Steak Salad and Cucumber Lemonade Spritzers

Salad? Spritzer? What? I know, I know, this isn't the ideal tailgating food you've come to love watching Pigskin Gourmet. Trust us, it's very good. Plus, it's a man salad. Bacon, steak, goat cheese. Okay, maybe goat cheese isn't really manly but it is an important part of what makes this salad worthy of the Pigskin Gourmet treatment.

As far as the Cucumber Lemonade Spritzer, if it doesn't sound manly just drop the spritzer, add some Gin, maraschino cherry and call it a Cucumber Lemonade Collins.

Recipes Cucumber Lemonade Spritzer Steak Salad with Bacon and Goat Cheese

Cucumber Lemonade Spritzer

Cucumber Lemonade Spritzer
Ingredients
  • 3 cups water
  • 1½ cups white sugar
  • 2 cucumber, sliced
  • lemon juice
  • 1 cup of club soda
Instructions
  1. Make a simple syrup by heating water and sugar in a saucepan until sugar has dissolved.
  2. Blend cucumber slices in a blender or food processor into a pulp.
  3. Pour the cucumber pulp into a fine mesh strainer place over a bowl to catch the liquid; allow to sit until you have about 2/3 cup of liquid from the cucumber, about 15 minutes.
  4. Stir the simple syrup, cucumber liquid, and lemon juice together in a pitcher. Serve cold.

Steak Salad with Bacon and Goat Cheese

Steak Salad with Bacon and Goat Cheese
Ingredients
  • 1½ pound London Broil steak
  • 1 Bag of Mixed Greens
  • 1 Medium onion
  • 1 Package of Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
  • 4oz of goat cheese
  • Bacon bits to taste
  • Strawberry Vinaigrette
Instructions
  1. Cook Steak to desired doneness, rare to medium rare are ideal. Once done let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting
  2. Cut steak against the grain and set aside
  3. Cut onions and tomatoes
  4. Top mixed greens with, onion, tomatoes, bacon bits, goat cheese and steak.
  5. Add the strawberry vinaigrette

    Jambalaya and Spicy Corn Muffins

    No one can claim to make the best Jambalaya with any certainty. That's because there are so many different ways to make it and so many different degrees of ingredients that can go into Jambalaya, no one batch will taste the same as the next. we thought we'd give it a try and make our with the base of rice, chicken, sausage and shrimp.

    To add an extra kick, we made a side of Spicy Corn Muffins with our new favorite ingredient which is Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce. These savory muffins will add some pop to any dish, and once you've made them, I'm sure you will add them to your cooking rotation because that are as good as they are easy.

    Recipes: Jambalaya Spicy Corn Muffins

    Jambalaya

    Jambalaya
    Ingredients
    • 2 teaspoons olive oil
    • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
    • 8 ounces kielbasa, diced
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 1 green bell pepper, diced
    • 1/2 cup diced celery
    • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
    • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
    • salt and ground black pepper to taste
    • 2 cups uncooked white rice
    • 4 cups chicken stock
    • 3 bay leaves
    Instructions
    1. Steam Shrimp
    2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
    3. Saute chicken and kielbasa until browned.
    4. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic.
    5. Season with cayenne, onion powder, salt and pepper.
    6. Cook until onion is tender and translucent.
    7. Add rice, chicken stock and bay leaves.
    8. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.
    9. Add Shrimp and cook for 5 minutes.

    Spicy Cornbread Muffins

    Spicy Cornbread Muffins
    Ingredients
    • 2 (8 1/2-ounce) boxes corn muffin mix
    • 1 cup milk
    • 2 eggs, beaten
    • 1 (8 3/4-ounce) can corn kernels, drained
    • 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
    • 1/2 cup grated Monterey jack
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Make sure not to over mix
    3. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray
    4. Divide the batter evenly in muffin tins
    5. Bake about 20 minute or until just golden and muffin springs back when gently pressed
    6. Let cool for 10 minutes, then serve

    Fried Chicken Rollups and Chorizo Dip

    This week we wanted to add a Mexican twist and decided to make Chorizo, a Mexican sausage known for it's heat. Adding the quesadilla cheese to the sausage makes this a hearty dip that can be eaten alone and is just as filling as the main meal.

    The Fried Chicken Rollups, which star with already cooked rotisserie chicken take only minutes to make and they are great finger food to eat while watching the games.

    Recipes Chorizo Dip Fried Chicken Rollups

    Fried Chicken Rollups

    Fried Chicken Rollups
    Ingredients
    • 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 1 medium onion, chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
    • 3 cups shredded store-bought rotisserie chicken meat
    • Salt and pepper
    • 1½ cups shredded monterey jack cheese (about 6 ounces)
    • 12 small corn tortillas
    Instructions
    1. Heat large skillet with 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat.
    2. Cook onion and garlic stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes.
    3. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook until heated through.
    4. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cheese. Wipe out the skillet.
    5. Warm the tortillas over low heat to soften, about 10 seconds on each side.
    6. Spoon chicken mixture down the center of each and roll up the tortillas.
    7. In the large skillet, heat the remaining 2/3 cup oil over medium-high heat.
    8. In batches, add the chicken rollups seam side down turning once, until golden, about 2 minutes; drain on paper towels.

    Chorizo Dip

    Chorizo Dip
    Ingredients
    • 1 pound Chorizo Sausage
    • 12 Ounces of quesadilla cheese
    Instructions
    1. Fry sausage in large skillet making sure the sausage crumbles into small pieces.
    2. When cooked all the way, place in oven safe dish.
    3. Cook under broiler until cheese melts.

      Grilled Flatbreads

      There is no need to stay inside the house standing by a hot oven to enjoy a great tasting flatbread. Pick up some dough, your favorite toppings and heat up the grill. After watching this, you'll never want to cook a pizza in the oven again.

      Not Your Mother's Stew!

      Stew, really? When I think about stew, it's not the first thing that jumps out as tailgating food. But our Smokin' Chipotle Pork Stew with Beer recipe has a smokey, spicy kick that make this meat the perfect dish to serve during those cold winter games. This takes a little time to cook, but it's great as a left over and can be prepared early so you can take it down to the game to keep you warm.

      Recipe Smokin' Chipotle Pork Stew with Beer

      Smokin' Chipotle Pork Stew with Beer

      Smokin' Chipotle Pork Stew with Beer
      Ingredients
      • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
      • 1½ Pounds boneless pork shoulder cut into small cubes
      • 1 large or 2 medium onions, diced
      • 1 bottle or can of beer, at least 12 oz or more if you like
      • 5 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
      • 3 tablespoons adobo sauce
      • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
      • Salt and Pepper to taste
      Instructions
      1. ***Dutch Over
      2. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and Brown (cook until all sides are brown) pork over medium-high heat in Dutch Oven.
      3. Set browned pork aside in a bowl
      4. Reduce heat to low, add onions and cook until golden and brown around the edges about 8 to 10 minutes
      5. Add reserved pork, chipotles, adobo sauce, cumin, salt, pepper and beer. Stir until combined.
      6. Cover and simmer until pork is fork tender, stirring occasionally, about 1½ hours.
      7. Serve in bowl.
      If you are making it in a Crock Pot
      Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and Brown (cook until all sides are brown) pork over medium-high heat in skillet.
      Set browned pork aside in a bowl
      Add onions into skillet and cook until golden and brown around the edges about 8 to 10 minutes
      Transfer onions and pork to Crock Pot
      Add chipotles, adobo sauce, cumin, salt, pepper and beer. Stir until combined
      Cover and simmer until pork is fork tender, stirring occasionally, about 1½ hours.
      Serve in bowl.
      Adapted from Gameday Gourmet

      Phillies Food

      We know this is a football tailgating show, but with the Eagles on a  bye week and the Phillies making the playoffs, we wanted to cook some of our favorite food from Citizens Bank Park to honor the WFC making another post season run. This might be our favorite Phillies food and by no means is it the healthiest, but coming from a city thats known for its love of cheesesteaks, what else would you expect?

      Speaking of cheesesteaks, the famous Schmitter is given a Pigskin Gourmet twist to make it our own and we've also switched the cheese we used for our crab fries but the Old Bay is still the same. Leave us a comment and to let us know what's your favorite ballpark food is.

      Mocha-Caramel Milkshake with a shot of Espresso

      The perfect drink to go with burgers & fries is a milkshake and since we made burgers & fries last week, we thought we'd make a milkshake to go with it. We also gave the milkshake an adult twist by adding Kahlua along with a shot of espresso. The perfect morning drink to go with the breakfast burger.

      Mocha-Caramel Milkshake with a shot of Espresso
      Ingredients
      • cup of whole milk
      • teaspoon instant espresso powder
      • 3 tablespoons of Chocolate syrup
      • 3 tablespoons of Caramel sauce
      • 1½ packed cups of coffee ice cream
      • Whipped cream
      • Kahlua
      Instructions
      1. Place milk, espresso powder, Caramel sauce and Chocolate syrup in blender and blend for 10 seconds.
      2. Add ice cream and blend until smooth. Add 1 ounce Kahlua if you want to make it an adult milkshake
      3. Garnish with whipped cream and serve.

        Week Four: Burgers and Fries

        Bobby-Flay's-Burgers,-FriesEvery cookout, tailgate, barbecue or party has burgers and fries. So we couldn't just make the standard beef balls and slap them on a bun and be happy with our episode of Pigskin Gourmet. We wanted to do something a little more. That's where Bobbie Flay comes in.

        We used his book, Burgers, Fries, and Shakes to create the food featured in this episode. And while a hamburger with and egg on top, might seem a little odd to some, you have to try it and I'm sure you'll become a fast fan of fried eggs on your burgers. Also, even before we made the Caesar Burger - which neither of us ever had - there were some doubts as to whether it would be good or not. Really, it's basically a Caesar Salad on top of a burger which, when you think about it, doesn't sound too appealing. That is until you take a bite of it!

        We added the Grilled Steak Fries to complete the meal and it help that they could be made on the grill as well, giving you a complete meal without having to venture back into the house to cook.

        Recipes: Breakfast Burger Caesar Burger Grilled Steak Fries

        Caesar Salad Burger

        Caesar Salad Burger
        Ingredients
        • Caesar Dressing
        • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
        • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
        • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
        • 2 anchovy fillets
        • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
        • 2 dashes Tabasco sauce
        • 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
        • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
        • 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
        • Burgers
        • 1 1/2 punds of ground beef 80 percent lean
        • Salt
        • Pepper
        • Canola oil
        • 4 hamburger buns
        • 8 Romaine heart leaves
        • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
        Instructions
        1. Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, garlic anchovies, lemon juice, Tabasco, Worcestershire and pepper in a food processor process until smooth
        2. Stir in cheese
        3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
        4. Divide meat into 4 patties
        5. Season both sides with salt and pepper
        6. Lightly coat the burgers with canola oil
        7. Cook the burgers to your desired liking
        8. Once done, place burgers on buns and top with Caesar dressing
        9. top with romaine leaves, parmesan cheese and black pepper

        Adapted from Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes

        Grilled Steak Fries

        Grilled Steak Fries
        Ingredients
        • 6 large Russet potatoes
        • Salt
        • Pepper
        • Canola oil
        Instructions
        1. Boil Potatoes over medium-high heat for about 25 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife but still firm.
        2. Drain and let cool
        3. Cut lengthwise into 8 slices
        4. Heat grill to high
        5. Brush potatoes with canola oil and season with salt and pepper
        6. Grill until golden brown and cooked through

        Adapted from Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes.

        Breakfast Burger with Chipotle Ketchup

        Breakfast Burger with Chipotle Ketchup
        Ingredients
        • 1 1/2 punds of ground beef 80 percent lean
        • Salt
        • Pepper
        • 1 1/2 tablespoons of canola oil
        • 4 large eggs
        • 4 hamburger buns
        • 8 slices crisp cooked bacon
        • Chipotle Ketchup
        Instructions
        1. Cook the bacon for the burgers
        2. Divide meat into 4 patties
        3. Season both sides with salt and pepper
        4. Lightly coat the burgers with canola oil
        5. Cook the burgers to your desired liking
        6. Once burgers are done, cook egg over easy. About 45 seconds on one side then flip and cook for 10 seconds.
        7. Place Burgers on buns and top with egg, bacon and Chipotle Ketchup.

        Adapted from Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes.

        Week Three: Wings and Dip

        Week_three_mealThis week we wanted to make wings but figured we'd do a little something different. I came across the Strawberry-Jalapeno Chicken wings recipe while looking through The NFL Gameday Cookbook and thought, that sounds interesting. The sweet and hot work together well and give the wings a taste you will sure miss once they're gone.

        And you can't have wings without celery, but since we didn't make the standard wings, we thought we'd just stuff them with what we would normally have with them anyway - crumbled blue cheese. Since it wasn't a blue cheese sauce, we added Philadelphia cream cheese to make it more spreadable.

        And lastly, for those people who might not like to eat chicken wings with the bone in them or just want the classic chicken wing to watch the game with, we found a great recipe that gives you the flavors of buffalo chicken wings, but without the bone, in David Garrard's Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe.

        Recipes:

        Stuffed Celery Strawberry-Jalapeno Chicken Wings David Garrard's Buffalo Chicken Dip

        Stuffed Celery Sticks

        Stuffed Celery Sticks
        Ingredients
        • 1 8 oz package Philadelphia cream cheese
        • 1 4 oz package crumbled blue cheese
        • 1 sleeve fresh celery stalks, washed and cut
        Instructions
        1. Make sure the Philadelphia cream cheese is at room temperature.
        2. In a small bowl, mix Philadelphia Cream Cheese and crumbled blue cheese until spreadable.
        3. Spread cream cheese and blue cheese mixture in the crease of celery.
        4. Refrigerate until serving.