Tia’s Tailgate Party
Fried Buffalo Chicken Dip
Serves 5-6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Cheese Steak sliders
Makes 12 sliders
Prep 20 minutes
Total time 35 minutes
Chocolate Ganache Brownies
Makes 20
Prep 20 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Ingredients:
Fried Buffalo Chicken Dip
1 1⁄2 cup frozen chicken nuggets
1-8 oz block cream cheese, room temperature
1⁄2 cup buffalo sauce
1⁄2 cup ranch dressing
1 1⁄2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
Green onion, thinly sliced
Celery sticks
Carrots
Pita chips
Cheese Steak Sliders
1-1.5# top sirloin steak
1 tsp seasoning salt
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
3 strips bacon, cut into1/2in strips
1 1⁄2 cup lager beer
1 tsp granulated sugar
1⁄2 ts kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp ground black pepper
6 slices Havarti Cheese
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
12 mini pretzel buns
Chocolate Ganache Brownies
1 package brownies mix
2 cups dark chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup heavy cream
1⁄4 cup Irish cream liquor, like baileys
INSTRUCTIONS:
Fried Buffalo Chicken Dip:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Add nuggets to a cast iron pan. Place in the oven and heat for 10-15 minutes.
In a large bowl, add cream cheese and with a hand mixer, mix until smooth. Add hot sauce and ranch, mix until fully combined. Stir in cheese. Set aside.
Remove chicken from the oven, place on a cutting board and cut into smaller pieces.
Spray cast iron with cooking spray, pour cream cheese mixture into pan. Scatter the top with chicken pieces. Sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles, cover and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until bubbling.Top with green onions. Serve immediately with pita chips, celery and carrots.
Cheese Steak Sliders
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a sheet tray, seasoning steak on both sides. Place in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, until medium rare.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet on medium high heat, add oil when hot, cook bacon until crispy. Add onions, into the pan, saute for 3-4 minutes, until starting to get soft. Stir in beer, sugar, salt and pepper, bring to a simmer and reduce until liquid is gone, make sure to stir occasionally so it doesn't stick to the pan.
Remove steak from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes to rest. Slice steak very thin and set aside.
Arrange bottom buns on a sheet tray, by having them touch each other. 3 on the short side and 4 on the long side. Top with 6 slices of havarti cheese, does matter if cheese is not covering the entire bun. Spread onions all over the cheese and top with strips of meat. Sprinkle with monterey jack cheese and bun tops. Loosely cover with foil. Place in the oven for 20 minutes, until the cheese melts. Remove from the oven, carefully cut into between buns. Serve immediately.
Chocolate Ganache Brownies
Make brownies according to the package. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper hanging over the long side. This makes it easier to remove from the pan. Add 1 cup dark chocolate chip chunks to the brownie mix. Pour into the pan. Bake and remove brownies from the oven and let them cool completely.
In a small saucepan, add heavy cream and liquor until warm, not boiling. Turn off heat, add remaining 1 cup chocolate chips, let sit for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Let sit for 2 minutes, while cutting brownies. Remove brownies from the pan onto a cutting board. Using a paring knife or cookie cutter shaped like a football, cut as many football shapes as possible. Save an scrapes for ice cream topping, parfaits, etc.
Place cut shapes onto a wire rack over a sheet tray. Pour ganache over brownies allowing to cover and drip down the sides. Let ganache cool, then using a pre-purchased icing, draw the football laces in the middle of the brownie. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
