by Lisa of La Mia Cucina

So I don’t really know Jack about football. I know who I’m supposed to cheer for due to many years of having it pounded into my head first by my parents and now by Hubbs.. WOO HOO! Cleveland Browns! YAY! Ohio State Buckeyes!! I know that some of those boys look mighty fine in their lil tight britches.. Ohh Brady Quinn… *slurp* And I know that football can’t be bad because football season starts in Autumn and I am Autumn’s biggest farkin’ fan!

Where I can’t tell you how many innings there are in a football game, nor how many points are awarded each time that oblong ball falls through the hoop thingie or even the difference between a touchback and a hat trick, I can tell you what to eat while cheering on your favorite team! For there lies my sportsman-like expertise, my friends.

In doing some research for this article I originally thought I’d concentrate on “MAN FOOD” and then I decided that football games aren’t just about men drinking beer, grazing on chips and dip and screaming obscenities at the TV screen. In fact, the best football parties I’ve ever been to had an array of food choices for everyone. And considering that I stand near the boofay during these parties, where I find it much safer than joining the masses near the wide-screen, what with their jumpin’ around with full glasses of tap beer sloshing to and fro and bumping chests like two antler-less bucks during rutting season, I derive my pleasure from snacking.

Imagine pulling into the stadium parking lot or the driveway of a friend’s house and getting a whiff of succulent pork being smoked to perfection. Mmmm.. that is what I was reminded of when I read Mel’s Diner author and Resident Man In The Know, Mike’s post about his Lexington Barbecue. A Boston butt simply smoked until the juicy meat falls from the bone.. can you imagine the pulled pork sammies coming from that hunk o’meat? Oh. Yeah. Baby.

Pork not your thing? How about Barbecued Beef Brisket and Bacon Sandwiches to trip your trigger? Look at the incredible color of Cooking By The Seat of My Pants‘ amazing chef and writer, Jerry’s, exquisitely smoked brisket. Sandwich that in between two fresh buns and you’ve got the ultimate in tailgate finger foods. There’s no need for sissy eating utensils here kids.

Let’s leave the smoker and fire up that grill, shall we? Cynthia of Diary of a Glad Housewife shares with us her sweet and savory Honey Barbequed Grilled Chicken. Now I loves me my smoked beef & pork, but give me a finger licking sticky-sweet leg of poultry and you’ll hear soft giggles and squeals coming from my direction. SO GOOD!!

Sometimes you just want a bowl of something cozy and comforting that will stick to your ribs for at least 5 minutes until you move on to the next offering on the boofay.. and for me, All Things Edible’s incredible mommy and cook, Jenny’s Vegetable (Not Vegetarian) Chili truly hit the spot. This could easily be adapted into a vegetarian chili if you were to leave out the ground beef and Chorizo for your veggie loving friends. The best thing about this recipe, next to the taste, is that you can use any combination of veggies that you have on hand and it all comes together in one pot.. SHE SHOOTS! SHE SCORES!!!!

But wait! All of this delectable food takes a while to prepare.. what can we eat while we’re waiting?? Try this on for size - Tony of Olive Juice brings these Chorizo Stuffed Medjool Dates to the party.. dear sweet jebus, you’ve got your savory and spicy pork product encased in a sweet and creamy date all wrapped in crispy bacon.. *swoon* THIS IS HEAVEN!

I couldn’t resist a lil plug regarding this Buffalo Chicken Dip that I discovered a couple years ago.. of course it’s a widely known and loved dip that’s been around for quite some time, but I wasn’t introduced to it until the fall of 2006.. you can make this dip as mild or as smokin’ hot as you’d like and I’ll be dipped in 24 carat gold if it doesn’t taste EXACTLY like Buffalo wings minus the bones.

Finally, what’s a party of ANY kind without a little dessert?? Why it wouldn’t be a party dammit! And lahdee-beeee did I find the perfect dessert for a football soiree! Peaches ‘N Steam cupcakes! Yes you read that correctly.. the “steam” comes from the Habanero peppers! In a cupcake! The genius behind this recipe is Lisa of Parlsey, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives, who created this recipe for a cupcake contest and what an amazing concoction she came up with! Cool, creamy and sweet peaches offset but a mellow heat from the Habaneros. The great thing about this recipe, is you can use as little or as much Habanero as you’d like.

That’s it for this recipe round up - I hope ya’ll are wiping your chins and are thinking about that next football party you’ll be throwing and/or attending - any one (or all!) of these recipes would uplift your home team’s win.. or at least soften a loss with their deliciousness. xoxo

Want more football inspired recipes? You can find plenty of them on the Foodievew Recipe Search Engine.

To find out more about Lisa, check out her blog, La Mia Cucina.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 6th, 2008 at 10:14 am and is filed under Recipe Roundup. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.