Super Bowl Sunday

Coming up with a great menu for the Super Bowl is very important. I didn't want to do the typical hamburgers, hotdogs, or cliche chips and dip, so I decided to branch out by taking some game day and comfort food favorites and adding a gourmet twist. I made Buffalo Chicken Sliders, Gruyere Bacon Mac and Cheese, and Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus. Let's just say this meal was any man's dream for a gameday meal, since there was chicken, bacon, and prosciutto.

Slow Cooker Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Ingredients:
4-6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (can be frozen)
1 (12 ounce) bottle buffalo wing sauce, divided
1/2 (1 ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix
2 tablespoons butter
2 packs of soft rolls like Kings Hawaiian brand rolls

Materials:
Slow Cooker
Forks (2)
Spoon to stir

Yields: 20 sliders or 7 full sized sandwiches (or more)

Place the chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in 3/4 of the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours. (I stirred twice).

Once the chicken has cooked, (usually after 4 1/2 to 5 hours) drain liquid if any, and shred the chicken with two forks. Then add the butter and the rest of the buffalo sauce.

Serve with rolls and coleslaw with blue cheese or ranch dressing if desired.


Gruyere Bacon Mac and Cheese

I used a little more gruyere cheese than what the recipe called for. I bought a block of gruyere cheese and shred it myself.  For grated parmesan, I used Parmesan Romano Cheese. I highly recommend using a Fusilli pasta or a fun shaped pasta of your choosing. In terms of bacon, make sure to use a good quality bacon like Jones Dairy Farm Sliced Bacon. Cook the bacon before cooking the past or the cheese sauce.

Ingredients:
1 lb of pasta
6 slices of bacon diced
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 1/4 cups (or to taste) shredded gruyere cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Materials:
Large pot
Cookie sheet
Parchment paper
Large spoon
Wooden spoon
Cutting board
Knife
Aluminum foil
Medium saucepan
Cooling rack
Pasta strainer

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cook the bacon on a large cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil with a piece of parchment paper on top. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until crispy. Remove from oven and let it cool. Transfer to paper towel and remove the excess grease. Dice the bacon on a cutting board, and set aside.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, in a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream, garlic, and thyme over medium heat. Bring to a slight boil and reduce by half, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in cheeses, a handful at a time, until smooth, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in pasta until well combined.

Garnish with bacon, and serve immediately.

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 Asparagus spears
6 prosciutto slices/strips

Materials:
Large frying pan

Wash asparagus and cut 2 cm off the ends. Cut prosciutto strips into two halves, going lengthwise, you should end up with 12 strips.

Place each prosciutto strip on a chopping board at a 45 degree angle. Place one of the asparagus spears on top of the meat, perpendicular to it. The tip of the asparagus should be lined up with the bottom of the prosciutto strip. Wrap the bottom end of prosciutto over the asparagus and holding the meat tight start rolling the asparagus up.  The prosciutto strip will wrap around the whole length of the spear because it's on an angle. You can try a different wrapping method, but I find this is a very quick way to do it. Don't worry if parts of the asparagus spears are not covered completely.

Sautee the asparagus in a large frying pan on medium heat cook each side for 1-2 minutes or until prosciutto is brown and crispy.

Panera's Stove Top Mac N' Cheese

This will be my last post till next Sunday, since I am going out of town on holiday for July 4th. Sunday I will be posting about "Shopping at Your Local Farmers' Market" so don't miss out.

Who doesn't love a good Macaroni and Cheese? I think it was my go to food when I was little. I'm pretty sure I made it a food group.... and no I'm not kidding-- that's how much I ate it. Panera serves a mac n' cheese that's to die for. It's made with white cheddar and white american cheese, which is very flavorful and delicious. I found a recipe that is a copy cat recipe. Trust me, you won't be disappointed when you make it.

Ingredients:
16 oz (1 lb) pipette pasta or other small pasta shapes
1/3 cup all purpose flour
4 oz white american cheese chopped or torn into pieces
2 teaspoons-1 teaspoon dijon mustard (adjust to taste)
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (like Frank's)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2-1/2 cups milk, heavy cream, or half & half
8 oz extra sharp white Vermont cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Materials:
Large stock pot
4 quart sauce pan
Wooden spoon
Cheese Shredder 
Measuring cups/spoons
Serving spoon

1) In a large stock pot, cook pasta according to package directions, drain well.
2) While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a 4 quart sauce pan over medium heat.  When the butter has melted & has started to bubble, whisk in the flour, cook for 1-1/2  minutes whisking constantly.  Gradually whisk in the milk until no lumps remain.  Reduce to medium-low & cook  milk mixture, whisking frequently, until it thickens & bubbles, about 8 mins.
3)Remove saucepan from the heat & by the handful, stir in the cheese allowing all of the cheese to melt into the sauce before adding more.  Stir in the mustard, salt, & hot sauce.  Return the saucepan to the heat & stir in the pasta.  Be sure to stir up the sauce from the bottom of the saucepan & thoroughly coat all of the pasta with sauce.  Cook for 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat until heated through.  Serve hot in bowls with spoons.