5 Recipes I am DYING to try this football season!

I ended up going on a pinning spree yesterday on Pinterest while I was supposed to be studying for my Accounting test. Amid this distraction, I did manage to find some amazing recipes that I want to try out for my football Sundays. Here are my top 5 favorites:

1. Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Source: http://mysisterscrazyblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/big-easy-super-bowl-news-spot.html

How good do those look?! I’ve included the recipe below but I suggest checking out this blog as she has a ton of great snack ideas, including a buffalo chex mix that looks phenomenal.

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders. 6-8 Chicken breasts Frank’s Red Hot Sauce Package Ranch Dressing Put in low crackpot for 5-6 hours. Shred, remove extra juices and add additional Frank’s sauce to taste. Serve on King Hawaiian Rolls and ranch dressing.

2. Avocado Chicken Salad

Source: http://becomingbetty.blogspot.com/2011/09/avocado-chicken-salad.html

Talk about a combo of my favorites! I want to try it on a wrap as well as with pita chips. The recipe below is directly from the blog, Becoming Betty.

chicken, cooked and shredded
avocado
mayo, just a little
green onion, sliced
cilantro
lime juice to taste
salt/pepper to taste

*Sorry there aren’t any measurements.  I just asked what was in it and then made it to my liking.  I probably had 2 cups of chicken and then just threw the rest in until it tasted good.  I only used 1 avocado but if you really love avocados, you could use more.  I loved the lime juice, so I kept adding more of it little by little.  You definitely need a little salt, but the pepper is just if you want to.  I used a lot of cilantro and a moderate amount of green onion.  Probably 2-3 of them.  You can serve this in pitas or just eat it with chips.  We loved it and it was really good leftover, too.

3. Cream Cheese Stuffed Monkey Bread

Source: http://www.recipebyphoto.com/cream-cheese-stuffed-monkey-bread/

I am already obsessed with monkey bread but I’ve never had it with cream cheese! Cannot wait to try this one out. The recipe I found is shown through pictures in the blog Recipe by Photo. Looks fairly easy and absolutely delicious!

4. Root Beer Float Cupcakes

Source:http://www.sugarloco.com/2012/07/loco-kids-root-beer-float-cupcakes-recipe/?_szp=218342

I had great success adding Blue Moon to my cupcakes so why not try Root Beer?! Two of my favorites combined into one treat. The recipe below is from the blog, Sugar Loco, a great source for anything sweet!

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 box (18.25 ounces) white cake mix

1 1/4 cups root beer

2 eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

24 root beer barrel candies

8 straws, cut in thirds

Frosting:

4 packets (1.3 ounces each) Dream Whip whipped topping

2 cups chilled root beer

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on high for 2 minutes. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners. Fill cups about two-thirds of the way full. Bake cupcakes in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely. Use a piping bag to frost cupcakes. Top each with a straw and candy.

For Frosting:

In another bowl, beat frosting ingredients until stiff peaks form.

Notes:

Makes 24 cupcakes.

5. Baked Zucchini Sticks

Source: http://greatfoodpins.com/?p=1267

Delicious and healthy! This recipe looks like a great snack to satisfy that salty craving without killing the health kick. This recipe is also through pictures on the blog Great Food Pins.

Let me know if you try any of these awesome recipes! I will definitely let you know how they turn out. Enjoy 🙂

My Favorite Guacamole!

One of my friends is known for his AMAZING guacamole. I was finally able to squeeze the recipe out of him. It is one of my favorite game day snacks. He swears that this recipe doesn’t leave anything out, but i’m not quite sure I believe him 😉 Either way this is a must try recipe!!!

Ingredients

• Ripe avocados (6 avocados can feed about 6 hungry fans)
• Garlic
• Tomato
• Cilantro
• Onion
• Lime
• Salt and Pepper

Amount of each ingredient depends on your preference. Suggested amounts below. I tend to like extra cilantro for that added spice. A little extra lime adds a nice zing as well! Fan’s choice 🙂

 Instructions

• Dice and chop the garlic, tomato, cilantro and onion
• Scoop out the avocado (I suggest cutting directly down the center and wrap around the pit, causing the avocado to split in two and squeezing the avocado out of the skin into the bowl)
• Combine the ingredients (amount depending on your preference) using usually around 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, half a tomato, and a quarter to half of a regular sized red onion, and lightly applying the chopped cilantro
• Mash the ingredients together and stir
• After squeeze in the lime (from ½ to 1 full lime) and season with salt and pepper, stir again

This is a quick, easy and relatively cheap snack to enjoy while watching your team. My friend uses a granite mortar and pestle to mix and blend all of the ingredients. You can use a regular bowl if you’d rather. Let me know what you think! I’d love to hear what works best for you.

Enjoy!

Sriracha and Garlic Chicken Wings

What’s better than buffalo wings, friends and football on a Sunday afternoon? The answer is: Sriracha and Garlic Chicken wings. This recipe is AMAZING and a great alternative to the buffalo wings we all know and love on game day. Let me know what you think!

Adapted from Leanne bakes

Ingredients:

Chicken wings, we used Tyson Chicken Wings for ease

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup Sriracha

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoons sesame oil

Directions:

Begin by marinating the wings. Combine the garlic, Sriracha, ketchup, soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil into a blended.

Pour marinade over wings in a ziplock bag. Shake the marinade over the chicken wings evenly. Let them sit in the fridge for a few hours. For the most flavor, I would suggest letting the wings soak overnight in the marinade.

Once you are ready to cook them, preheat the over to 375. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes. I did about 28 but anywhere within that range should do the trick. I suggest covering the tray with tin foil….makes for an easier clean-up!

Once the wings are a golden brown, let them cool then dig in! Enjoy 🙂

Blue Moon Cupcakes

Sports & beer go hand in hand for many fans. Who doesn’t enjoy an ice cold beer while cheering on their favorite team? I decided to try out a game day snack that brings the quintessential game day beverage together with everyone’s favorite dessert: the cupcake. I came across the idea on Pinterest and figured it would be perfect for the opening weekend of football.

The original recipe tells you how to make the cupcakes from scratch but for college students, a boxed mix is much more convenient so I altered the recipe a bit. I chose to use Blue Moon because it is my friends’ favorite but any beer will work.

The cupcakes were a hit! I squeezed a bit of orange juice over the frosting which added a nice hint of flavor. Try this recipe out with your favorite beer and let me know what you think!

Blue Moon Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients:

• Yellow cake mix
• One bottle of Blue Moon (or any beer of your choice)
• Vanilla Frosting
• One orange (or substitute of your choice)

I decided to use an orange to go with the Blue Moon flavor to decorate the cupcakes but you may want to substitute something else for other beers.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350; grease pan or insert cupcake holders
• Combine cake mix, 1.5 cups of Blue Moon, 1/3 cup vegetable oil & 3 eggs
• Beat for about 2:00 on medium speed until batter is smooth
• Pour into pan then bake for about 18 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
• Brush top of cupcakes with beer for extra flavor
• Let cool then top with vanilla frosting
• Squeeze orange over top of frosted cupcakes
• Add orange slice to top as a finishing touch

Enjoy!!