Slice of Southern's Best Game Day Snacks

Are you looking to score big with your game-day crowd? Enjoy the party with these festive foods and savory snacks.

Everybody loves what may be deemed as 'game food'.  Snacking food, finger food, pub food, and hearty stick to your ribs kind of grub!

These are the 10 most popular dishes (chosen by you) that are the perfect choice to make a touch down at your party.

Moroccan Flavored Meatballs with Pita, Tomatoes, and Cucumber

BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Chunky Guacamole

Sweet Onion Salsa

Cherryade

Vermont Cheddar Popcorn

Simple Perfect Chili

March Madness Pizzas

Latin Empanadas

Creamy Dill Dip

The Super Bowl is known as the 2nd most "eating" day of the year.  Can you believe that?  Whether you grill or make a big pot of chili, feeding a crowd is always part of the fun.  Make it easy on yourself and choose some items you can make ahead so you enjoy the game as well.  Low stress entertaining is what it's all about!

How do you celebrate game day?

 

Szechwan Beef and Vegetables

Time for a quick and easy meal?

When that's what I'm looking for I turn to stir frys instead of take-out.

Quick and easy to make you can have dinner on the table in about 20 minutes.  Don't you just love that?  And what's even better is this particular stir fry, Szechwan Beef and Vegetables has been made lighter to keep the waistlines in tact!

This dish carries a little heat, being Szechwan and all....so if you want to tone that down a bit to make it more kid-friendly just dial back on the amount of red pepper flakes you use.  Me? I'm all about the heat baby!

Using lean sirloin help keep the calories down and instead of frying this I marinated the meat to infuse flavor and tenderize the meat.  The result?  succulent beefiness...yum!  For veggies I used a combination of cut of bok choy, broccoli, and snap peas.  Lots of greens = lot of nutrients!

All this in a wonderful spicy szechwan sauce...heaven in 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Szechwan Beef and Vegetables

serves 4

 

1 lb lean sirloin, cut into thin slices

1 T sherry

2 T low sodium soy sauce

1 t minced ginger

2 t cornstarch

2 T water

1 T oil

1 lb chopped mixed vegetables like bok choy, snap peas, broccoli

1/3 c whole cashews

1 t minced garlic

¼ c beef broth

2 t hoisin sauce

1/8 t red pepper flakes

Place meat in a bowl and add the sherry, soy sauce, and ginger.  Toss until well coated.  Set aside.

In another small bowl whisk together the cornstarch with 2 Tablespoons of water.  Set aside.

Heat a large skillet on medium high.  Add oil to the skillet.  Add half the beef and stir fry quickly until no longer pink.  Remove from skillet and repeat with remaining meat.  

Add vegetables to the skillet and stir fry until tender crisp.  About 4-5 minutes.  Add garlic and cashews, stirring to toast.  Add beef back to the skillet.  Add beef broth, hoisin sauce, and red pepper flakes.  Stir to coat.  Add cornstarch mixture and stir until sauce thickens.  

Serve over rice.

Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

I have a confession.

Biscuits are my favorite breakfast item.  I mean my f a v o r i t e ! ! !

Mom made great ones growing up and she had a treasure trove of old biscuit recipes hidden in her favorite recipe box.  You know the "one" where you keep you most favorite, tried and true, "secret" recipes?

Well I found this one in there...

So glad I snatched this recipe up.  It's a keeper for sure.  Soft, flaky biscuits with that tangy buttermilk singing through.  And the rise on these babies....wonderful!  That may be due to the wonderful new baking powder I've been using lately.  Bakewell Cream is a popular baking powder in New England, know for it's superior raising properties.  So far so good, I'd say!

These biscuits come together quickly and turn out light, moist, and flaky.  So I'm on a quest to make every biscuit recipe that my mom stashed away....hope you don't mind.  My taste buds and tummy are thanking me right now!

Here are some other biscuit recipes I've made:
Buttermilk Biscuits by Clinton St. Bakery
Old Fashioned Biscuits
Cornmeal Biscuits
St. Patrick's Day Cheddar Biscuits


Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold and cut into chunks
3/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or two forks cut in butter. (Butter should look like small peas.) Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk.


Mix until combines. Turn dough out onto a floured board. Pat the dough into a rectangle and fold the dough into thirds (like a book) , turn the dough 1/4 turn and pat out again. repeat folding process several times. Roll dough into a round about 1/2' thick. Cut out biscuits and place on a baking pan.

Brush the tops with a little buttermilk. Bake for 12-15 min or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool. Serve with butter and jam.