March Madness appetizer ideas
CHICAGO (WLS) -- It's sports fans' favorite time of year: March Madness! And if you want your next viewing party to be a slam dunk, you'll need a few tasty treats to keep your friends full and ready for the game.
Owner of Pure Kitchen Catering, Joshua Yates, showed us how to make a few championship meals everyone can enjoy.
Bacon, chive and cream cheese balls with Cheetos crust
Yield: 12 ea. balls
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cream cheese
6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled or chopped fine
1/4 cup minced chives
2 ea. fun-sized bags of Cheetos
Method:
Mix the cream cheese, bacon and chives together in a small mixing bowl until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
In a food processor, buzz the Cheetos until crumbs with a little bit of texture still (not completely pulverized)
With a 1/2 oz. scoop or tablespoon, scoop the cream cheese mixture and coat generously with Cheetos crumbs.
Once coated, you can re-form the balls for more desired consistency, then toss back in the Cheetos crumbs to make sure there is an even coating on them.
Soft pretzel bar with dips
Soft Pretzels:
Yield: 6 pretzels
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 package active dry yeast (not rapid rise yeast)
3 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (2 tablespoons for the dough; 3 tablespoons for brushing on finished pretzels)
1 teaspoon fine salt
1/3 cup baking soda
Coarse salt, to taste*
Method:
Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it reaches approximately 110 degrees. (Alternatively, microwave for about 40 seconds.) Pour into a medium bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let the yeast soften for about 2 minutes, then stir in the brown sugar and 1 cup of the flour with a wooden spoon.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and stir into the mix. Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups flour and fine salt to make a sticky dough. Add more flour if necessary (you'll probably need a few tablespoons) to form dough into a ball.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour if needed, until smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball, place in a clean, lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Punch the dough to deflate it, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into six equal pieces.
Roll and stretch each piece with the palms of your hands into a 30-inch rope, holding the ends and slapping the middle of the rope on the counter as you stretch. Form each into a pretzel shape (form a U-shape, then holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press firmly onto the bottom of the pretzel).
Dissolve the baking soda in 3 cups warm water in a shallow baking dish. Gently dip each pretzel in the soda solution, then arrange on a prepared baking sheet (re-shaping if necessary) and sprinkle lightly with course salt.
Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden. Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter and brush on baked pretzels. The pretzels are best enjoyed fresh on the same day.
Red pepper and feta dip
Yield: 1 qt.
Ingredients:
3 cups feta cheese, crumbled
1 roasted red pepper, skinned, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chives, minced
Method:
In a food processor, buzz the feta cheese, drizzling in the olive oil until the feta is smooth and oil is incorporated. Turn the food processor off.
Add the chopped roasted red peppers, oregano and chives, and pulse to incorporate them into the smooth feta without blending too much. If it is blended too much, the color from the peppers and herbs will blend too much into the dip.
Check seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Bacon, cheddar and jalapeno dip
Yield: 1 qt.
Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups sour cream
3 ounces bacon bits
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped green onion
2 each jalapenos, seeded and minced
Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Place the mixture in a 1-quart baking dish. Cover. Heat the dip for 25-30 minutes or until hot.
Spinach and white bean dip
Yield: 1 qt.
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for baking dish
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds spinach, cleaned, trimmed, and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup milk
6 ounce reduced-fat bar of cream cheese
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup cooked Great Northern Beans, or other desired cooked white beans
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Method:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook until lightly browned, 5-8 minutes.
Add spinach in two additions, letting the first batch wilt before adding the next. Cook until completely wilted, 5-8 minutes. Transfer to a colander; drain, pressing to release all excess liquid.
In the same pot, warm milk over high heat. Whisk in cream cheese until melted, about 3 minutes.
Add spinach, beans, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and 1/4 cup mozzarella; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a lightly oiled 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Serve hot with accompaniments, as desired.
Corn dog lollipops
Yield: 12 servings - 3 ea. hot dogs, cut into quarters
Corn dog batter:
Ingredients:
1 14 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
34 cup cornmeal
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
34 cup milk
Method:
Mix all the dry ingredients, then add eggs and milk, stirring until free of lumps. 12 ea. 4" Bamboo picks, or wooden skewers.
Place one piece of hot dog on the end of each skewer.
Dip into the batter and deep fry at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
Serve with desired sauce (ketchup, bbq sauce, ranch, etc.)
Stout cream soda with vanilla and ginger liqueurs
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
3 ounces ginger liqueur, chilled
3 ounces vanilla liqueur, chilled
18 oz. club soda, chilled
3 ea. 12 oz. bottles of Lagunitas Imperial Stout, chilled
Method:
Place the ginger and vanilla liqueurs in a pitcher and stir to combine. Add the club soda and stir gently to combine.
To serve, fill a chilled glass halfway with the club soda mixture. Top with Lagunita's Imperial Stout and serve immediately.
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