Game Day Eats

Its fall in Michigan and you know what that means.....Football! Who wants to root for their favorite team on an empty stomach? I get to leave work early on Fridays and that gives me just enough time to start on a good meal before my honey gets home from work. I fired up the crockpot and got my oven blazing to create these favorites. Super easy and super good. Now bring on some gridiron action!

In my previous blog I mentioned how I have stockpiled all this food at home. I had tomatoes, beans, sauce and veggies right here at home, and a box of jiffy cornmeal muffin mix to boot. All I bought was the ground beef and italian pork sausage. I feel like I am on a roll cooking things from our well stocked pantry! But then, any cook knows you have to have I decided to make my mini game day quiches too. I derived this recipe from one a co worker had given me years ago, and again I had all the stuff right in my fridge so why not use it up?

Game day Chili (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)

Makes 10 1 cup servings

1 lb ground beef

1 roll of bob evans italian pork sausage

1 large onion chopped

4 cloves of garlic minced

2 cans of tomatoes I had one with green chilis and 1 can with onions undrained

1 can of chili beans undrained

1 can light kidney beans drained and rinsed

1 can tomato sauce

4 tbsp chili powder

2 tbsp hot chili powder

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp pepper

Brown the meat and onions and garlic in a pan till meat is cooked through and onion is tender. Drain the fat off the meat and return to pan and sprinkle chili powders over meat and mix well. Add rest of ingredients to crockpot, stir till all is mixed cover and cook for 4 hours or until its hot and you just can't wait any longer! Dont forget the sour cream, cheese for garnish and jalepeno slices to garnish!

Mini Quiches

Makes 24 mini quiches

Preheat Oven to 350

Shell:

1 Cup Flour

1/2 cup butter

3 oz Cream Cheese

Filling:

2 eggs

1/2 C whipping cream

salt and pepper

ham cubes

spinach

sharp cheddar cheese

Frozen chopped spinach

Put flour, butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade. Pulse ingredients until they form a dough ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Take from fridge and pinch off portions to fit 24 mini muffin cups. Work the dough around till it makes a mini crust in each well of the mini muffin tin.

In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, cream and salt and pepper to taste. I always use sea or kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Set aside.

In each well put a pinch of shredded cheddar cheese, 2 ham cubes and about a teaspoon of chopped spinach, then about a tablespoon of the egg mixture.

Bake for 30-35 Minutes or until brown.

The original recipe that I had called for a 4 oz can of green chilis and monterrey jack cheese but you can make any combos you like, how about some bacon and swiss cheese or jalepenos and salsa!!! These game day bites score a touchdown in my book!