SUPER BOWL SNACKS & VALENTINE'S DAY SWEETS
Hi What’s 4 Dinner? lovers! Busy week coming up—the Super Bowl AND Valentine’s day! We’ve listed a bunch of ideas below that will make your celebrations extra delicious. Plus, Elizabeth has cooked up a new game day sandwich that will be the MVP at your house, no matter which team you’re cheering on!
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SUPER BOWL SAUSAGE SLIDERS FOR THE WIN!
EK: The Super Bowl is not only the (football) game of the year, it is also a national “snacking” day—and those “snacks” must be the most delicious, crave-able things you can imagine. It also helps if they are handheld and easy to eat.
AU: Super Bowl? Oooooh, you’re referring to THE RIHANNA CONCERT that I’m excited to watch on Sunday! There are also really fun, high-budget commercials on that day. And lots and lots of fun food! I don’t care about the sports ball, but I LOVE game day grub! Super Bowl Sunday has truly become an American food holiday…
EK: It sure has, and that means there are a lot of chips and dips! But fans can not “snack” on chip and dips alone…
The best hosts make sure they have their own halftime show. What I mean is that by halftime, your guests will have tasted all of the fun finger foods that you’ve put out, and they’ll be ready for something new!
This is your chance to go into the kitchen and bring out something warm, crave-able, and cheesy. Something they can really sink their teeth into!
Recently, I got to play with some new products from Johnsonville, the sausage-obsessed company from Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin. I have been a fan of their grilling sausages and brats since I started grilling. I make them all the time, but I recently learned of a cool new product: Johnsonville Sausage Strips!
EK: It’s one of those “geez, why didn’t I think of that?!” products. The Sausage Strips are fully-cooked sausage in strip form. Like bacon, but sausage! The Strips heat and crisp-up in the oven in about 13-14 minutes, or you can cook them in a skillet. I’ve done them both ways and think the oven method is easier.
As soon as I tasted the Sausage Strips, I thought of a favorite Chicago sandwich: sausage and peppers. And, as much as I love the taste, the traditional sandwich is cumbersome to eat. These Sausage Strips deliver the flavor, but make it so much easier to make—especially as a slider. Because it’s Super Bowl, and more is more, I decided to make a Wisconsin Beer Cheese Sauce to add on top of the sausage and peppers and I used pretzel slider buns.
This slider is like a mash-up between pretzels and cheese sauce, and sausage and peppers.
AU: You are saying ALL the right words!! This is what I want to eat on Super Bowl Sunday!
EK: And, I have to tell you, it is one great bite! It’s also very easy to make.
You can sauté the peppers and onions in advance and warm them just before serving. Likewise, you can make the Beer Cheese in advance and warm that as well. The sauce uses cream cheese to thicken it and keep it creamy (instead of a butter and flour roux), making it easy for anyone to make.
The only thing left to do is to heat the Sausage Strips and assemble the sliders. Once the sausage is hot and crispy on the edges, you fold it on itself like an accordion and place it between the pretzel-roll slider buns. Top it with some sautéed peppers and onions, and your homemade Beer Cheese sauce, and you’ve got your Super Bowl Sunday snack all wrapped up!
GAME DAY GRUB
Looking for more Super Bowl Sunday ideas? W4D’s got you covered!
Of course, our classic Chicken Wings (with Pom Margaritas!) and Ranch Cauliflower Wings are always a favorite, but don’t count out Elizabeth’s Chimi-Wings for a fun twist on finger food!
Anthony’s legendary Cashew Queso should be a part of your spread. It’s perfect for plant-based, and “no-dairy” queens alike! It’s also just a delicious dip. PERIODT!
Nobody doesn’t like Skirt Steak Tacos, especially when they’re grilled up with Elizabeth’s Chile-Lime Rub! Speaking of chili-lime, Anthony’s update on his grandma’s Texas Trash party mix will satisfy the crowd from kickoff to the final touchdown.
If a Super Bowl PIZZA PARTY is more your vibe, we’ve got you covered! Even dessert!
Or perhaps you’d like to serve up some Southern twang at your Super Bowl Celebration? You need Elizabeth’s Five Cheese Mac ‘n Cheese or her GENIUS Overnight Mac ‘n’ Cheese. Served alongside some Kansas City Barbecued Ribs and Campfire Beans (a.k.a. the best beans you’ll ever eat!), you’ve got some good eatin’ on your hands!
VDAY SWEETS 4 YOUR SWEETIE
Some of our favorite W4D chocolate recipes…
Who can resist a Triple Chocolate Brownie that you can make in a skillet, a brownie pan, or in a muffin tin?! And wash them down with a Chocolate Whiskey Espresso Martini.
If you’re entertaining a gaggle of gal pals on Valentine’s day, a Guinness Chocolate Cake might be the perfect date.
Anthony’s Salted Dark Chocolate Pudding Eleganzaaa is a sweet finish to any meal, and can be made days in advance.
But if you want a little cookie before the nookie, try Elizabeth’s Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Lace Cookies or Anthony’s famous Chocolate Chip Cookies for dessert!