Super Bowl Recipes - Touchdown!

Head to the end zone for a long pass of recipes from The Culinary Quarterback. Are you ready for Super Bowl LVIII Sunday? The Fried Pig Skin Lovin' Chef has some tasty football food that will leave enough green in your wallet to buy an extra keg for your tailgate party.

Click on any recipe name to see the original recipe blogpost.

The NFC Conference Champions, San Francisco 49ers, are up against the AFC Conference Champs, Kansas City Chief for Superbowl rematch. My recipe list below has local food spins according to both cities. The lineup for San Francisco 49ers features seafood, and for Kansas City Chiefs it is all about the beef and pork!

So if you are looking for regular eats for your Superbowl Party, I got your halfback, I mean back. There are no fumbles in this recipe list! 99 Thanks go to my local 99c only Stores and Dollar Trees. Hey, I even find 99 cent deals at regular grocery stores and ethnic markets, so all the bases, I mean, the whole field is covered.

San Francisco 49ers fans are all about seafood in the City by the Bay. And boy do I have a cheap$kate sammie for you I call a Scallop Roll. This recipe is so scrumptious it was featured on the Huffington Post website! Click here to see the write-up. Lobster meat breaks the bank, while scallops are tender and a tasty cheap substitution. One small 4-ounce package is enough for a Scallop Roll or two. I used to find small bay scallops super cheap, but you can still get small bay scallops cheaper than lobster.

  Scallop Roll

I love BBQ and so do Kansas City footballers. And the local BBQ sauce is tomato-based just the way I like it, too. If you have a fave BBQ sauce recipe then use it - Out here in L.A. we have Newman's Own that was carried in my local Dollar Tree - talk about a big score!

A baked Rack of Ribs is easy and extra succulent the 99 Cent Chef way. All I do is season them with a dry rub or coat in a fave BBQ sauce, wrap in foil then bake for 3 to 4 hours until fall-apart tender, that's it. You can smoke them your way once they are baked tender like I do right here. My recipe below uses Pork Spareribs, but meaty Beef Ribs can be used as well.

Serve the Rack of Ribs with a classic but simple Potato Salad or Coleslaw.

King Crab rules in San Fran. Now I can't afford to use crab in my recipes, but I've found that imitation crab does the job for this Bottom Feeder Chef. Krab, or imitation crab, is a cooked fish blend that has the texture and taste of lump crabmeat. It may not be for the pescatarian purist, but I've grown to love it.

 Fake Crab

I offer to my 49er comrades the mighty Krab Louis Salad made with fantastic fake krab of course. Originating in San Francisco (or Oregon as some claim) this king of salads also has asparagus, plus cheap iceberg lettuce, tomato, and a hard-boiled egg topped with Thousand Island dressing. Of course, use real lump crab...if you can afford it!

This West Coast fan favorite is a California Roll. Like a stadium wave, this California spin on Japanese sushi has traveled to grocery deli cases all around the country. And I substitute cheap imitation crab so you will save big bucks on usually expensive crabmeat.



Another meaty meal is a big bowl of Kansas-style Chili. Simple is best and if a hot bowl of Homemade Chili and a mug of icy cold beer are what you crave on game day then you've come to the right place. What's great about Chili is it can be made a day or two ahead and stay on the stovetop on low heat the whole gameday! Go ahead and add a can or two of black, pinto or red beans to the chili pot at the end of cooking for a more filling chili bowl. I like to top mine with chopped onion, shredded cheese, and crunchy Fritos Corn Chips!

Anybody can make a Hot Dog right? If you have a fave Kansas City frankfurter, set out the toppings while the weenies steam or saute and let the grandstanders build their own. Here is a favorite of mine in the video below. I use chili from the can and sauerkraut from a jar -- use what you got or can easily get.



If game day is foggy and cold in San Francisco, then throw another log on the fire and gather in front of the big screen with a steaming bowl of my cheap$kate Clam Chowder. 49er fans will throw off their warming blankets, peel off their gloves, and line up for a big bowl. And serve it in a hollowed-out loaf of sourdough bread for extra points!

You gotta serve BBQ Pork if you are a Chiefs fan, right? I have the perfect recipe for you, a succulent and smoky BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich recipe. I usually just add pickle and sliced onion, but my Homemade Coleslaw goes on it, too or as a side dish. My recipe is easy and cheap to make, of course. Just check out the video below or click here to see all the tasty recipe details.



Carnitas are king in San Francico's large Hispanic population.  Hours of braising reduce a pork shoulder to a tender and succulent Mexican-style taco filling. I even throw in the pigskin for extra flavor. Carnitas are what I order for late-night noshing at a taco truck. And it's a self-serve time saver when you set up a taco bar.



Weave through the living room backfield with a pile of Mexican Carnitas Tacos (slow-cooked pork) and you'll be lucky to make it through without being sacked!

And here are more recipes for Game Day, just read on and click on your faves, some familiar and some, like the next one, uniquely a 99 Cent Chef game changer.

Serve my most outrageous Hot Dog recipe, a the LA Street Dog -- a freeway pileup of flavors that make an end-run around any foot long out there.



Of course, the simplest is best and I like a hot dog with just mustard and pickle relish. One trick I learned watching local wiener wranglers work and that is to steam the bun like I show below.



When your guests rush through the patio gate, have a bowl of Chips and Salsa to greet them. Now you can just set out a jar of cheap Pace Chunky Salsa or go for extra points with my Mango Salsa Recipe.



Make a simple chopped Pico de Gallo salsa or get a package of dried chilis for an intense Ancho and Red Chili Salsa. I also like a tangy Salsa Verde made with green tomatillos.

All football fans love Pizza on game day. You can avoid the long lines at Domino's or Shakey's Pizza and make your own cheaply with my recipe that uses pre-made cooked pizza crusts from the Dollar Tree store.

What's great about making Individual Pizzas, is everyone can add the ingredients they favor. I like Anchovies or an Egg on mine -- I know no one else would order those too often!

Just set out a stack of individual store-bought pizza crusts and bowls of pepperoni, shredded cheese, black olives, fresh basil leaves, cooked Italian sausage, a fave jar of marinara sauce -- you get the picture. And it only takes 10 minutes or so in a hot oven and they are done! Click here to see how I make them.



Next to pizza and hot dogs, Fried Chicken is a favorite finger food, and no one fries chicken better than this Cheap$kate Game Changer.

I've come up with a crunchy coating that will empty the bleachers and have fans storming the kitchen! Get Superbowl Sunday going with my Fried Chicken Sandwich Recipe, or use my special flour and spice mix for regular bone-in chicken pieces. Fry up a batch of chicken to handoff when the coin is tossed to start the game.

While everyone's watching the pre-game show send in any of my delicious sideline sides and appetizers, including: Bacon Wrapped Dates and Brussels Sprouts, Tomato & Basil Bruschetta, Deviled Eggs, Portabella Mushroom Fries, Sweet Fried Plantains, Ceviche with Avocado and Black Beans, and Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce.

Football zealots are not just meat-eaters, but potato fanatics too. I like mine grilled, how about you? Well, I got Grilled Yellow and Orange Sweet Potato recipes for you to try.



And, everyone will huddle around sandwich plates of gooey, cheesy Patty Melts, hearty Meatball Subs, Homemade Deli Pastrami, Falafel Pitas, and steaming Sloppy Joe's.

If you're looking for one-pot meals, so you don't miss any action on the field, just check out my Pork Bourguignon, French Cassoulet, Chicken Tinga Stew,  Mr. Patti's Red Beans & Rice, Baked Pasta with Cheese and Cauliflower, Baked Lasagna with Ground Chicken, Shepherd's Pie, or Sausage & Sauerkraut with Beer recipes.

Baked Lasagna with Ground Chicken

Tired of stale, soggy stadium hot dogs? I have a great and easy Corn Dog Recipe made with Vienna sausages -- but you can use regular wieners. Your hungry guest will not be offsides dipping these crunchy coated pig skins into my tasty Honey-mustard Sauce.

Since you have the fryer going you might as well make a batch of my Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. They're as light and airy as the Goodyear blimp.

So get your backfield in motion and click on any of my tasty treat names above to watch an instant reply of recipes from my blog. Your guest will be cheering you on -- from their cheap seats!

Stuffed Bell Peppers - Video Recipe

My colorful and easy-to-make recipe uses Bell Peppers stuffed with a couple sauteed veggies, some uncooked rice, and ground meat.

I guess you can call this a Meatloaf wrapped in Bell Pepper. Roasted, Bell Peppers are tender, tasty, and almost sweet. This is a light meal if you use ground turkey or chicken.

When you bake the covered Stuffed Bell Peppers for an hour and a half, they steam uncooked rice until tender. The rice plumps up and absorbs surrounding flavors for a delicious entree.

I like to bake a few at a time to freeze for later. Serve one of them with a favorite side and you have a satisfying meal. Or just eat one on its own as there is plenty of protein, veggies, and carbs, all in one bite!

I often find Bell Peppers on sale at regular grocery stores, and especially at my local Latin market.

Red, yellow, and orange Bell Peppers usually cost more for some reason. I usually make this recipe with cheaper green bell peppers, but this time I went for it to introduce color into my video recipe.

Raphs Grocery Store

Superior Grocers

To stuff a Bell Pepper I slice around the stem and pull off the top. Most of the seeds will come out. If needed slice out any that hold on to the interior. I also cut away the white part of the inside "ribs." It doesn't have to be perfect, just remove most of the seeds and top stem.

You can use any color on sale. Red, orange, or yellow Bell Peppers are a little sweeter than green ones. But anytime you roast or saute a bell pepper it will sweeten up, even green ones.

The most expensive items are mushrooms and ground meat. But even these come on sale from time to time. Ground meat, I can freeze and defrost when mushroom shows up at my local 99c only Stores.

I even find small amounts of ground meat (let's say for one or two Stuffed Bell Peppers) at my local Dollar Tree. You can use low-fat ground turkey or chicken.

Click on any photo to see larger. 

Mushrooms are almost always at my local 99c only Stores. They come in 4 or 5-ounce packages. You could just pick out a couple of whole mushrooms from your fave grocery store. Add more or less or just leave them out. The sauteed onion and garlic with rice are enough stuffing.

Rice is cheap at any store, you can use white, brown, or any type you can find on sale. If you have leftover cooked rice then use that.

I add an egg or two and a little milk to dampen the stuffing, so the raw rice will steam tender. The main thing when baking Stuffed Bell Peppers is to cover them well, so the rice will cook through without drying out.

You will have a few crunchy rice kernels on top of Stuffed Bell Peppers, but that's okay, it's just a little extra texture. But you can be sure the interior will have cooked and flavorful rice. If you have leftover cooked rice it's okay to use it, too.

My latest video recipe is a favorite of mine and I make it when bell peppers and ground meat come on sale. It's an easy and cheap way to extend more and more expensive ground protein. So make a batch of my Stuffed Bell Peppers, and go ahead a freeze them for later, too.

Stuffed Bell Peppers - Video

Play it here, video runs 3 minutes, 17 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients (1 or 2 per serving)

• 1 pound Ground Beef - okay to use ground pork, turkey, or chicken.
• 4 to 5 Bell Peppers - medium to large any color. Green Bell Peppers are the cheapest.
• Mushrooms sliced - a small package of about 5 ounces. Okay to use any type of mushrooms you like. 
• 1/2 cup Rice - okay to use 1 cup cooked rice.
• 1/2 Onion - chopped
• 1 large Egg - or 2 small eggs.
• Worcestershire Sauce 1 teaspoon - optional. Okay to use Soy Sauce. 
•  Garlic 1 teaspoon - chopped, from the jar, fresh or even dried.
• 1/4 cup Milk - cream or favorite broth.
•  Black Pepper to taste - Worcestershire and Soy Sauce have enough salt for me.

Directions
Slice onion and mushrooms. I use garlic from a jar, so it's ready to cook, okay to use fresh garlic.

Add a little oil to a frying pan and saute chopped onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Next, add the sliced mushrooms and saute another 5 minutes, stirring. Finally, add garlic and saute for just a minute.

In a large bowl add the raw ground meat. Add sauteed veggies, uncooked rice, one or two eggs, and milk or broth.

Season with black pepper, I find Worcestershire Sauce and Soy Sauce are salty enough. Mix all the ingredients together. This is the stuffing for Bell Peppers.

 I used four to five large Bell Peppers. Depending on the size, I find that is enough with one pound of ground meat. Mainly you want to make sure all the Bell Peppers will fit in a covered baking dish. You can use a pan, just make sure to wrap or cover the peppers with foil.

 While you are sauteing veggies you can prepare the Bell Peppers.

To stuff a Bell Pepper, I slice around the stem and pull off the top. Most of the seeds will come out. If needed slice out any that hold on to the interior. I also cut away the white part of the inside "ribs." It doesn't have to be perfect, just remove most of the seeds and top stem.

Fill up Bell Peppers with the sauteed veggies and ground meat. If you have any leftover stuffing you can wrap it in foil and freeze it for later, or just wrap it in foil and bake it with Bell Peppers, kinda of like a Meatloaf.

Cover the Stuffed Bell Peppers and bake for 1 1/2 hours (90 minutes) at 350 degrees.

That's it, just remove from oven when done. I let them sit covered for 5 minutes or so to cool down a little.

National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day

Move over Canter's and Langer's Delicatessen (our local deli temples to cured and sliced meats) there's a new Pastrami Sandwich in town for National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day And I have an easy recipe you will want to bookmark, so you can make your own  Pastrami Sammies anytime.

I usually order my Hot Pastrami Sandwich with just mustard, but sometimes I have to go for it with a layer of creamy crunchy Coleslaw (recipe here) also known as a Rachel Sandwich. 

A Rachel Sandwich also has Swiss cheese and Russian dressing served between Rye bread. You'll want to toast the sandwich to get the Swiss cheese all melty and the Pastrami hot. Here is a video of how I make mine using corned beef -- substitute with Pastrami on this auspicious day!

 

NYC isn't the only game in town for Pastrami. We have our local noshing citadels all over L.A., from Canter's Deli on Fairfax Avenue to Langer's Delicatessen, voted the top-rated Pastrami Sandwich in Los Angeles!

Lately, I've been putting sauerkraut on my Pastrami Sammies. Add Swiss cheese and Russian dressing again, and you have a Reuben Sandwich. 

I just use Sauerkraut from the jar or a can and that's tasty enough and cheap too.

Believe it or not but Rye Bread and Swiss Cheese, well at least a Swiss Cheese blend, show up at my local 99c only Store every once in a while - it's the kind of cheap$kate deal you have to jump on.

Here's a video of my Homemade Reuben Sandwich, again it's made with corned beef, but that's easy enough to swamp out for Pastrami.

Now if you don't want to spend your hard-earned bucks on a nearly $20 Pastrami Sandwich, how about making a whole Pastrami from a slab of Corned Beef, and for half the price?

Yep, and this is how I do it. I buy whole Corned Beef when it's for sale during St. Patrick's Day for about $2 per pound. Next, I cook the Corned Beef according to the package directions. Finally, I give it an hour of smoking in my gas grill.

So check out my easy-to-follow recipe and make your own Pastrami Sandwiches at home.

Easy Homemade Deli Pastrami - VIDEO

So is a burrito a sandwich? Hmmm...well, I say it's an honorary sammie.  There is a wild fast food joint in L.A. called World Famous Oki Dog and they make a burrito with two hot dogs, chili, and hot pastrami all wrapped in a large flour tortilla!

I can barely finish one, but if you're a hungry teenager from nearby Fairfax High School then that is not a problem. This culinary car crash of flavors is so outrageous I had to make a video about it.

I'll end this National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day on a wacky note with my Oki Dog video below -- this may be the only time you will need to take a Tums to get through it.