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Ready for some football? You’re darn tootin’!
Ashley Cuoco
Hot Honey Ham Biscuit Sliders
After a year of watching the big games on TV, we’re ready to get outside in the fresh air and cheer for our favorite teams. But first, let’s tailgate!
Sliders are the perfect size for tailgating. Your guests can easily hold a slider in one hand and a Red Snapper or cold brew in the other!
Choose Hot Honey Ham Biscuit Sliders or Cubano Sliders or make both for a hungry crowd!
Our friends at AR’s Hot Southern Honey (made in Richmond, Virginia) shared this honey of a recipe with us:
Hot Honey Ham Biscuit Sliders
Yield: 12 sliders
- 12 Hawaiian rolls or buttermilk biscuits
- ¼ cup AR’s Hot Southern Honey, plus 2 Tbsp. for topping
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- ½ lb. ham, shaved
- 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
- Poppy seeds, for garnish
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Grease a 9x13” pan and set aside.
Cut rolls open, and arrange bottom half of each roll in the prepared pan.
Whisk AR’s Hot Southern Honey and Dijon mustard together. Spread a spoonful on the cut side of each bottom half of the roll, then pile a layer of Swiss cheese on top. Then add a layer of ham, and another layer of Swiss cheese.
Spread a spoonful of the honey mustard on the cut side of the top half of each roll, and place over the bottom halves in the prepared pan.
Brush outer tops of rolls with melted butter, and bake 10-12 minutes.
In a small microwaveable dish, heat AR’s Hot Southern Honey for 20 seconds. Brush outer tops of rolls with hot honey, then sprinkle with poppy seeds. Serve immediately.
*Adapted from a recipe by Plain Kitchen.
Grilled Cubano Sliders
Yield: 12 sliders
- 1 (1.2 pounds) Smithfield Roasted Garlic and Cracked Peppercorn Pork Tenderloin
- 12 slider buns or small King’s Hawaiian Rolls
- Melted butter
- 12 small slices Black Forest ham
- 12 small slices Swiss cheese
- Deli yellow mustard
- Mayonnaise
- Bread and butter sandwich pickle slices, cut in half
- Melted butter
Grill pork according to package directions. Wrap pork in aluminum foil and keep warm on indirect heat side of the grill.
Brush tops of buns/rolls with melted butter. Grill buns, inside of buns facing down, until light grill marks appear. Remove from grill. Spread mustard on one side of each bun and mayonnaise on the other side.
Slice pork very thinly and place two slices on the bottom of each bun. Top pork with sliced ham and cheese. Top cheese with 2 pickle slice halves. Cover pickle with top of bun and press down lightly on the top of each sandwich. Lightly brush tops of sliders with melted butter.
Wrap sandwiches in aluminum foil and refrigerate until ready to heat and serve. If transporting sandwiches, place on a plate in a cooler with ice packs to maintain proper refrigerated temperature. To heat, place foil wrapped sandwiches on grill and heat until cheese melts.
Hot Parmesan Sticks
Ashley Cuoco
Hot parmesan sticks
Yield: 20 sticks
- 4 slices rustic bread (I like to use Sara Lee Artisan Bread for this recipe) cut into 20 sticks
- 1 stick butter
- 2 Tbsp. Clark and Hopkins Chesapeake Bay Pepper Sauce
- 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- Chef Paul Blackened Red Fish Magic
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking sheet lightly with vegetable spray. Melt butter and add pepper sauce. Dip bread into butter mixture on both sides. Dip bread in parmesan cheese, both sides. Sprinkle with red fish magic. Bake 10 – 15 minutes until brown and crisp. Wrap in aluminum foil to transport to the game.
Red Snapper
Do you love Bloody Marys? Love gin? Red Snappers are Bloody Mary’s cousin made with gin instead of vodka!
Rub the juicy side of a lime wedge along the lip of a pint glass, rim the glass with Shichimi Togarashi* (Japanese 7 spice) or a mixture of salt and pepper, and fill the glass with ice.
- 2 oz. tomato juice
- 2 oz. Gin
- ½ tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 dash lemon juice
- Garnishes: Olives, celery stick, crisp bacon strip, lemon and lime slices
Shake well with ice and serve in a Delmonico glass with garnishes.
Pepperoncini Cheese
Pepperoncini Cheese is Pimiento Cheese’s big sister. She is cheesy with a spicy kick!
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (I like Tillamook brand for this recipe)
- ½ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup Alouette herb and garlic cheese spread
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped pepperoncini peppers
- 1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
- 1 tsp pepperoncini pepper juice (from jar of pepperoncini peppers)
- Carr’s tablewater crackers
Place sharp cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Stir to combine. Add Aloutte cheese spread, pepperoncini peppers, mayonnaise and pepperoncini pepper juice. Stir with rubber spatula to combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with Carr’s tablewater crackers.
Peach Pepper Hogs in a Blanket
Yield: 36
- 7 oz. all-butter puff pastry (thawed and cut into four 5-inch squares)
- 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 Tbsp. water
- 4 andouille sausages (3 oz. each) or Cajun Smoked Sausage (remove any casings from sausage)
- ¼ cup Robert Rothschild Hot Pepper Peach Fruit Spread*
- 2 Tbsp. Pommery mustard or Grey Poupon Country Dijon mustard
Preheat the oven to 375° and position a rack in the center. Arrange the puff pastry squares on a work surface and brush the top edges with the egg wash. Place the sausages on the bottom edges and roll up the pastry, pressing the edges to seal. Freeze the logs for 10 minutes, or until firm.
Cut the logs into 1/2-inch slices and place them cut side up in 3 mini muffin pans. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Turn out onto a paper towel-lined rack to cool.
Combine peach pepper jelly and mustard in a small bowl. Spoon a dollop of the peach pepper mustard on each slice and serve.
*Inspired by Food and Wine Magazine Hogs in a Blanket recipe, December, 2012
The story above is from our September/October 2021. For more stories, subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!