Super Bowl Fun

D and I have been getting more into entertaining. Or maybe I was the weakest link before (when I was still at the firm) and now I am up to speed with entertaining. In any event, we've had fun going out with new people, having a dinner club with my bestest old friends and also inviting more people to our place for various occasions.

For the Colts/Saints game, we decided to host a Super Bowl party, complete with some themed food. The recipes were well-received, and sound pretty yummy for a cold snowy day like today. I've been thinking about posting recipes on this blog anyway, to keep me accountable on my new cooking kick, so maybe this is a good way to start.

For the Saints: Bourbon-Glazed Chicken Wings from Bon Apetit, February 2010:

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced (we used 3 teaspoons of minced pre-prepared garlic)
1 cup bourbon, divided
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup hot pepper sauce (the wings were not too spicy at all, so you might want to use more!)
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
30 chicken pieces (c. 4 pounds)

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup bourbon; boil until most of liquid is absorbed, 6 to 8 minutes. Whisk in 1/4 cup bourbon, ketchup, hot pepper sauce, tomato paste, and brown sugar. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season marinade with salt and pepper. Remove marinade from heat; cool to room temperature.

Place chicken pieces in 15 x 10 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Pour marinade over and turn pieces to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. (We didn't and it still wasn't too bad to clean.) Place cooling rack atop prepared baking sheet. Arrange pieces on rack, spacing slightly apart. Spread any remaining marinade from dish over chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake chicken (still on cooling rack) until cooked through and brown in spots, about 45 minutes.

Serve on platter with Blue Cheese Sauce: a cup of blue cheese (we used gorgonzola) crumbles to a cup of sour cream (we used light). Can mix in chopped parsley too. Add celery (and/or carrot) sticks if you're so inclined. Enjoy!

Colts: Tater Tot Casserole (Gotta love the midwestern casseroles!)

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion
1 bag tater tots
2 cans cream of chicken soup
Shredded cheddar cheese to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Chop onion and brown onion and beef in skillet until cooked (sprinkle salt and pepper if desired). Take 13x9 baking dish, spray Pam on bottom, then layer beef and onion mixture. Spread some cheddar cheese (to taste) as next layer. Put between 1 and 2 full cans of cream of chicken soup (again, to taste) as third layer. Arrange tater tots as fourth layer. More shredded cheddar, to taste, as fifth layer. Bake at 350 or so for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

I quite enjoyed my first time eating a tater tot casserole - or honestly, a tater tot for that matter. Now, as of today, back to healthier eating for a while. Or maybe starting tomorrow - I'm watching the snow fall outside the windows and as the world gets whiter, I think some hot chocolate is calling my name!