Game day snacks

LET’S GO RAMS! LET’S GO RAMS! LET’S GO RAMS! Sorry, had to start with that. I would love to be shouting J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS during tonight’s game, but since that isn’t the case (and probably won’t be for a while), I will take the opportunity to root out loud for anyone who is playing against the Patriots.

We are bringing the kids over to a friend’s house for an early Superbowl celebration tonight, and I have been tasked with bringing some easy appetizers. To me, game food is all about fun, delicious food that is easy to eat while sitting on the couch watching the big game (and all the hilarious commercials). I want the food to be enjoyed by the grown ups and kids, so I’m keeping it simple and classic – pigs in a blanket and caramelized onion dip.

I know you can buy frozen pigs in a blanket, throw them on a sheet pan and bake them and they will be good and serve the purpose. But these are so simple, just two ingredients, and they really are superior. It takes just a few minutes to roll mini cocktail franks in crescent roll dough, and I promise you won’t be sorry you made the extra effort – and neither will your friends.

Start by preheating your oven and then prepping your baking sheet. I like to line mine with aluminum foil and give it a light spray with olive oil spray, just to make extra sure they don’t stick. Open your bag of mini cocktail franks, drain them and place them in a bowl.

*note – the store was out of cocktail wieners…GASP! After a quick moment of panic, I went with plan B. I bought full size hot dogs and cut them in thirds on the bias. What does it mean to cut on the bias? It just means cutting diagonally. In this case it doesn’t impact the flavor but makes for a prettier presentation than just a traditional straight cut.

Now pop open your crescent roll dough. When you unroll the dough, you will see that there are already perforations in the sheet, creating long triangles. You will want to cut along those lines and then cut each one into smaller triangles. Place a mini frank and the base of one of the dough triangles and roll it up.

Place your blanketed pig on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Appetizer #2, Caramelized Onion Dip, is slightly more complicated, but actually doesn’t have to be. Confession: I love onion dip made with Lipton’s onion soup mix. Onion soup + sour cream + Ruffles with ridges = perfect combination. To make it even more perfect (if that is possible), I make a batch of caramelized onions and mix it in. Adds sweetness and texture…more perfect. However, today I decided to make it from scratch and follow a recipe I found here on Food & Wine. With 1,415 likes, I figured it has to be good…and it is.

Another note: I had a friend ask me to make her family some onion dip as well, so the pictures you see will be the quantities necessary for making a double batch.

Begin by cutting the onions in half and then slicing them thinly. Place a large pan on the stove over medium low heat and melt the butter and olive oil together. Once melted, add in the onions, stirring to coat. Now here is where patience comes in. This is a slow process. You are going to go about your business and come back to check on your onions a few minutes later and think that nothing is happening, and be tempted to turn up the heat. RESIST THE URGE. Low and slow is the key to caramelized onions. You have to allow the sugars in the onions to develop, giving them the brown color and sweet flavor you are looking for. So just give them space…just a little mix every few minutes.

Eventually you will start to see them brown slowly. Keep going. You want them to get to a caramel color…aha, get it?! Above you can see the color change that happens throughout the process – beginning, middle and yum…I mean end.

While the onions are cooking, prepare the rest of the dip. Mix together the sour cream, cream cheese, onion powder, worcestershire, parsley, salt and pepper in a large bowl with a mixer.

Once the onions are cooked and have cooled, mix them into the dip. For the Caramelized Onion Dip recipe, visit the Food & Wine site here.

With these two appetizers, you will be ready to get the celebration started. Your stomach will be ready for nourishing game day foods like pizza, wings, chili, or ribs. And now that my mouth is watering, it is time to eat. GO RAMS!