{football friday} corn & cheddar stuffed jalapeños

Well, here we are only two games into the season, and I can already see that this may be a year where I'm more excited about the food than the outcome of the game. I'm not losing hope, and I never waiver in my alliance. But I'm also not blind. There's not much to cheer about on the Auburn sidelines so far - all the more reason to enjoy the sideline snacks, in my opinion. 

This week's recipe...

...was inspired by Carrie over at Bake-a-holic Mama. Carrie does amazing food on her blog... some really yummy stuff. (I met Carrie at the King Arthur Flour Blog & Bake event I attended over the summer). Her recipe for Macaroni and Cheese Stuffed Jalapeños is no exception. I'm not suggesting my recipe replace hers on your menu. My vote: make 'em both! Mine may be a "little" slimmer on the calorie side of the menu, so you've got the perfect balance for your tailgating menu. 

Lastly, if you're enjoying games at home, you might also want to give these Crab-Stuffed Jalapenos from Cooking Light a try... with an avocado dunk, they sound delish! And be sure to check out all the appetizers being added daily to the galleries over at Healthy Aperture.

Corn & Cheddar Stuffed Jalapeños

by Regan @ The Professional Palate

6032557

Ingredients (12 stuffed jalapeños)

• 1 slice bacon
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 cup canned (drained), fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon low-fat Greek-style yogurt [I used Cabot]
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) light Cheddar or pepper jack cheese [I used Cabot], divided
• 6 jalapeños, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or coat with cooking spray.

Cook bacon over medium-high heat in a small skillet until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and discard all but 1 teaspoon of drippings; set bacon aside.

Turn down heat to pan to low and add cumin seeds; toast in skillet 30 seconds (be careful not to burn). Add corn and lime juice to pan and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until all moisture has evaporated.

Turn off heat to pan. Coarsely chop cooked bacon and add to pan. Stir in salt, yogurt and 1/2 cup of cheese just until combined. Divide mixture evenly among halved jalapenos and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until peppers are softened and cheese is melted.

Powered by Recipage

get the InLinkz code

{football friday} season kick-off with smoky sweet potato dip + a southern living cookbook giveaway!

Inevitably, every year on a weekend in April or May my husband will be surfing TV channels and express with great exasperation, "I wish football season lasted all year." 

To those of you around the country and across this globe who have no real love for football, I know this sounds crazy. To those of you who grew up as I did immersed in the culture that is "SEC Football," you get it. I know you do. 

Last year's {football friday} posts were immensely popular here on my blog, so I couldn't help but host again this season. And to kick things off, I've got a very, very special giveaway below for one lucky reader! I was lucky enough to snag a copy of Southern Living's new SEC Tailgating book (enter to win at the bottom of this post).

Click to read more ...

what's the secret ingredient to great salsa?

The answer to the question may be a bit subjective, but let's give it whirl.

The obvious - if we're talking tomato salsa - is vine-ripe tomatoes. But I said "secret" ingredient, so let's not go for the obvious.

Some might say it's cilantro, and frankly that's not a bad guess. But you have this whole contingent of folks out there for whom cilantro is a real deal breaker. I personally am not one of those people. I love it... but I think given its "controversial" nature, it simply can't be the answer. 

And how about lime juice? Very close there, too. Lime juice really does brighten up most any dish you add it to. But I'm not sure it takes salsa from good to great. 

But these little guys

They do the trick. In case you don't know what they are,

Click to read more ...

{football friday} summer salsa

Yeah, I know...  "technically" it's Thursday, and there's a game on tonight... But I figure this post is going out late enough that by the time the world views it, ('cause my subscription list is that long... you know that, right?) it will be Friday. 

And we will be just hours away from the official start of the season that overtakes this household year after year.

Fall. 

Football. 

I've said before to both family and friends... and now to you loyal blog buddies... my husband will watch football no matter who the team is, where they are playing and what's at stake. We've stood on the sidelines at a neighborhood field watching pee-wee football on a Saturday morning... 

...and neither of our kids were playing. 

...and we didn't know anyone who was. 

I kid you not.

In fact, we had no reason to be there, other than my husband's need to fill just a few more hours of daylight with some football. So when the season kicks off, I mean it when I say it is literally wall-to-wall coverage around here... and frankly, I don't mind. There are worse TV addictions (yes, Jersey Shore fans... I'm talking to you.) 

My favorite part of the season? 

My team winning, of course.

My 2nd favorite part of the season? 

The food. 

I love when the opportunity arises for true tailgating with friends. Sadly, those days are few and far between. Most of the time we are now bound to the home front with table-gating as our main option. The Summer Salsa shown below has been making the carpet picnic rounds for many seasons. It's a tried and true favorite. Make it. I promise you will like it. 

What about you?

Football fan or casual observer?

Any favorite gameday grub that is a MUST on your table?

Update on Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 7:24PM by The Professional Palate - Regan Jones RD

By Request... Cheese Straws!

A quick share of one of my all time faves for the holidays.

Cheese Straws

1 lb Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (I only use Cabot Yellow Extra Sharp these days. Good cheese makes a huge difference)
1 1/2 sticks butter (no margarine, please)
3 cups all-purpose flour (save your White Lilly for biscuits... it's too tender for this)
Cayenne/Ground Red Pepper (to taste... we like 'em hot)
Salt (to taste)
Garlic powder (optional and to taste)
Dash of Worcestershire & Tabasco

Shred your cheese; allow to come to room temperature (This is important. Really cold cheese/dough is HARD to press out even in a good cookie press). Cream with butter (I use my heavy duty Kitchen Aid stand mixer for all of this).

Once creamed, add flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Next, mix in seasonings. (Here's where the "tricky" part comes in. When I used to make these in FL, there was plenty of moisture in the air and I usually didn't add any water. Here in TX, I have to add a tablespoon of water or more to get the dough smooth enough to press out with my cookie press. Also, if your kitchen is cold/cool, you might have to microwave the dough just a LITTLE bit... don't want the butter/cheese to melt, but you need it warm enough to be able to press it out through the cookie press.)

Press dough out into straws on baking sheets using a good, strong cookie press (the one I bought from Williams Sonoma was WELL worth every penny I paid for it).

Bake at 325 for 10-15 or until just lightly browned on the bottom.

Then... and don't be tempted to skip this step... turn oven off and allow to cool slightly; put all the straws back in a warm oven to "dry out" (much like curing shortbread) (I typically do this overnight.) The flavor won't change, but they'll stay crisp much longer.

Enjoy!