Game Night Grub

Enjoy a night of football with these three easy recipes

Guacamole at R House Photo courtesy of R House

It’s football season, which means cooler evenings spent at home watching the game with friends and family. That also means enjoying plenty of snacks.

Instead of ordering something from an app, why not make a few favorites to share in front of the TV? From a delicious guacamole to a savory chili, here are three easy recipes to make for game day — or any day.

Fireman Derek’s Chili

In Miami, Fireman Derek is the place to buy the best pies and cakes. However, owner (and former Miami firefighter) Derek Kaplan also knows a thing or two about creating a good chili. After all, aren’t fire stations known for having a hearty pot of chili simmering at all times to nourish the bodies and souls of the people who save lives for a living?

Ingredients:

3 lbs. ground chuck

3 sweet yellow onions (diced)

6 garlic cloves (finely chopped)

84 oz. crushed tomatoes (3 cans)

10 oz. diced tomatoes and green chilies (1 can)

4 tbsp. cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook down ground chuck until fully browned and drain in a colander.

2. While the beef is draining, sauté sweet yellow onions.

3. Once onions are translucent in color, add garlic, cumin, salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes.

4. Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with chilies and ground chuck. Simmer for two hours.

5. Serve with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream, and garnish with sliced green onions.

Tips: Kick it up a notch and add diced jalapenos and 2-3 dashes of cayenne pepper for a touch of heat.

Pair with cornbread or toasted sourdough on the side for dipping

Roasted Corn, Bacon, and Feta Guacamole

If you’re looking for a party, R House in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood is the place for a good time. The high-energy restaurant is known for its parties and drag brunches. If you want to channel R House’s energy at home, simply make its famous guacamole, dressed up with roasted corn, bacon, and feta.

Ingredients:

4 slices of bacon

2 ears of fresh corn

1 tbsp. olive oil

6 ripe avocados

½ cup small diced Spanish onion

2 ½ tbsp. chopped jalapeno (more if you want spicier)

1 lime

2 tbsp. salt

½ cup feta cheese

¼ cup cilantro leaves

Instructions:

1. Dice bacon into small pieces and then fry in a frying pan until crispy.

2. Cut kernels off corn husk and then place kernels in a separate frying pan. Make sure it is heated over medium heat with olive oil.

3. Season the corn with 1 teaspoon of salt and let corn roast in a pan, stirring occasionally until golden brown and kernels begin to pop.

4. Mash avocados in a large bowl.

5. Add the jalapenos, onions, and salt to the avocado.

6. Squeeze the lime over the avocado and mix all of the ingredients together.

7. Transfer the guacamole into a serving bowl.

8. Sprinkle the bacon and corn evenly over the mixture.

White Bean Salad

Costera Restaurant in New Orleans is known for offering coastal Spanish fare in a lush setting. Its white bean salad is made piquant with a poblano tahini puree.

Ingredients:

1qt. cooked white beans

1 cup charred corn

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 cup red onions, thinly sliced

1 cup pickled Fresnos (see recipe below)

½ cup salsa verde

Chili vinegar

½ cup Fresno pickling liquid (can increase based on personal preference)

EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Salt & pepper to taste

1:1 of chopped dill and chopped mint

Poblano Tahini Puree for plating (see recipe below)

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients except the dill/mint mixture, using enough liquid to pool up and be on the juicy side.

2. To order, scoop about 1.5-2 cups of bean mixture into a separate bowl (with a decent amount ofliquid).

3. Mix with 1-2 tsp dill/mint mixture. On the plate, spread a couple of tablespoons of charred poblano tahini puree and arrange bean salad on top. Finish with breadcrumbs and finishing salt.

Pickled Fresno

Ingredients:

3 Fresno peppers, stemmed & sliced into rings

1 Gallon white distilled vinegar

1 pt honey

8 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt

Instructions:

1. Bring vinegar, honey, garlic, and salt to a boil.

2. Pour over the peppers and let sit overnight. The peppers will mellow out over time, and the vinegar will get spicier

Poblano Tahini Puree (Yield: 1qt)

Ingredients:

1.5 poblanos, stemmed & seeded

⅓ cup tahini

1 serrano, stemmed & seeded

4 cloves garlic

3T lemon juice

Blend oil

Salt

Instructions:

1. Char the poblanos on the grill and let them cool.

2. Blend poblanos, serrano, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and just enough oil to spin smoothly.

3. Season with salt to taste.