Without a team in the fray, my personal zeal for Super Bowl LII is idling on the sidelines. No Cowboys, Packers, Steelers (No. 78) or Saints to cheer for. But still, it’s the Super Bowl — and the last occasion of the season for a pigskin party. With the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots set to face off Feb. 4, I thought it could be interesting to look at some party-friendly recipes that represent each team’s home base — Pennsylvania’s Philly and America’s northeast.
Regionally-inspired eats
Super Bowl menus could feature mini Philly cheesesteaks from Allrecipe’s “Chef John.” These miniaturized sandwiches are made with classic cheesesteak ingredients, but in open-face form on slices of baguettes. (There’s even a video online at allrecipes.com.)
Philly mashed potatoes — made with eggs, cream cheese and French-fried onions — are an upgrade on standard spuds and packed with flavors. (This recipe sounds so good, I want to make it for Easter family dinner.)
New England is pretty famous for seafood, especially lobster and clams. Feel free to go that route if you’re feeling whole-hearted, but for a twist, how about shrimp roll toast sandwiches with bacon and Ritz cracker topping?
Food blogger Dara Pollak at skinnypignyc.com likes them on buttery potato bread (her chosen brand is Martin’s). She butters and grills the bread, flattening it with a spatula as it cooks so it gets a little crispy.
“You obviously don’t have to cook them this way, but I think the flattened bread actually tastes great — chewy and crisp at the same time — with the cool shrimp mixture. Oh, and the shrimp has Old Bay seasoning in it, which may be one of the best seasonings ever created,” she writes.
The bacon and Ritz cracker topping is optional, but it makes a nice salty and crunchy addition.
John Santos at today.com is a huge fan of Mexican street corn but was inspired by flavors and ingredients of New England to put a northeastern spin on the classic corn. In a September 2017 post, he shares a tip: “Smearing the corn with a mayo is an easy way to boost its flavor and help make all the seasonings stick.”
Whether you’re pulling for Patriots or Eagles (or couldn’t care less), one of these recipes may interest you — and they can play almost any position: Memorial Day picnic, Fourth of July feast or poolside party.
For football fans like me, who lost their teams along the way but still want a reason to feel invested in the game, the Eagles’ Fletcher Cox, (No. 91, hometown Yazoo City) is a former Mississippi State Bulldog. Drafted by the NFL in 2012, Cox, a defensive tackle, becomes the 35th different Bulldog to reach the Super Bowl, according to hailstate.com.
The Patriots’ roster includes former Rebel, running back and Super Bowl veteran Brandon Bolden (No. 38, Baton Rouge) and cornerback and former West Alabama player Malcolm Butler (No. 21, Vicksburg).
That’s what I needed — some Mississippi connections.
MINI PHILLY CHEESESTEAKS
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Servings: 12
2 tablespoons butter, or as needed
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or as needed
1 cup cold milk
2 ounces shredded provolone cheese, or more to taste
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste
1 12-ounce skirt steak
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, or as needed.
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced sweet peppers
2 baguettes, or as needed, cut into 48 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup shredded provolone cheese, or as needed
(Source: Chef John, allrecipes.com)
NEW ENGLAND STREET CORN
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4
For maple mayo:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons pure Vermont maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For bacon jam:
1/2 cup applewood smoked bacon, cooked and minced
1/2 cup Spanish onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup black coffee
2 tablespoons pure Vermont maple syrup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To cook and serve:
4 ears corn, shucked
1 cup crumbled farmer’s cheese
1 cup maple mayo (recipe above)
1/2 cup bacon jam (recipe above)
1 jalapeno, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoon minced chives
(Source: today.com/recipes/new-england-street-corn-recipe-t115955)
SHRIMP ROLL TOAST SANDWICHES
1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
Pinch of dill weed or 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 strips bacon
8 Ritz crackers, crushed
6 potato rolls
Salt and pepper, to taste
(Source: Dara Pollak, theskinnypignyc.com)
PHILLY MASHED POTATOES
Total time: 55 minutes
Servings: 4
4 potatoes, chopped
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 (6 ounce) can French-fried onions, crushed
(Souce: Kimber, allrecipes.com)
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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