Gameday Grub

I love football.  I grew up watching it with my father.  One of my most distinct childhood memories is of a party my parents hosted for the Superbowl the year the Bills played the Redskins.  I can remember running through the house, people at every turn; our home was abuzz with the sounds of the game on the TV, and the chatter of excited fans, friends, and family. 

Patrick also really enjoys football, and I don’t know if he knows this, but one of the things I have come to like the most in our relationship is the time we spend watching football every Sunday.  He doesn’t get frustrated when I ask questions, we both like to flip channels amongst all the games, and despite our football allegiances anchoring opposite ends of the PA Turnpike (Him = Eagles, Me = Steelers), we manage to keep things pretty calm.  We just get to sit on the couch, share in something we both enjoy, and just be together.  It's...nice. Since the commencement of this informal“tradition”, if you will, I’ve had a lot of fun making food to go with the day’s agenda of all-sports-all-the-time.  I try to make food you might find at a tailgate, as to make the experience of our football watching, ever so slightly more authentic. 

I suppose I should have started posting these a few weeks ago when the season began, but, alas, my idea generator is a few steps behind, and so, now , after catching us up with the weeks past, I vow to post a new “Home Tailgate” idea each Monday, sharing what I made the day before, for our Football Extravaganza.

Week 1:  Home Grown Homage
For those of you who don’t know, the famous Pittsburgh Primanti Bros. sandwich consists of: meat of your choosing, tomatoes, house-made coleslaw, cheese, and French fries all in between two thick, crusty slices of Italian bread.  They are to DIE for.  At home, Pat and I chose turkey for the meat (though we both like pastrami or corned beef in this sandwich, it wasn’t looking like a great option at the deli, so we opted for turkey.  Roast beef is also a good choice), and provolone for the cheese.  I recreated their slaw with a recipe I found online; it’s a simple cider vinegar (hold the mayo) based dressing.  Stack these sammies up (cheese melted, of course) and  go to town.   They require a slight unhinging of the jaw, and are drippy and melty and messy, and PERFECT with a beer, and an afternoon of football.

Week 2: Doggie Bags from D’Alessandro’s
Cut me some slack, I was tired, and hungover; cooking was not in my repertoire for that day.  We ordered to-go from a local Roxborough hoagie joint, D’Alessandro’s.  Being hungover, as we were, starving, dehydrated, and functioning on limited cognitive ability, we over-ordered and came home with a menagerie of treats: an Italian hoagie, a Cheesesteak hoagie (I know, the hoagie-ing of a cheesesteak is sacrilege to some), and a Meatball sub, each 12 inches long.  Pat and I both agreed the Italian hoagie & Meatball sub were the best of their kinds we’ve ever eaten. Sometimes ordering out, and letting the pros do their job, is the best way to go.

Week 3:  Sexy Sausage
Roasted Sweet Italian Sausage, on a crusty Amoroso hoagie roll, with luscious mozzarella, and topped with a chunky, spicy, homemade Tomato, Sweet Pepper, Onion and Mushroom sauce.  Messy, melty, warm, hearty.  Enough said.

Week 4: Bye Week
Hey, the pros get a week off, so do I.  In all honesty, I was at home visiting my family that weekend, and so I did not watch a single minute of football.  I did however, procure a fairly large amount of Central PA Apples from a local farm market, in Hanover, PA, and I did subsequently make homemade Apple Crisp with them.  Which I ate, leftover, for breakfast for the next few days.  SO DELISH.

Week 5:  Ch-Ch-Cheap Chili Fries
I thought it’d be fun to challenge myself to come up with something I could make for this week’s Football Screening Event that came entirely out of what I already had on hand.  The result:  Sweet Potato “Chili” Cheese Fries.  This is what I found in my pantry: Alexia Sweet Potato Fries, a can of Manwich, American Cheese, Sour Cream, Tomatoes and Scallions.  This is what I bought:  1lb extra-lean ground beef (on sale for $3.55).  I cooked fries according to package directions, until they were nice and crispy.  Followed directions for the Manwich, and let cook on low for a good half hour to develop the flavor a little more deeply.  On big plates, I topped the fries with (in order) the Manwich (the “chili”), the American Cheese, chopped tomatoes and scallions, and finished with a dollop of sour cream.  I think the subtle sweetness of the fries and the Manwich actually complimented each other really well.   Don’t hate on my canned concoction, I heard no complaints from the peanut gallery, although, he rarely complains about food, least of all mine.  He’s well trained. *wink*  These fries smothered in meat and cheese were really, really tasty, and super easy.  The next time I make them I’m going to add crumbled bacon, and I might even slap a fried egg on the top of that mountain of awesomeness.

*Next week, for Week 6, I have a work event, but I will scour the universe for some awesome tailgate morsels and be sure to send them along.*

Ultimately, I think the recipes that serve the day the best, are the ones that require minimal effort, allow you to stay in your comfy clothes all day, involve some kind of crusty bread related product, cause juiciness-overflow to run down your chin, without a doubt involve some serious finger-licking, and (most importantly) go well with beer.  Have fun with your Gameday Creations—eating should be just as much fun as cheering on your favorite team!

Buon Appetito!