Super Bowl Party - What Goodies Are You Fixing?

The grocery stores will be making a small fortune Friday, Saturday and Sunday with everyone running to the store to buy all kinds of goodies to serve for their Super Bowl Parties.  Now don't go frowning, I'm not down on the Superbowl at all.  I watch the game for the Commercials!  And I'm rooting for the Ravens.  There, I've said it.  Now I can get on with this post.

I'm going to fix goodies myself, but I won't be buying anything from the store.  Remember, there are only two of us so I'm keeping it small but I am going to have a variety of goodies for us to snack on right from my cabinets.

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Sausage cheese balls (Recipe Tomorrow)

Quesadillas (Recipe Below)

Onion Rings (Recipe Below)

Pigs in a Blanket (Recipe Tomorrow)

Quesadillas 
These are the easiest things in the world to make if you have some flour tortillas which I have.  Haven't mastered making them from scratch yet but that's on my list for this year!  With that said, I happen to have a package of flour tortillas so I will make one Quesadilla and slice it into eight pieces.
If you have never made one, they are so simple.

If you have an electric skillet you can easily make it in that.  Turn the skillet on 200 and lay one flour tortilla on it.  Sprinkle on some grated cheese.  Now comes the fun part.  You can put whatever you want on the cheese:  chopped onion, crumbled cooked bacon, sauteed chicken strips, chopped bell pepper, sun dried tomatoes, etc.  Whatever you want to put on it you can.  The choice is really yours.  Just sprinkle a little of this and that on there.  Don't go over board with the amounts because you will have to turn this over and you don't want all of the goodies falling out when you do so.   Then you sprinkle a little bit more of grated cheese on top of the goodies  and put the other flour tortilla on.  You want to cook it on a lower temperature so that the bottom tortilla slowly browns and the heat creates a steam that comes up through the flour tortilla and melts the cheese.  Once the bottom is lightly browned, get a big spatula and turn it over.  (Think grilled cheese here - same principal) Turn, don't FLIP.  Remember, you don't want the goodies spilling out.  Once the bottom side is lightly browned, you're done.  Turn off the skillet and remove the the Quesadilla to a plate and cut into slices like a pie.  Yummy and so very easy!

Tip:  If you'd like, and you don't have to, you can lightly (and I mean lightly here) brush the tortilla with some olive oil for extra flavor before you place it in the skillet or on the griddle or whatever you are going to use.  

Onion Rings

1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch slice

1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg 

1 cup of milk 

3/4 dry bread crumbs

oil for frying  

Get all of the ingredients ready.  Get out two plates, one cereal bowl and one mixing bowl.

Cut up the onion into 1/4 inch slices and separate the rings

I use a fryer for this.  If you have one, plug it in and turn it to 365 degrees

In  bowl put the flower, baking powder and salt and mix it around with a whisk so everything is incorporated.  Now take your onion rings and dredge them in the flour.  They will have a very light coating of flour on them.  Set them on the plate.

Go back to the mixing bowl and add the egg and milk into the flour mixture.  If your mixture seems a little too thick for you, add a little more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until it is the consistency you want.  By now your oil should be ready to go.  

Pour the bread crumbs into the cereal bowl.  Dip the onion ring into the batter, give it a little shake to shake off the excess batter and then coat it with the bread crumbs and gently lay it into the oil.  Once the onion ring is golden brown on one side, then tip it over and let it brown on the other side.

Here's a little tip about frying onion rings in a deep fryer.  I use a skewer to pick up the rings out of the batter and then again out of the crumb mixture and then I gently lower the onion ring into the oil until it is about half way in.  I wait about 5 seconds and then lower it off the skewer completely into the oil.  If you do it this way, it won't sink to the bottom of the oil and then rise back up.  It will stay at the top of the oil.  If you let it sink to the bottom, sometimes the batter gets stuck on the bottom and then you have to un-stick it from the bottom.  Yuk!  Trust me when I tell you this way works better.  Once the onion ring is golden brown on both sides take it out and put it on the second plate.  Sprinkle with a little salt if you'd like and you're done. 

On this second plate you can put a little wire rack to let the onion rings drain on or, heaven for bid you still use paper towels, you can use one of those.  Personally, I use a dish towel.  Works just fine and it's not going into the land fill when it is done. 

So there are two of the snacky foods we will be having for the Super Bowl and I won't have to go out and buy any of the ingredients.  They will taste great and be satisfying.  

Why this post...of course to make you stop and think about the types of snack foods you can make for your little get together that won't cost you a fortune from ingredients you probably already have on hand.  The onion rings are absolutely incredible!  When I make these, which is not that often, they are the first thing to go.  Ever made Panko bread crumbs?  They are great to use for the dried bread crumbs.  Haven't made them yourself before, we'll I'll just have to put that into a a different post.  So easy and waaaaaayyyyyy cheaper than the store bought ones.

Now go into the kitchen and see what you can make for your Super Bowl get together without having to go to the store.  Be creative.  There is no written requirement that says you have to fix chicken wings for a Super Bowl party.  You can fix fun, tasty, snack foods for your party without spending a fortune. 

Till next time,

Hugs,