Are you ready for some Football?

It's football season! Regardless of the team you root for, or sometimes even if you're a football fan this probably means some football parties. That usually brings to mind all sorts of classic football foods, dips, chips, wings, etc. and I wanted to try some interesting spins on the classics. The most interesting ones I could find were a White pizza dip and a One pan sticky thai chicken wings. The thai wings do have a bit of a kick just to warn you! I wanted to do some form of dessert for the post too, and as it was my husbands buddy's birthday recently, I decided to bake him up a treat and he requested some Red velvet cheesecake brownies (I sneaked a few, they are amazing! ) so I thought I would add that to the post as well :) Getting down to the tail end of the deployment now and I'm just trying to figure out what all posts I'll be doing, so if anyone has any requests for something please ask!



White Pizza Dip

• 1 pint grape tomatoes, tomatoes cut in half
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 (12 ounces) blocks cream cheese, softened
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
• 8 ounces provolone cheese, freshly grated
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese and more for garnish
• 4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano leaves
• crackers, bread or chips for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then place tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt, then roast for 20-25 minutes, until bursting. Set aside.

While tomatoes are roasting, mix softened cream cheese with about 7 ounces each of provolone and mozzarella, then and parmesan. Stir in fresh herbs, garlic and roasted tomatoes, mixing well to combine. Transfer mixture to an oven-safe baking dish (mine was 6 x 4 round). Sprinkle with remaining provolone and mozzarella. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbly. Serve immediately with crackers, chips or toasted bread. I used dried herbs rather than fresh, as my fresh herbs went bad way too quickly, but it was still pretty good, I really liked it.

Sticky Thai Chicken Wings

• 2.5 pounds chicken wings
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce (found in the asian area of your grocery store)
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup lite canned coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
• 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon-sized knob of ginger, grated
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 4 green onions, sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pat chicken wings completely dry then season with salt and pepper. Combine chili sauce, vinegar, coconut milk, sugar, garlic, ginger, peanut butter, soy sauce and lime juice, mixing with a fork. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add chicken wings and sear, about 2-3 minutes per side until they get nice and brown. Remove wings and set on a plate, then reduce heat to medium-low. Add chili sauce mixture and bring to boil. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly. Add wings back into the sauce, tossing to coat. Place skillet in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove and spoon the sauce over top of the wings, then garnish with peanuts, cilantro and onions. 

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 ozs dark chocolate (coarsely chopped)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsps food coloring (red)
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 ozs cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1 large eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.
Using all but last 4 ingredients: In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir with a fork until very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Add in the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Batter should be red. If a brighter red is desired, add an additional 1/2 tsp food coloring. Add flour and salt into the bowl and stir until everything is just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Last 4 ingredients: Prepare cheesecake mixture. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Drop in dollops onto prepared brownie batter. Gently swirl two batters with a butter knife. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned. Cool in the pan completely before slicing and serving, either at room temperature or chilled.