away for a couple of hours. Serve it right out of the slow cooker to keep it nice and warm!
A Truly SUPER Cheese Plate
Don’t have time to cook? When I know I won’t have time to cook anything, a cheese tray is ALWAYS my “go to.”
Cheese trays are easy (make them with ingredients you have on hand) and everyone loves them (seriously, it’s THE gathering place at any party!).
If you want to level up your cheese tray game, forget the tray.
Use the ENTIRE table.
A grazing table is a fun way to set up a cheese platter, especially if you have a big crowd coming over.
There are 2 ways you can do the base:
1. Lay down layers of parchment to protect your table.
2. Have enough trays, platters, and bowls to cover the entire table. You shouldn’t see any “table”, just all the good food.
Be sure to use height to add perspective. If you’re really crafty, turn crates upside down. OR, grab a small empty box, or 2, drape muslin or cloth over it and put a plate on top with nuts or dried fruit.
I like to fill the tray with at least 3 cheeses: one soft (like a French brie), semi soft ( like an aged Spanish Manchego) and a hard (Amsterdam gouda and aged Parmesan are my favorites). You want a variety of soft, hard, buttery, nutty and, if you’re into pungent, add that, too.
An assortment of salami and prosciutto, Castelvetrano olives (these are the really big green ones), nuts (I’m a huge fan of Sahale nuts), grapes and 2-3 types of crackers (vary them from seeded (like Mary’s crackers) to crisp (like a traditional Carr’s crackers) to herbed (like the rosemary Panzanella crackers).
Cheese straws and pickled asparagus fancy things up a bit.
Spread a little Boursin cheese (this is so incredibly addicting!) on a piece of prosciutto and wrap it around a pickled asparagus. Repeat this until you have enough to fill a small platter.
Fig jam is also, well my “jam”. I never make a cheese plate without it. It’s sweetness pairs well with pretty much any cheese you have, especially a rich, buttery brie and crumbly blue cheese.
Drizzle honey over pungent blue cheese or manchego for another layer of flavor.
Don’t forget dips like hummus, sundried tomato, herby ranch and creamy artichoke.
The best thing about a cheese plate is you can customize it based on what you like to eat and what you have on hand.
When you cook something from A Menu for You don’t forget to tag your photos #amenuforyou — I LOVE seeing what you guys are cooking!!
***all products mentioned in this post are not sponsored. they are just products I like, use and love to recommend!
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