Beer Cheese Dip

I actually made this dip for one of my tailgates earlier this season, but I forgot my camera that day, and my sister called dibs on the leftovers. I told her she could have them as long as she took a picture and sent it to me....well, she lost her camera cord....so it took awhile....but she finally sent it so I can post the recipe for all of you!

At this point, I can't even clearly remember what game I made this for, but I am thinking it had to be University of Washington....which was an exciting game as my Sun Devils scored a touchdown as time expired to win the game!! Everyone in the stadium figured we were heading into overtime (which I was a bit miffed about because my DVR was going to miss overtime...and yes, I go to the game and re-watch it on TV, it is just my thing, don't judge me!).....but then a beautiful rainbow pass dropped the ball into the waiting hands of Chris McGaha, who seemed to be in just as much shock as the rest of the crowd! It always seems that we come up on the short end of these last minute scores (which, incidentally, is the reason for three of our losses this season), but this night was different for a change.

We were having a really casual tailgate that night, just Washington "Husky" Dogs, Washington Apple Pie....you get the drift. I knew we needed some sort of munchie to tide us over until we grilled the hot dogs, so I went searching on Recipezaar and came up with this little gem. After reading the ingredients, I was sold, and I knew my crew would be to....I mean it has two kinds of cheese, ranch dressing and beer in it...can it get any better? Well, I whipped this up in my Kitchen Aid mixer, and let it sit overnight until game day, the verdict, it was a HIT! Everyone wanted to know what was in it, and couldn't stop eating it. I served it with some pretzel crisps that I found at Costco, because pretzels + cheese + beer = YUM! Like I said earlier, my sister took home the leftovers, and I am guessing they didn't last long. For those of you weary of the beer part, you really couldn't taste it, but if you want to leave out the liquor all together, just substitute some apple juice!

Beer Cheese Dip

adapted from Recipezaar

2 (8 oz. each) pkgs. cream cheese
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix (Like Hidden Valley)
2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 c. green onion, tops only, chopped
1/3 - 1/2 c. beer, any flavor (I think I used Bud Light) or use apple juice

In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and the ranch dressing mix; mix until smooth. Stir in the cheddar cheese and the green onions. Slowly add beer until you reach your desired consistency. Cover and refrigerate overnight; serve with pretzels, crackers, veggies, etc!

Black Bean and Mandarin Orange Salsa

I was running a bit behind in planning my tailgate menu for the ASU vs. Oregon State football game a couple of weeks ago. I like to theme my menus based on the team that we are playing, but I couldn't seem to draw any inspiration from Corvallis, Oregon or the Beaver mascot....is beaver even edible? Well, with it being October, it suddenly hit me, I would go with the team colors....ORANGE and BLACK! After my epiphany, I was able to quickly plan a color themed, or close enough, color themed menu!

ASU vs. Oregon State - October 3, 2009

• Grilled Sliders with Cheddar Cheese (I am not that good at grilling, so I figured the meat was the black part!)
• Black Bean and Mandarin Orange Salsa with Tortilla Chips
• Carrots with Ranch (I put black food coloring in the ranch...didn't go over so well!)
• Pumpkin Pie Dip with Ginger Snaps & Chocolate Teddy Grahams (Recipe Coming Soon!)

This wasn't one of my most elaborate menus, but it went over really well with my guests, especially this salsa. It was such a nice refreshing change from the normal black bean salsas that usually have corn in them, the sweetness of the oranges paired really well with the salty black beans. I usually end up with leftovers of most of the things I bring, but not with this one, the bowl was licked clean!

Black Bean and Mandarin Orange Salsa
adapted from Coastal Living - January 1998

1 (11 oz.) can mandarin orange sections, undrained
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. roasted red pepper (from a jar), diced
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar (or you can use balsamic)
1/4 tsp. salt

Drain orange sections, reserving 1/3 cup of the juice.

Combine orange sections, beans, red pepper, and cilantro in a large bowl; set aside.

Whisk together the reserved orange juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt; pour over orange mixture, tossing well. Chill until serving and serve with tortilla chips.

Grilled Potato Skins

These potato skins were the star of the show at the tailgate! Not only were they the favorite dish, but they were my featured item as far as my theme went because Idaho = potatoes! I love ordering potato skins out at restaurants, with all the cheese and bacon and sour cream nestled into the cute little potato shells, there is nothing not to love! I had never actually made potato skins at home before; I have made twice baked potatoes countless times, but never just the skins. These really couldn't be simpler and possibly even easier than twice baked potatoes (well, less cooking time at the least), and they are perfect for a party because they can be assembled beforehand and then grilled (or baked) once it is time to serve. I only put bacon on about half of mine because I knew I has some non-bacon eaters in my group (hard to believe, but true), so just adjust to your group's tastes!

I do have to say that at first I was a bit perplexed with what to do with all of the reserved potato pulp, I had cooked 10 pounds of potatoes, so there was a TON! Instead of just tossing it, I tossed in all kinds of stuff from my fridge; butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt and some Monterrey jack, then I topped it all with some steamed broccoli and more cheese and baked it. It was enjoyed by the non-meat eaters, but there was a lot leftover, so I think next time I would save it to make potato cakes.

Grilled Potato Skins

(This is a pared down version, I was cooking for a crowd...10 pounds of potatoes!)

6 large Russet potatoes
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Salt & pepper, to taste
10-15 slices bacon,cooked until crisp and chopped (I used pre-cooked)
3 c. cheddar cheese, finely grated
6-7 green onions, finely chopped
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash the outside of the potatoes, then dry very well. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender (cooking time will vary depending on the size of potatoes). Cool until able to handle.

Once potatoes have cooled, slice the potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp leaving about 1/2-inch thick layer of the cooked potato on the skins. Place the skins on the baking sheet (skin side down, pulp side facing upwards). Sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper and grated Parmesan cheese (if using).

In a bowl combine the shredded cheese, chopped bacon, and green onions; mix to combine. Evenly divide the cheese mixture over top of the skins.

*At this point you can cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.*

Heat outdoor grill to medium heat. Transfer the skins to a disposable aluminum baking sheet and place on the grill. Grill, with the potato skins covered for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and potatoes have heated through.

Serve with sour cream or your favorite toppings!

To prepare indoors, bake at 400 degrees on an oiled baking pan for about 20 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Sweet Onion Dip

Ruffles have ridges!

There is just something about Ruffles that shouts out....ONION DIP! I think Ruffles and onion dip are one of the quintessential BBQ staples, and the ridges do an excellent job at safely securing a big scoop of the creamy dip. When I was trying to figure out just one more thing to make for the tailgate I cam across this Martha Stewart recipe that was for sweet onion dip, while I usually enjoy my Ruffles with French onion dip, I thought that it would be fun to try a twist on a classic; plus, I really love caramelized onions! I had never attempted to make homemade onion dip before, and if I had known how easy it would be and how much more flavorful it would be, I would have done it sooner. Everyone really enjoyed this at the tailgate, and then I served the leftovers while enjoying some pool time on Labor Day....it is just the perfect version of chips & dip!

Sweet Onion Dip

adapted from Martha Stewart

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 sweet brown onions, finely chopped (Or vidalia onions)
1 c. reduced-fat sour cream
2 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tsp. rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1/4 c. chives, finely chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil to a medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown, stirring frequently to prevent burning, about 12 - 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a medium bowl, combine onions, sour cream, cream cheese, vinegar and chives; season with salt and pepper. Chill until slightly thickened, about 1 hour.

Serve with Ruffles!

Spinach Cheddar Dip in a Bread Bowl

I remember eating cold spinach dip in a bread bowl all the time at my friend Karen's house when I was growing up; whenever her parents had people over, spinach dip was always bound to make an appearance. While I did like the dip (with the exception of the water chestnuts), I was always eagerly anticipating the point when we got to dig into the bread bowl that had been soaking up the creamy dip all afternoon....mmm! As much fun as eating the bread bowl is, they are surprisingly also very functional and convenient for taking to a party, or in my case, tailgating. Why you ask? Because there is no clean up!! Either the bowl gets eaten, or the bowl gets tossed, either way, there are no dishes to do!

The original spinach dip that I grew up eating always used a packet of the Knorr Vegetable Recipe dry mix, so when I came across this version which used dried onion soup mix, I thought it sounded like a tasty twist on a classic recipe. Plus, this had the added bonus of cheddar cheese...because really, doesn't cheese just make everything better? Just like the classic recipe, this is a snap to prepare. I made it up the night before and waited until just before serving to scoop it into the bread bowl so that it wouldn't get all soggy. I really liked this version of the classic, the cheese really added a nice element to the dip, and gave it some more color. And when it was time to head into the game....clean up was a breeze!

Spinach Cheddar Dip in a Bread Bowl

2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 1/2 c. sour cream (I used light)
1/2 c. mayonnaise (I used light)
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts, drained & chopped (I didn't use these because I am not a fan)
1 Tbsp. dried onion soup mix (I used an onion dip mix)
1 round unsliced loaf of bread (Like Sheepherder's)

In a large bowl, combine, cheddar cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, spinach and soup mix. Mix well. Refrigerate dip for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Cut out the center of the bread, leaving sides and bottom about 1-inch thick. Cut up the bread that was removed into bite-size pieces for dipping. When ready to serve, fill bread bowl with dip and serve with bread pieces. (I also served it with some Wheat Thins)

Grilled Sausage with Spicy Sauce

So this weekend kicked off my favorite time of year....College Football Season! I am a huge football fan, and while I also love the NFL, I am first and foremost a college football fan. My family has had season tickets to our beloved Arizona State Sun Devils since I was a kid, and after I graduated from ASU, I too decided that I had to get my own tickets. Over the last couple of years, more and more of my friends have also gotten tickets and we have made it a tradition to tailgate before each home game (even those games where we have to brave blistering 110 degree temperatures!). Tailgating just makes the whole experience that much better; hanging out with your fellow fans, playing some games and eating good food, are the perfect start to the whole experience.

In the last couple of years, I have been the one to take charge of the food and menu planning, which I love! I usually plan out a menu that is somehow based on who our opposing team is, it is so much fun (but sometimes stressful) to come up with the themed menu! Some themes are easier than others, but in the end, it is more about the friends and fun than it is the food....but my friends are always so appreciative and amazed at what I come up with.

It is a lot of work to pull it all together, but I really do enjoy it......and in the end, I am glad that there are only 7 home games each year!

This past weekend we played the Idaho State Bengals, so our theme was obviously potatoes! Here is what we had on our spread this past weekend. I will share the recipes highlighted in red with you over the next week. First up is the Grilled Sausage, I love kielbasa, and this was a snap to prepare....basically, I needed something easy and that would cook quickly, and this fit the bill!

ASU vs. Idaho State Bengals - September 5, 2009

• Spinach Cheddar Dip in a Bread Bowl
• Sweet Onion Dip with Ruffles
• Grilled Potato Skins
• Grilled Sweet Corn
• Grilled Sausage with Spicy Sauce
• Strawberry Cream Pie

Grilled Sausage with Spicy Sauce

adapted from Food Network Magazine - October 2009

2 lbs. kielbasa or other smoked sausage (I used 1 lb. Turkey Kielbasa and 1 lb. regular)
3/4 c. ketchup
3/4 c. spicy brown mustard
1 tbsp. hot sauce (I used Cholula)

Soak 8 - 10 wooden skewers in water for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cut sausage into bite-size pieces. Thread sausage onto skewers. Mix the ketchup, mustard and hot sauce in a bowl, refrigerate until serving. (If taking to a BBQ or tailgate, at this point you can put your skewers in a plastic bag and transport them and the sauce to your event.)

Preheat a grill to medium heat. Grill each skewer until slightly crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve with the dipping sauce.