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Game plan: Classes teach cooks foods to fuel the ‘home’ team

By: Anne Braly
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Cooks often have to change their game plans when football season arrives. On game day, fans want convenient, tasty provisions, whether they’re eating at a table or a tailgate.

A recent cooking class at Chatt-a-Foodie taught a number of ways to put a winning game plan into play at any gathering. As a group of eight prepared to get their hands a little messy, making chocolate-covered peanut butter balls and hand-patting Suck Creek Mini Blue Cheese Burgers, Chatt-a-Foodie owners Chrissie Batts and Claire Horton gave brief demonstrations. Everything on the menu was finger food, perfect for any football party, they said.

“We have so many people coming in looking for foods for football parties,” Ms. Batts said. “We cater a lot, but sometimes people want to make things at home.”

Janet Horton, Ms. Horton’s daughter, was one of those in attendance. She said she tries to make it to all the cooking classes when space is available because she loves the dishes and appreciates the chance to learn how the women make them.

Ditto for Biddy Moore.

“I’ve come in here and bought food before, and it’s been delicious” she said. “So I thought I’d come and learn how they do it.”

The menu offered several winning choices, from the mini burgers to an extremely simple basil pesto spread and small twice-baked potatoes.

“People love the small potatoes,” Claire Horton said. “They’re fun and easy to eat.”

Try these ideas for food to fuel your “home” team.

Suck Creek Mini Blue Cheese Burgers

2 pounds ground chuck

1 tablespoon Alchemy Spice Scenic City Sizzle Pepper Blend (see note)

2 tablespoons Suck Creek Wing Sauce (original or mild)

1 tablespoon garlic granules

1 tablespoon dried onion

1 tablespoon kosher Salt

2 (12-count) packages Niedlov’s yeast rolls

Heat oven to 350 F. In a mixing bowl add all ingredients and mix well (hands work best).

Using a small scoop, portion out 20 burgers to uniform size.

On a cookie sheet with a cooling rack, place flattened burgers about 1 inch apart.

Place in oven for 5-8 minutes until burgers are fully cooked.

Serve on yeast rolls.

Makes 20 burgers.

Loaded Mini Twice-Baked Potatoes

12 small red new potatoes

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup cheddar cheese

1/4 cup applewood smoked bacon

2 tablespoons dried chives

Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 350 F. On a cookie sheet place new potatoes and cover with a few tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Use just enough olive oil to coat potatoes; you do not want them greasy. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Allow potatoes to cool slightly but not completely, just until you can handle them. Cut each potato in half and scoop out the inside, leaving just enough of an edge that they stand on their own. Place potato shells back in the oven for 10-12 minutes. In a bowl with the potato filling add the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. Spoon or pipe filling back into potato shells and bake for another 15 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 24 potatoes.

Pale Ale Shrimp

2 Pale Ale beers

4 cups water

1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup Alchemy Cajun seasoning

1 bag frozen (21-25 count) shrimp

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients, except shrimp. Bring to a simmer. Add shrimp and cook for 3-5 minutes until shrimp just turn pink. Keep in mind shrimp will continue to cook slightly once removed from simmering water. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out shrimp and allow to cool completely. Serve with remoulade dipping sauce (recipe follows).

Remoulade Sauce

2 cups mayonnaise

3 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon spicy mustard

2 tablespoons Alchemy Cajun seasoning

2 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons celery, finely chopped

2 tablespoons green bell pepper, finely chopped

2 tablespoons yellow onion, finely chopped

Whisk all ingredients together and serve with shrimp.

Creamy Basil Pesto Dip

8 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup basil pesto (recipe follows)

Pita chips

In an oven-safe dish, place cream cheese and top with basil pesto. Heat in a 350 F oven for 8-10 minutes. Serve with pita crisps

Basil Pesto

2 tablespoons lightly toasted pine nuts

1 cup cleaned basil leaves, tightly packed

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

In a blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients and process on high speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Balls

1 (18-ounce) jar peanut butter

1 (16-ounce) box confectioners’ sugar

11/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

11/2 sticks softened butter

12 ounces melted chocolate

In a bowl mix together peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, graham cracker crumbs and butter until well combined. Make mixture into balls and place on a sheet. Refrigerate until hardened, 25-30 minutes. Once peanut butter balls have set up, dip in melted chocolate and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet until chocolate is hardened.

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