It's time for the big game! We've got the game, the commercials, the half-time show, and of course, the food.
Be it pre-game, during the game, or -- for the real diehards -- post-game, noshing on snacks is a football watching staple and people take their Super Bowl spread very seriously.
One of our favorite appetizers is jalapeno poppers. We love the traditional ones that you halve and de-seed the jalapenos and fill each half with a mixture of cream cheese and cheddar and big bacon bits and bake. I have even tried jalapeno popper chicken. For that dish, you dice the jalapeno and mix in with the cream cheese, cheddar, and bacon bits and spread on top of the chicken and bake.
This year, I discovered y fellow Macaroni KID publisher Kelly Bevan McIlquham's (Berkshire, Mass) recipe of a giant jalapeno popper football.
It is flavorful, addicting, has just the right amount of spice and is loved by kids and adults alike. Plus, it's a conversation starter.
Jalapeño Popper Cheese Ball
Ingredients:
- 16 oz. softened cream cheese
- 8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4-1/3 cup chopped green onion
- 1/2 cup diced pickled jalapeños (you can add more or less if you'd like)
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- A pinch of salt
- 3 or 4 slices of bacon (the more bacon the better on this recipe is the consensus with my family)
- 2-3 Tbsp. fresh parsley
- 2-3 fresh jalapeños, finely chopped and deseeded
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs (optional)
- 1 slice white cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or provolone work well)
- Whatever you'd like for scooping up this deliciousness — pretzels, veggies, tortilla chips, and crackers are our favorites!
Directions:
- Chop the bacon into small pieces and cook until crispy.
- While the bacon cooks, blend the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, half of the green onions, pickled jalapeños, garlic powder, and salt in a bowl and mix it all together (you can use a blender, hand blender or simply a sturdy spoon).
- Now place the mixture on a platter or small plate and shape it into a football
- Chop the fresh jalapenos and combine them with the parsley and the rest of the green onions in a bowl.
- Remove the cooked bacon from the pan, saving a little grease. If you choose to use them, add the panko crumbs to the pan and toast until golden brown.
- Mix the crumbs and bacon with the other ingredients in the bowl and then sprinkle over the top of the football. (You might have to push them into the cheese mixture so they'll stay put.)
- Cut the slice of cheese into strips to make laces for the football.
 |
Now dig in, close your eyes in delicious wonder, and oh yeah, enjoy the game!
Jennifer Sheran is a publisher of Macaroni KID McDonough and the recipe is from Kelly Bevan McIlquham, publisher of Macaroni Kid Berkshires, Mass.
