Week 1: Winners! Sin Dip, Marinated Salad and Chicken Chili

Winners! The Patriots notched their ninth consecutive season opening win on Sunday, dominating the Titans 34-13.   Brady threw for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns while passing John Elway on the list of Career Wins by a Quarterback to maintain sole possession of 5th place with 125 wins.  The best part?  He did it all with a bloody face.  As so eloquently put by Wes Welker after the game, “He’s probably the toughest metrosexual I’ve ever come across.”  Well said, Welker.  While this won’t prevent fans from opposing teams from calling Brady pretty boy names, it does give me more justification for telling them off after said comments.  

You know who else was a winner on Sunday?  ME.  Okay, not just me.  My friends Jess Ciola, Courtney Connery and I combined our super powers to create a feast that would make even Jake Locker forget about his problems.  (How’s the shoulder, big guy? He He He)

Jess Ciola started us off with one of the best dips I have had the pleasure of stuffing my face with.  Tennessee Sin Dip.  Admittedly, this looked better before we all started eating, but trust me when is say it was so good that it was half gone before I remembered to take a picture.

Tennessee Sin Dip

Ingredients:
1 Loaf Sourdough Bread
8 Ounces Cream Cheese, Softened
2 Cups Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
8 Ounces Sour Cream
½ Cup Bacon, Cooked and Chopped
⅓ Cup Green Onions, Chopped
⅓ Cup Red Bell Pepper, Chopped
⅓ tsp Worcestershire Sauce
½ tsp Seasoned Salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cup the top ¼ off of the Sourdough bread and hollow out.  Chop the bread top and the innards into cubes. Bake Shell for 10 minutes and set aside.
3. Beat Cream Cheese until softened.  Add Sour Cream and continue to beat until Creamy.  Stir in Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, Green Onions, Red Bell Pepper, Worcestershire Sauce and Seasoned Salt.  
4. Spoon mixture into pre-baked Shell.  Wrap in foil and bake for 30 minutes.  
5. Serve with Bread Cubes and Assorted Crackers. 

 

Matt Hasselbeck can officially thank me for getting into the game on Sunday.  Yes, some people would say it was due to Locker’s shoulder injury.  Those people would be wrong.  It was clearly because I decided to make Matt Hasselbeck’s Comeback Chicken Chili for the game.  I had never made a White Chili before, and this one was so simple and delicious, I would recommend trying it out if you are a newbie like I was.   You can find the recipe a few different places on the web, but I used the Food Network recipe, found here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/matt-hasselbecks-comeback-chicken-chili-recipe/index.html

Comeback Chicken Chili (Matt Hasselbeck)

Ingredients:
1 Can White Cannellini Beans
6 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Medium Onions, Chopped and Divided
1 Tbsp Oil
2 4-Ounce Cans Chopped Green Chilis
2 tsps Ground Cumin
1 ½ tsps Oregano
¼ tsp Cloves
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
4 Cups Chicken Breasts, Cooked and Shredded
3 Cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated.

Directions:
1. Combine the Beans, Garlic, Chicken Broth and half the Onions in a soup pot. Bring to a boil.
2. In a skillet, saute the remaining Onions in Oil until soft.  Add Chilies, Cloves, Oregano, Cumin and Cayenne. Mix thoroughly and add to the soup pot.  Add Shredded Chicken, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Serve topped with Grated Cheese. 

We ended the meal with Baby Back Ribs and a Marinated Tomato and Cucumber Salad.  The Ribs were my recipe and the Salad was made by Courtney Connery.

Marinated Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
2 English Cucumbers, Peeled and Sliced to ¼” thick
1 Small Red Onion, Sliced Thin
3 Medium Tomatoes, Wedged
½ Cup Vinegar
¼ Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Oil
1 Cup Water
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss well.  
2. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. 

Oven Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients:
2 Racks Baby Back Ribs
8 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Salt
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
½ teaspoon Cayenne
½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
½ teaspoon Old Bay
½ teaspoon Thyme
½ teaspoon Onion Powder
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
2 Cups BBQ Sauce (see Zesty BBQ Sauce)

Directions:
1. Combine dry ingredients and rub into Ribs.  
2. Create a large foil packet and place Ribs inside.  Refrigerate 8-48 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 250.  Leaving the Ribs in the foil packet, bake 3 hours.
4. Remove Ribs from foil and place on foil lined pan.  Increase temperature to 300 and bake for 1 hour, basting with BBQ Sauce every 10-15 minutes.
5. Broil for 5 minutes just until sauce until bubbly and charred.
Serve with extra sauce on the side.

Happy Cooking!