Happy Football Friday, Y’all. Or Merry Christmas Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve or something like that. Last year we did tasty tailgate treats Holiday Edition so why not tackle it again? We have bowl games and playoff games that deserve tailgate parties. So, let’s make this season of forced family fun a little extra FUN and tasty. There are some great articles to revisit from previous posts. Such as Bacon Me Crazy, and Soup Season. Always great for the holiday just because it makes life easier and can feed a crowd.
Football Friday Tasty Tailgate Treats: Holidays, Playoffs, and Bowl Games
Hot Buttered Rum
For The Batter:
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for sprinkling
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For The Cocktails:
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup dark rum
- 2 cups whipped cream (optional)
- 4 (4-inch) long cinnamon sticks
Directions:
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Place 1 stick unsalted butter in a medium heatproof bowl (or stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment) and let sit at room temperature until softened.
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Add 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Beat with an electric hand mixer on high speed until fluffy and smooth, about 2 minutes.
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Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a kettle or medium saucepan. Let the water cool slightly so it isn’t actively bubbling, about 30 seconds. Carefully pour the water into the butter mixture. Add 1 cup dark rum and beat with the mixer on medium speed until the butter is dissolved and the mixture is frothy, 1 to 2 minutes.
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Divide between 4 mugs. Top with whipped cream if desired. Sprinkle with more freshly grated nutmeg. Garnish each mug with a cinnamon stick.
Recipe Notes:
Make ahead: The butter mixture can be made up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Let sit at room temperature until softened before adding the hot water and proceeding with the recipe.
Butterscotch Haystacks / Tumbleweeds
Ingredients:
- 1 package (11 ounces) butterscotch chips
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 jar (12 ounces) dry roasted peanuts (optional)
- 1 can (4 ounces) potato sticks
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butterscotch chips and peanut butter in a microwave; stir until smooth.
- Stir in peanuts (optional) and potato sticks.
- Drop by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined pans.
- Refrigerate until set. Store in an airtight container.
Bloody Mary Dip
Ingredients:
- 3 slices bacon
- 2 tsp. Montreal steak seasoning
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed and at room temperature
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 1/2 tsp.Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp celery salt
- 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 1/2 tsp hot sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. vodka (optional)
- 2 pimento-stuffed green cocktail olives, quartered lengthwise and stuffing chopped
- Assorted pickled vegetables, crudités, crackers, and chips, for serving
Directions:
- In a medium skillet, arrange the bacon slices and sprinkle each with the steak seasoning. Cook over medium heat, flipping as needed, until crisp, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain; then finely chop and set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, process the cream cheese, mayonnaise, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and celery salt until well-combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Add the lemon zest and juice, hot sauce, and vodka, if using, and pulse until just combined.
- Transfer the dip to a shallow serving bowl and gently fold in the bacon.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
- Top with the olives and pimento stuffing and serve with your favorite pickled vegetables, crudités, crackers, or chips.
Sausage Roll Wreath
Ingredients:
- 14oz sausages (use your favorite, good quality, free-range sausages)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pecans
- ¼ cup flaked almonds
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Black pepper
- 1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry
- 1 cup cranberry sauce
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
Directions:
- Make the sausage mix. Heat your oven to 360 degrees and get a large oven tray ready. Roughly chop the cranberries, pecans, and almonds, then get them into a large mixing bowl. Slice through the sausage casings, and squeeze the sausage meat out into the bowl. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and a grind of black pepper, then mix well until everything is combined.
- Form the sausage roll. Lay out a large piece of baking paper on a flat surface, then place your sheet of puff pastry on it. Spoon 4 tablespoons of the cranberry sauce down the middle of the puff pastry, about 2 inches wide (lengthways, down the longest side). Pile the sausage meat mix onto the cranberry sauce line, in a long log shape. Try to keep this as equal as you can in terms of height and width.
- Roll up the sausage roll. Brush the whisked egg down one side of the pastry, next to the sausage log. Fold the un-egg-washed side over the sausage log, then keep rolling the log over the egg-washed side to seal the pastry. Keep rolling, then turn over so the seam of the pastry is at the bottom of one very long sausage roll.
- Form the wreath. Mark 11 roughly equal lines down the sausage roll, then cut two-thirds of the way through the roll (leave ⅓ uncut at the top of the rolls, so the wreath stays together). Carefully join the two exposed ends to form a circle – brush the pastry with a little more eggwash to help it stick. Very carefully twist each sausage roll over a quarter, so the exposed sausage meat is facing up. Brush the exposed pastry with the rest of the egg wash, then scatter the top of the rolls with the sesame seeds if you’re using them.
- Bake and serve. Transfer the wreath on the baking paper to the oven tray, then place it in the oven and bake for about 50 minutes, until the pastry is super golden, puffed up and the sausage meat looks firm and is starting to look golden. Serve with the rest of the cranberry sauce in the middle of the wreath, for dipping.
Notes:
Prep Ahead: Form the wreath and then refrigerate it, covered, a day ahead of time, then just bake it when you’re ready. You can also freeze the uncooked wreath and bake it from frozen – up the cooking time to 1 hour in this case.
Substitutions: Swap the dried cranberries for apricots, and the pecans and almonds for pistachios, walnuts, or cashews, or leave them out altogether. I like to throw in a handful of chopped sage leaves sometimes, for a more festive flavor. Instead of cranberry sauce, you can use any chutney, relish, or sauce you like! A caramelized onion chutney would be lovely.
Pull-Apart Christmas Tree
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. refrigerated pizza dough
- Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp water)
- 7 mozzarella sticks
- 1/4 c. melted butter
- 1/2 c. finely grated Parmesan
- 1 tbsp. Thinly sliced basil
- 1 tbsp. chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp. chopped rosemary
- Marinara, warmed (for serving)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 450°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut mozzarella sticks into 1” pieces and set aside.
- On a floured surface, divide the pizza dough into two pieces. Stretch and roll each piece of dough into a long rectangle, then cut the dough into 2” squares (you’ll need 33 total).
- Wrap a dough square around each piece of mozzarella, forming a tightly sealed ball.
- Place balls seam-side down on the baking sheet in the shape of a Christmas tree (they should be touching).
- Brush egg wash on dough balls and bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together melted butter, Parmesan, and herbs.
- Brush on baked pizza balls.
- Serve warm with marinara for dipping
Happy Everything
Happy Bowl Season. Merry Christmas Eve Eve. Happy Hanukkah. Happy Holidays. Whatever you are celebrating or even if you are just hanging out at home trying to stay warm we hope you enjoy these tasty treats. The holidays are hard for everyone so, be sure to check in on all your friends and family. Everyone is struggling with something. If you need someone to talk to there is a hotline to help if you are feeling helpless 988 you can call, text, or chat. Be kind. Spread love.
Main Photo: Dished by Kate dot com
