Chili Mac

MMMmmmMMmmmmmMMMM!

This is #dinnergoals right here!

Oh, did you guys hear? There is some kind of football game this weekend that is very big and very important and requires lots of delicious foods while you watch. I have the perfect dinner for the occasion.

My recipe for Chili Mac is a mash up of a beef chili and a creamy, cheesy pasta dish. It is a little spicy and will keep you coming back for more. The chili becomes a robust, tex-mex type of meat sauce that kiiiind of puts regular marinara to shame.

To compliment that spicy goodness, we need something creamy (and, duh, cheesy because we are talking CHILI after all, so some sharp cheddar is very much needed). After the chili is cooked up, I add a bunch of hot pasta along with some of the pasta cooking water along with some sour cream to help melt that glorious cheddar into the chili/sauce. It's sort of magical and very tasty.

Now, as with most recipes I bestow upon you, it's worth mentioning that you can customize this to you and your family's liking! Prefer black beans over cannelini beans? Great! Want to tone town the spice factor? Use a bell pepper instead of the poblano. Like it a little extra spicy? Try shredded pepper jack instead of shredded cheddar! Where does it end?! (just FYI, it doesn't end until your plate is licked clean :-D)

Twice Fried Buffalo Wings

The Super Bowl is less than a week away, which means we need to start seriously thinking about football appetizers and game day snacks!

I've recently had a hankering for classic Buffalo Wings - the type of wings that are hot, spicy and buttery, with a crunchy skin and fall-off-the-bone meat. I don't think that's too much to ask for, but there was the task of having to find really good buffalo wings in the greater Boston area. So, one thing led to another and I decided I should just make them myself.

With the big game around the corner, this past weekend seemed as good a time as any to give homemade buffalo wings a whirl. I enlisted the help of my friend, Lauren, who also proposed that we make homemade pretzels and mustard (and oops, we also made a cheese dip, wow what a great day).

Turns out, the talented J. Kenji Lopez-Alt over at Serious Eats did quite a bit of buffalo wing research for us, so I used his post as guidance for what I assumed had to be a spectacular wing (considering they were twice fried!)

As for my method, it is essentially Kenji's, but generally at lower temperatures and with shorter cooking times on the second fry. I learned this weekend that I am very scared of big pots of a hot oil and Lauren had to coach me into just dropping the wings in for the second fry...hey, we all have our struggles!

So, how do we get perfect wings at home? First, we combine oil and lots of wings/drumettes into a big dutch oven. Over medium heat, we gradually bring the oil up to 225 degress farenheit, stirring the chicken occasionally until the chicken is cooked through and just beginning to have color on the outside.

After the initial fry, we remove the chicken from the oil to strain and rest it for at least an hour at room temperature. Next, more oil goes into the dutch oven and is heated to 375 degrees. Working in smaller batches, the wings are then deep fried until crispy, golden and ready to douse in sauce.

As for the sauce, it is nothing more than melted butter and Frank's Red Hot. Just before serving, the wings are tossed in the dip. Bleu cheese dressing is essential to have on hand for dipping, and some celery will calm your pallet between plate-fulls of wings. Jump to the recipe below for detailed instructions and tips on how to plan ahead for the Super Bowl Sunday!

Chicken Taco Bites

 

Have you ever met someone and you say, "Hey you want to grab some tacos?" And they respond, "nah, I don't like tacos." If this has happened to you, talk to me immediately--that person needs a serious life intervention!

Tacos are so versatile that I believe there is a taco out there for everyone.

I've shared some taco recipes before. These pulled pork tacos are basically to die for.

And then there are these blackened fish tacos that are so fresh and flavorful they will immediately whisk you away to daydreams of a tropical paradise.

Today, to keep to the theme of Superbowl Game Day Appetizers, I wanted to share these tasty nuggets of taco goodness. That is, Chicken Taco Bites.

If you are heading out to a Superbowl party and need a quick and flavorful appetizer, this is the recipe for you. These crispy little bites are packed with all the great tastes of a taco and look totally adorable to boot!

To make the taco shells, wonton wrappers are pressed into a muffin tin and baked until crispy.

Cooked chicken breasts are shredded or cut into small cubes, marinated in your favorite salsa (I had store-bought salsa fresca and it worked wonderfully!), then get a quick sear in a frying pan.

Our taco toppings are very simple -- crispy lettuce leafs, quartered cherry tomatoes, diced avocado, and shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

That's really all there is to it! Once the shells and chicken have been cooked, all we need to do is assemble the taco bites. Quick tip - keep the bottom of your shells from getting soggy by lining the bottom of the cups with some of the lettuce. Place a few pieces of chicken on top of the lettuce, then add a pieces of tomato and avocado on top. Finish off each taco with a nice sprinkling of grated cheese.

If you want to prep some things ahead of time, you can cook the taco shells and keep them well wrapped before using. Also feel free to marinate the chicken overnight for ramped up flavor. Just be sure to assemble the tacos as close to when you want to serve them as possible to avoid things getting soggy!

The spiciness of the salsa marinade adds a great kick while the cheese and avocado soothes the palette. The freshness of the lettuce and tomatoes keeps you wanting more!

Crab Rangoons

It's Super Bowl Week! That can only mean one thing -- lots and lots of appetizer recipes flooding the blog-o-sphere.

I want to get on this bandwagon for a couple of reasons. First, I absolutely LOVE making appetizers. Bite-sized snacks that are tasty to eat and fun to make really make my heart go pidder padder (or is it pitter patter? Life's great questions...)

I also think that homemade appetizers can elevate any game day party to the next level. And since this coming Sunday is the ultimate game day, this can't wait.

One thing I have been dying to make at home is Crab Rangoons. Back in college, any bad week could be made instantly better by ordering Chinese take-out with an extra order of crab rangoons. What part about cream cheese and crab meat fried to perfection WOULDN'T make it better?

Be still the college student inside my heart. Turns out making crab rangoons is totally easy. There is a little bit of assembly required, but other than that they cook up quickly and get eaten up even quicker!

It starts with cream cheese, softened to room temperature, alongside chopped scallions and shredded crab meat. I used the imitation crab meat because, honestly, after the mixing with cream cheese and the frying, it didn't seem necessary to splurge on lump crab meat.

Using a fork and some elbow grease, incorporate the cheese, crab and scallions along with Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and cracked black pepper.

Each wonton will be made using a wonton wrapper. These things are amazing, especially if you like cooking appetizers! They are usually right in the produce section of your grocery store -- just ask a nice employee to point you to them.

About a teaspoonful of the cream cheese mix is placed in the middle of each wrapper. Then, to seal the wrappers, dip your finger in water and run it along the outer edges. Fold the wrappers in half into triangles and seal well by pressing down on all sides, letting out as much air as possible.

Added bonus -- these keep really well in the refrigerator, so feel free to prep the night before that way on game day all you need to do is fry 'em up!

For cooking, heat a large amount of canola or vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan over medium heat. The level of the oil should be just high enough to cover the rangoons.

Cook in batches until golden brown. Best served hot with soy sauce or duck sauce for dipping.

There's not much more I can say about this app recipe. It's essentially everything you want in an appetizer. A bit sinful, but totally delicious. Easy to eat while crowded around a big TV with a bunch of friends. Just a complete yum-fest (I just made that word up...how do we like it?)