I love sports. Playing them, watching them, talking about them. Volleyball is my favorite, with basketball a close second.
I understand the rules and the game of football (mostly) but I can't say it is a favorite of mine.
Then add in that the Super Bowl was not showcasing a team I really follow or care much about and well, let's just say I was into the Super Bowl this year just so that I could make (and eat) some good food!
I know this post doesn't really help YOU do some creative cooking for an event that took place yesterday, but you can just file this away for future reference. Or maybe you have a little boy's football themed birthday party and you're still looking for ideas!
Anyway...I got creative yesterday!
My daughter loves to help in the kitchen. So, we decided to make a fan favorite...Rice Crispy Treats! Only we made them with a little twist. I used Cocoa Crispies (ok, actually, I used the store brand generic version). But instead of placing them in a standard pan, I used a muffin tin. It was perfect for making individually sized treats. I used the excess to form a football shape for a larger focal point :)
After the treats were cooled, I took out my cake decorating supplies, and piped some laces onto my "footballs". I even had an extra helper, who decided to help himself to some icing!
Super easy, super yummy :)
Next up was my taco dip. This is a recipe that I usually make, but I changed up the presentation a bit to make it football themed.
Why, yes, those are opposing olive teams. And yes, there are 11 players on each team. It's all in the details :)
And in case your interested...here's the recipe for my taco dip! I usually use lower fat ingredients to make it a little bit healthier, but any version will work. I included quantities for each ingredient, but to be honest, usually I just eyeball it. So, feel free to adjust as you feel necessary! (This recipe is also easily doubled to feed larger crowds)
Michelle's Taco Dip
1 can refried beans (this time I used black bean refried beans because that's what I had on hand)
8 oz cream cheese, softened (I use fat free)
8 oz sour cream (I use fat free)
1/2 packet taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheese (I use 2% milk cheese)
1 cup salsa
1-2 cups chopped lettuce
In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, and taco seasoning. I used a hand mixer to get the cream cheese smooth. Set aside.
In a pan (I used an 8x11, just because that's what was clean, you can easily fit this in a 9x13) start with you beans and make a base layer. I like to use a clear pan so you can see the layers, but that's totally not necessary!
Then layer the cream cheese mixture, and the rest of your ingredients. Usually I layer in this order:
beans
cream cheese/sour cream mixture
salsa
lettuce
cheese
But, since I was trying to make a football field, I used the lettuce last as "grass" and added extra salsa on the ends for my "end zone". Then I piped on some extra sour cream to make my "goal lines". The goal lines came out a little thick...oh well. Who doesn't love a little extra sour cream!?
Then I decided to cut some olives in order to put a "team" on the field.
If you really wanted to take this to the next level, you can add some goal posts too. But I was making this, while also trying to make lunch and feed the kids, so no goal posts this time around.
Serve with tortilla chips or your favorite dippers. Yum!!
In addition to looking good, it also tasted great too :)
Did you make any festive football food for yesterday's big game?
