Super Snacks for the Super Bowl

02 Feb Super Snacks for the Super Bowl

by Sydne George

Food writer

for the Great Falls Tribune

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peanut Chicken in Wonton Cups

 This might just be the best Super Bowl ever. Or so I’ve heard.

Best quarterbacks? “Big Ben” Roethlisberger, at the helm for the Pittsburgh Steel­ers, has made two trips to the Super Bowl already, coming away with wins in Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII.

Green Bay’s QB Aaron Rodgers has made a big name for himself, stepping out from behind the Brett Favre shadow and taking the Packers to the title game. Both will serve up plenty to watch on the offen­sive side of the ball on Sunday. Best fans? Well, maybe it’s the largest and the loudest fan base, that “Steeler Nation” waving those terrible towels. Not to take anything away from the loyal Packer Backers. Wearing a cheese wedge on your head? Now, that’s dedica­tion.

Best hair? It will be a head­to- head competition on Sun­day for sure. Don’t miss the million-dollar hair bobbing down the field under the hel­met of Head and Shoulders­sponsored Steeler safety Troy Polamalu, only to be matched by Packer linebacker Clay Matthews, who recently netted a contract with, would you believe, Suave shampoo?

Yes, it’s guaranteed to be quite the show at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, this Super Bowl Sunday. But what’s the Super Bowl without a winning spread?

I give you my “Kick off the Super Bowl with Super Deli­cious Snacks” lineup. Gather up your home team and throw a showstopper of your own.

 1/4  cup peanut butter

 ¼ cup rice wine vinegar

 ¼ cup hot water

 ½ tsp. Tabasco sauce (or more, to taste)

 ¼ tsp. sea salt

 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained

 12.5-ounce can Premium white meat chicken, drained

 ¼ cup thinly sliced radish

 ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray mid-sized muffin tin with cook­ing spray.

Place one wonton wrapper in each muffin cup and press down in the middle to form wonton cups.

Bake in preheated oven for five to seven minutes until golden brown.

Remove from oven and cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter, vinegar, hot water, Tabasco and salt, whisking until smooth. Taste and add more Tabasco if desired.

Add water chestnuts and chicken and stir to mix.

Spoon peanut chicken mixture into baked wonton cups and return to oven.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until chicken is heated through.

Remove from oven and garnish with radish and scallion slices. Makes about 30.

A nod to the Cheeseheads …

_ 1 baguette, sliced into ½-inch slices

_ ¼ cup butter, melted

_ 1 clove garlic, minced

_ 1 cup real mayonnaise

_ ½ cup prepared pesto

_ 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

_ ½ cup fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Preheat oven to broil.

Combine melted butter and garlic and brush on baguette slices.

Arrange baguette slices (butter side up) on baking sheet and toast in preheated oven until lightly browned, watching to make sure they don’t burn.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, pesto and Parmesan cheese, stirring to mix.

Transfer pesto dip to shallow baking dish.

Bake dip for 15 to 20 minutes at 350° until lightly browned and bubbly.

Serve with garlic baguette toasts. Makes about 40.

 

 

 

 

 

_ 1 sheet puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry), thawed according to instructions on package

_ ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

_ ¼ cup butter, melted

_ 2 Bartlett pears, cored and sliced into thin slices

_ 5 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Spread walnuts on baking sheet and toast in preheated oven for eight to 10 minutes, until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and cool. Increase oven temperature to 400°.

Roll puff pastry out on lightly floured board to make a 13-by-15-inch rectangle.

Fold ½-inch in on all sides and press to seal, making a border. Transfer prepared crust to baking sheet.

Brush melted butter all over crust, pressing border in to seal. Arrange pear slices in rows across crust.

Top with crumbled Gorgonzola and toasted walnuts.

Bake in 400° oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until crust is lightly browned and cheese is melted.

Slice into 2-by-3-inch slices and serve. Makes 26 to 28 slices.

Sydne George is a food journalist specializing in recipe development, food writing and food photography.