Fun Football Finger Foods

Woo Pig Sooie! As native Arkansans and hard-core hogs fans, my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed watching this year's Cotton Bowl.  But no matter who you root for, nothing is more fun than watching a big game with friends and chowing down on great food.  Quality football food can range from bar-b-que to pizza and sandwiches to appetizers.  I think there are really only two universal truths when it comes to football parties: 1) no one wants to watch the game hungry and 2) no one wants to spend all day in the kitchen preparing.  With the BCS National Championship and Super Bowl Sunday both coming up in the near future, I thought I would share a couple of my favorite almost-homemade recipes for great, fast football fare.

Hogs-in-a-Blanket
1 package smoked cocktail sausages
1 can pre-made crescent roll dough
Dijon Mustard

Preheat your oven according to the instructions on the crescent roll package.  Lay the crescent roll dough out on a clean, flat surface. Use a butter knife or spatula to lightly coat the entire surface with Dijon mustard.  Separate the pre-cut crescents and further divide them into four triangles with a sharp knife. See the diagram to the right for specifics.  In each triangle, place the sausage at the base and roll toward the apex (the mustard will now be on the inside). Lightly pinch the apex to secure the dough, and place the roll on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake according to the crescent roll instructions or until golden brown (~12 min).

I realize that almost everyone has had something like this recipe, and most people have made them at home. My real tip here is the mustard.  If you don't already do this step, trust me. It's worth the extra time. It makes the flavor so much more interesting and rich!

Mike B's Hot Wings
2 packages of skin-on, bone-in chicken wings and drummettes
48 Fl. Oz. Vegetable oil
Sauce of choice
Kosher salt
1-2 cups All-purpose Flour (optional)

Wash and trim your chicken to remove the wing tips. Preheat your oil to high. Lightly salt the chicken. Carefully drop pieces into the heated oil and cook thoroughly (5-7 min).  Remove from the chicken from the oil using a slotted spoon and immediately place them in a large mixing bowl. Pour the sauce of your choice onto the pieces while hot and coat thoroughly.

I don't know why people think they have to go out for great wings (or worse yet, buy them from the freezer section)! They are so simple to make at home, and freshness is the most important part.  The flour listed in the recipe is optional because you can lightly coat the chicken prior to frying. It tastes good and holds the sauce well, but it gets sticky with reheating. If you plan to have leftovers, I recommend skipping this step.

There are lots of great options for pre-made sauces or you can make your own.  To make a basic hot wings sauce, combine 1/2 cup Tabasco + 1 Tbs melted butter + 1/8 tsp minced garlic.  For the Cotton Bowl, my husband made basic hot wings plus a batch of teriyaki wings. We tried to make teriyaki wings last year, but the sauce we bought had way too much ginger (yack!). This time we used a different sauce from our Christmas loot and added sesame seeds in the coating process. They turned out really well, and we're looking forward to pairing them with our homemade pork fried rice.

Guacamole
2 fresh avocados
1 lemon
3-4 Tbs Salsa (homemade is best if possible)
1 1/2 Tbs Mayonnaise
salt, pepper, garlic powder

Chop your avocados and place them in a large mixing bowl.  Add your salsa (amount will depend on the size and freshness of your avocados and your own preferences).  Add the mayonnaise. Crush and half your lemon. Add the juice from one half.  Use a potato masher or large fork to mash the avocado pieces and mix the other ingredients in the process.  When you have reached the desired texture, add salt, pepper, and garlic to taste.

The desired texture can range from smooth to a little chunky, but I recommend only leaving it chunky if your avocado is perfectly ripe and fresh. You can get away with slightly older avocados if you season them more and blend everything more thoroughly.  If I'm lucky enough to find perfect avocados at the store, I tend to use less of everything to be sure I can taste them.  I admit this isn't exactly authentic, but it's faster than chopping all the vegetables that are already in the salsa. It also beats the pants off any store bought version I've ever had.  I like to serve guacamole with blue corn chips, but any chips will work. It's also great on burgers.

I hope these recipes help everyone enjoy great football food in the coming weeks.  They're easy, delicious, and almost as fast as Joe Adams returning a punt for a touch down! Go hogs!