When I asked my boys which recipes I should feature for my Superbowl Article, the first one suggested was Roasted Chicken Nachos with Green Chile Cheese Sauce. These are some gourmet nachos, people!
Roasted Chicken Nachos with Green Chile Cheese Sauce
4 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 jalapenos, stemmed (and seeds removed if you don't like much heat)
1/2 medium onion, peeled and quartered
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and pepper
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
4 cups shredded Jack cheese, divided
2 large bags salted corn tortilla chips (large, flat chips work the best)
2 rotisserie chickens, meat finely shredded, skin and bones discarded
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sour cream and guacamole, for serving
Bring a pot of water (about 2 cups) to a boil; add the tomatillos, jalapenos, onion, and garlic. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomatillos are soft. Drain and cool slightly, then put them in a blender. Add the cilantro, lime juice, and cumin. Puree for a few seconds to blend, and then pour in about a 1/4 cup of water and process to a coarse puree; taste and season with a generous pinch of salt and a little pepper. You should have about 2 cups of this salsa verde.
Make a roux by melting the butter over medium heat in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Just as the foam subsides, sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps. Cook for a minute or two to remove the starchy taste from the flour; don't allow it to brown. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock and simmer until thickened. Once you have a good thick base, fold in 2 cups of the shredded Jack cheese; mix until completely melted into a sauce. Stir in the prepared salsa verde until incorporated; remove the green chili cheese sauce from the heat.
To build these awesome nachos: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Get 2 very large oven-proof platters and cover them with a few handfuls of tortilla chips, follow with a portion of the shredded chicken, a coating of the cheese sauce, and a nice sprinkle of the remaining shredded Jack. Make 3 or 4 layers of the nachos, depending on the size of the platter. Bake the nachos until they are all hot and gooey, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve with the sour cream, salsa, and guacamole on the side. (Recipe inspired by Tyler Florence of the Food Network.)
Next is my own salsa recipe. You can serve it with the nacho recipe above, or tacos, enchiladas, burritos, or just plain tortilla chips. We call it salsa, but since it's all fresh and uncooked, it's technically supposed to be called pico de gallo. Whatever you call it, it's really addicting! Feel free to adjust the ingredients to suit your taste.
Kim's Salsa
10 large tomatoes (5 halved and 5 seeded and diced)
1 jalapeno, chopped (and seeded if you don't want too much heat)
5 green onions, sliced
2 or 3 garlic cloves (you choose)
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon Tabasco
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon t ground pepper
1 lime, juiced
Place all ingredients in the food processor EXCEPT the 5 diced seeded tomatoes and the sliced green onions. Process until everything is chopped fine, pour it into a large bowl, and stir in the diced seeded tomato and green onion. Let this sit in a bowl on the counter for a couple of hours for the flavors to 'marry'. Sometimes it needs a little extra salt at the end, right before serving it.
Your next option is really hearty, delicious, and convenient. Make this chowder in the morning and put it in the slow cooker and you won't even miss kick off this year!
Kim's Salsa
10 large tomatoes (5 halved and 5 seeded and diced)
1 jalapeno, chopped (and seeded if you don't want too much heat)
5 green onions, sliced
2 or 3 garlic cloves (you choose)
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon Tabasco
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon t ground pepper
1 lime, juiced
Place all ingredients in the food processor EXCEPT the 5 diced seeded tomatoes and the sliced green onions. Process until everything is chopped fine, pour it into a large bowl, and stir in the diced seeded tomato and green onion. Let this sit in a bowl on the counter for a couple of hours for the flavors to 'marry'. Sometimes it needs a little extra salt at the end, right before serving it.
Your next option is really hearty, delicious, and convenient. Make this chowder in the morning and put it in the slow cooker and you won't even miss kick off this year!
Wisconsin Beer Cheese Chowder
| 1 Tbsp. plus 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup onion, chopped 3/4 cup carrots, chopped 1-1/2 cups small broccoli florets 1 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. dry mustard | 1/4 tsp. pepper 2 cups milk 3 oz. cream cheese 1 lb. cooked Polish sausage, cubed 1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded 1/2 cup beer |
In medium saucepan, melt 1 Tbsp. butter. Add onion, carrots, and broccoli. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth; reduce heat, cover, and simmer. When vegetables are very tender, pour them into a slow cooker along with the polish sausage.
In large saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium-high heat. Stir in flour, dry mustard, and pepper. Add milk, stirring until thickened. Stir for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Cut the cream cheese into cubes and stir in until smooth. Add 1 cup of the Cheddar cheese, and the beer. Heat until the cheese melts, then pour into the slow cooker and stir it all up. Top each serving with remaining cheese. Saltines are good in this, too.
(Recipe inspired by Mr. G’s Supper Club, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.)
And finally...who doesn't love pizza? After some trial and error this week, and LOTS of pizza and breadsticks, I've come up with a really good pizza recipe. Making your own crust without a stand mixer can be kind of a pain with all that kneading, but I still think it would be worth it. This crust was awesome as breadsticks, too.
Kim's Pizza Crust or Breadstick Dough
1 tablespoon yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups very warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
You'll need a very slightly warm oven to place the dough in to rise. To warm your oven, turn it on the lowest setting for about 2 minutes and then turn it off while you make the dough.
Place the yeast, sugar, and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the water, then whisk it until the yeast is dissolved. Add the bread flour, attach the dough hook, and turn your mixer onto low speed for about a minute. Add the wheat flour, mix on low until combined, then turn the mixer onto medium and let it knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Take it out of the mixer and place it into a well-greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place it in a slightly warm oven until doubled, about 30-40 minutes.
Punch dough down, take it out of the bowl and press onto an oiled* sheet pan or large pizza pan. (*See flavored oil recipe below.) Bake for 15-18 minutes at 400 degrees.
Flavored Oil
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus a little more for sprinkling)
3 garlic cloves, cracked*
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 cup Kraft Parmesan cheese
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a saucepan and heat gently for about 15 minutes. Set aside until the dough is ready for the sheet pan or pizza pan. Remove garlic cloves and discard them; rub 1/2 of the oil on the pan, then sprinkle with half the Parmesan cheese. Press the dough out onto the oiled pan, then rub the remaining oil onto the top surface, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and then sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Bake as stated in dough recipe.
For breadsticks, score the dough with a knife or pizza cutter into 1 inch wide strips. Serve them with Prego Traditional Sauce-the best sauce you can get in a jar, in my opinion. Bake as directed in dough recipe.
For the pizza, build up the edges and spread dough with pizza sauce. Sprinkle with Mozzarella/Provolone blend, then add your favorite toppings, and sprinkle a little more cheese on top of that. Bake as directed in dough recipe.
*To crack garlic cloves, just place each unpeeled clove on your cutting board, place a wide chef's knife on top of it, and either smack it with your free hand, or just press the knife down until the clove cracks. Peel the paper off of each cracked clove and put the clove in the saucepan with the other ingredients. The garlic cloves will impart flavor into the oil, and the intact cloves are easy to remove before using the oil.
Make these recipes and you'll impress everyone, including yourself!
(Printing tip: Cut and paste each recipe separately into a word document, then print. Insert printed recipe into a plastic paper protector, which wipes clean easily.)
P.S. Go, Pack, GO!
In large saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium-high heat. Stir in flour, dry mustard, and pepper. Add milk, stirring until thickened. Stir for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Cut the cream cheese into cubes and stir in until smooth. Add 1 cup of the Cheddar cheese, and the beer. Heat until the cheese melts, then pour into the slow cooker and stir it all up. Top each serving with remaining cheese. Saltines are good in this, too.
(Recipe inspired by Mr. G’s Supper Club, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.)
And finally...who doesn't love pizza? After some trial and error this week, and LOTS of pizza and breadsticks, I've come up with a really good pizza recipe. Making your own crust without a stand mixer can be kind of a pain with all that kneading, but I still think it would be worth it. This crust was awesome as breadsticks, too.
1 tablespoon yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups very warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
You'll need a very slightly warm oven to place the dough in to rise. To warm your oven, turn it on the lowest setting for about 2 minutes and then turn it off while you make the dough.
Place the yeast, sugar, and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the water, then whisk it until the yeast is dissolved. Add the bread flour, attach the dough hook, and turn your mixer onto low speed for about a minute. Add the wheat flour, mix on low until combined, then turn the mixer onto medium and let it knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Take it out of the mixer and place it into a well-greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place it in a slightly warm oven until doubled, about 30-40 minutes.
Punch dough down, take it out of the bowl and press onto an oiled* sheet pan or large pizza pan. (*See flavored oil recipe below.) Bake for 15-18 minutes at 400 degrees.
Flavored Oil
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus a little more for sprinkling)
3 garlic cloves, cracked*
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 cup Kraft Parmesan cheese
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a saucepan and heat gently for about 15 minutes. Set aside until the dough is ready for the sheet pan or pizza pan. Remove garlic cloves and discard them; rub 1/2 of the oil on the pan, then sprinkle with half the Parmesan cheese. Press the dough out onto the oiled pan, then rub the remaining oil onto the top surface, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and then sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Bake as stated in dough recipe.
For breadsticks, score the dough with a knife or pizza cutter into 1 inch wide strips. Serve them with Prego Traditional Sauce-the best sauce you can get in a jar, in my opinion. Bake as directed in dough recipe.
For the pizza, build up the edges and spread dough with pizza sauce. Sprinkle with Mozzarella/Provolone blend, then add your favorite toppings, and sprinkle a little more cheese on top of that. Bake as directed in dough recipe.
*To crack garlic cloves, just place each unpeeled clove on your cutting board, place a wide chef's knife on top of it, and either smack it with your free hand, or just press the knife down until the clove cracks. Peel the paper off of each cracked clove and put the clove in the saucepan with the other ingredients. The garlic cloves will impart flavor into the oil, and the intact cloves are easy to remove before using the oil.
Make these recipes and you'll impress everyone, including yourself!
(Printing tip: Cut and paste each recipe separately into a word document, then print. Insert printed recipe into a plastic paper protector, which wipes clean easily.)
P.S. Go, Pack, GO!
One batch of the pizza dough will make one large pizza and a cookie sheet full of breadsticks. I make this once a week now at the request of Joe, Joey, and Josh. For a yummy dip for the breadsticks, try a can of Rico's Nacho Cheese Sauce, found at Walmart in the Cheeze Whiz/Velveeta Section.
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