College football championship game – Tailgating and homegating


My article for South Island Living…just published… right before the College Football Championship Semifinals.  Enjoy!

It’s Playoff Time in College Football!  With an early deadline for this January issue (before Thanksgiving and before many of the storied college rivalry games)  I tried to guess the correct final four teams.  I am including recipes for each of the schools to use whether tailgating at the game or homegating with family and friends in front of the TV.

Alabama was the easiest to pick, with an undefeated team in the powerful SEC going into the Thanksgiving rivalry  game with Auburn.

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA- CRIMSON TIDE

BAMA’S BEER CHEESE SOUP given to me by Myra Jeffreys, an avid Alabama fan.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup carrots, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup Bisquick baking mix
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 3 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) chicken broth, condensed
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese ( 8 ounces )
  • 4 to 8 ounces of beer

Instructions

  1. Cook carrots, celery and onion in butter in a 4-quart Dutch oven until celery and onions are transparent, about ten minutes.
  2. Stir in baking mix, paprika, black pepper and red pepper. Remove from heat.
  3. Gradually stir in chicken broth.
  4. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly: boil and stir 1 minute.
  5. Reduce heat: stir in half and half, cheese and beer. Heat until cheese is melted.
  6. Serve with million dollar munchies. (see recipe below)

By Myra Jeffreys via KathyMillerTime

KathyMillerTime

Recipe Printed from www.kathymillertime.com

 Million Dollar Munchies photo by Kathy Miller

 

Ingredients

  • 1 box of crackers ( 4 packs ) or 1 large bag of oyster crackers
  • 1 package of dry ranch mix
  • 1-2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper
  • 1 teaspoon of ground red pepper
  • 1 cup of canola oil

Instructions

  1. Mix ranch and peppers together.
  2. Add oil.
  3. Place crackers in a large bowl, pour oil mixture over the crackers.
  4. Put the lid on, and shake bowl to mix all ingredients together.
  5. Let sit for 1 hour prior to serving.

By Myra Jeffreys via KathyMillerTime

KathyMillerTime

Recipe Printed from www.kathymillertime.com

 UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN OR OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY?

This rivalry game had not been played at magazine deadline.  I am including a recipe from each school.

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN- WOLVERINES

A Michigan friend and alum told me, “if you are visiting Ann Arbor, Chipati Salads are a MUST.  It is essentially a salad (usually a greek salad with tomato, red onion, feta, oregano, sometimes chicken stuffed inside a big, warm pita pocket.  Fairly easy to make and a U of M classic! “

Here is my version based on Maria’s ingredients.  I did add olives and artichoke hearts keeping within the Greek Salad theme.

Chipati Salad In Pita Bread with Frank's Hot Sauce photo by Kathy Miller

Chipati Salad Ingredients photo for Kathy Miller

Ingredients

  • Romaine lettuce washed and torn into bite size pieces
  • Tomato, chopped
  • Red onion (or sweet Vidalia onions), diced
  • Feta cheese, crumbled
  • Chicken, cooked and chopped (optional)
  • Kalamata olives (or black olives)
  • Artichoke hearts, diced
  • Pita bread pockets

For the sauce

  • Ranch dressing and Frank's Hot Sauce to taste.

Instructions

  1. Combine all salad ingredients.
  2. Place in warm pita pockets.
  3. Drizzle with special sauce.

Notes

I used lots of Frank's Hot Sauce to give it a "Thousand Island" dressing color.

By KathyMillerTime
Adapted from Maria Spear- University of Michigan Alum

KathyMillerTime

Recipe Printed from www.kathymillertime.com

 OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY- BUCKEYES

 These peanut-butter balls dipped in chocolate with just a circle uncovered on the top so they look like buckeyes are delicious and get their name for their resemblance to the nut of the Ohio buckeye tree, the state tree of Ohio.  These are plentiful at Ohio State tailgates.

Buckeye Candy photo by Kathy Miller

Pre chocolate dipping….

Making peanut butter buckeyes berfore dipping photo by Kathy Miller

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons shortening

Instructions

  1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and confectioner's sugar with hands to form a smooth stiff dough. Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball. Place on prepared pan, and refrigerate.
  3. Melt shortening and chocolate together in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.
  4. Remove balls from refrigerator. Use a fork or toothpick to dip ball into melted chocolate. Return to wax paper, chocolate side down, and remove toothpick. Repeat with remaining balls.
  5. Refrigerate 30 minutes to set.

By KathyMillerTime
Adapted from Melissa Ross Celebrity Chefs Event

KathyMillerTime

Recipe Printed from www.kathymillertime.com

 CLEMSON UNIVERSITY- TIGERS

Hummus is a favorite in our family and this spicy sweet potato version is perfect with its Clemson orange color.  The combination of sweet and spice is refreshing.  And don’t forget the lemon.  It is a must to give any hummus flavor.

Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus photo by Kathy Miller

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained
  • ½ cup liquid from chickpea can, at most
  • 4 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1½ Tablespoons tahini
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet potato, roasted
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper*

Instructions

  1. Add garlic to food processor and process until chopped.
  2. Add chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, salt, olive oil, roasted sweet potato, and spices. Process for 1-2 minutes - the mixture will be pretty thick and not completely smooth.
  3. Slowly add in reserved liquid and process until hummus reaches your desired consistency. (I used a full ½ cup.)

Notes

I cut the cayenne pepper to 1/2 teaspoon and it had plenty of spice.

By KathyMillerTime
Adapted from Hungry By Nature

KathyMillerTime

Recipe Printed from www.kathymillertime.com

Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus with celery, cucumbers, and carrots photo by Kathy Miller

Knowing that the Michigan/Ohio State game has now been played with one team winning and the other losing makes the odds of both making it to the Football Playoffs slim.   I am including one more school that had promise at the time of my deadline.

University of Washington Huskies

Located on the shores of Lake Washington, the Huskies have a grand history of tailgating and sailgating with fans arriving by boat.  I love the thought as it reminds me of my Vol Navy tailgating at Tennessee.  Tennessee and Washington have the only 2 college stadiums that allow fans to arrive and tailgate on the water.

Seems like wild salmon is on every Washington tailgate.  After grilling in foil, pass out the plastic forks and dig in just as one would dig in at a pig roast.

By the time you are reading this article, we will know the two teams playing for the College Football National Championship.  We will also know the NFL playoff teams.

Going to football games and tailgating with friends and family will always be an American tradition.  But when you get down to 2 teams playing for the National Championship and 2 teams playing for the Super Bowl, most fans wind up watching the games at home on TV….Homegating becomes important.  Whether you watch the big game in Tampa, the Super Bowl in Houston, at home or at a friend’s party, visit www.kathymillertime.com/tailgatingblog  for great tailgating recipes.

 Come celebrate with me.  I’ll save you a seat at the table.

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