Game Day Entertaining
November 19, 2016
Alabama vs Chattanooga Mocs
Auburn vs Alabama A&M Bulldogs
Gridiron Pizza Party
Pizza ranks tops in the tailgating polls & when you give those pies a southern-style twist, you simply cannot loose. It’s easy to host a get-together loaded with first string barbecue favorites but how does a football fanatic enjoy a delicious slice of victory with those pesky mascots hovering? One way is to call fowl & barbecue the competition, of course. The Chattanooga Mockingbirds become fair game for Big Al & his fancy footwork. With a few basic drills in play, he’ll stop that scrappy bird in just one stomp. Trunks up for a smoky good roasting to come. And you can forget about the Alabama A&M Bulldogs because Aubie plans to send that pup to the pound by luring him with a few meaty delicacies. Get ready to roll in the dough & revel in a saucy good time. Both Alabama & Auburn score big with a classic game day feast fit for winning.
The Game Plan
Designate a spot on your countertop for a pizza making station.
Set out a wooden board with flour & a rolling pin for shaping the dough.
You’ll be able to fit two pizzas per sheet pan when ready to bake.
Have several pans available to rotate in & out of the oven.
If you run short, borrow from friends or pick up half sheet pans
for a few bucks from restaurant supply stores.
Count on 1/3 to 1/2 cup of cheese & 1/4 cup of meat per person.
You know your crowd best, by all mean increase it, if necessary.
Provide additional toppings to make the selection interesting.
Provolone, Swiss, Havarti & Pepper Jack would all be super tasty.
Nuts offer a great crunchy toppings for meatless & sauceless options.
Pick up untoasted pecans, almonds or walnuts & place over the cheese—
they’ll be perfectly crisp once the pizza bakes.
Get ready for hungry football fanatics to create their very own MVP.
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Tailgating
Episode 12
Gridiron Pizza Party
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The Menu
Gridiron Pizza Party
Prepare to roll in the dough with this fun tailgating idea. Barbecue the opposition & tackle big appetites. Encourage team building & have football fanatics create their own custom line up.
BBQ-Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Homemade Pizza Dough
Gridiron Whiskey Caramel Corn
Almond Footballs
BBQ-Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza
makes 10 servings
The Basic Fundamentals
One pound of ground beef will yield approximately 2 1/2 cups once cooked. Brown off an additional pound if you’re planning on serving folks with linebacker appetites.
Homemade Pizza Dough
5 thick cut bacon slices
1 lb 80% lean ground beef
3/4 tsp Creole seasoning
1 {19-oz} bottle barbecue sauce
3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Freshly ground pepper
Dill pickle slices
Prepare the Homemade Pizza Dough as directed. Cook the bacon in a large non-stick skillet over Medium heat, turning often, 7 to 8 minutes or until crisp. Cool 5 minutes & crumble. Set aside. Remove the bacon grease from the skillet. Swipe with a paper towel to remove any browned bits. Add the beef to the same skillet & cook over Medium heat, stirring occasionally, 7 to 8 minutes or until browned. Drain the grease & toss the beef with the Creole seasoning. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Roll & stretch dough portions into 8-inch circles on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to lightly greased baking sheets. Top the dough rounds with the barbecue sauce, the ground beef, the red onion & the cheese. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until the crust is golden & the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with the cooked bacon & pepper. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing into wedges. Serve with dill pickle slices on the side.
The Extra Point
Lure the bulldogs out of their houses with the BBQ-Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza & send them straight to the pound. Pizza pie loaded with meaty toppings is guaranteed to deliver.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
makes 10 servings
The Basic Fundamentals
The make-ahead pizza dough ensures breezy tailgating at home on game day. For another shortcut, use a a rotisserie chicken instead of making a special stop by your favorite local barbecue joint.
Homemade Pizza Dough
1 {19-oz} bottle barbecue sauce
2 1/2 cups smoked chicken, pulled & chopped
3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
4 scallions, sliced
Crushed red pepper flakes & freshly ground pepper
Prepare the Homemade Pizza Dough as directed. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Roll & stretch dough portions into 8-inch circles on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to lightly greased baking sheets. Top the dough rounds evenly with the barbecue sauce, the chicken, the red onion & the cheese. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until the crust is golden & the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with the scallions, crushed red pepper flakes & pepper. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing into wedges.
The Extra Point
Bye. Bye. Birdie… Alabama fans will revel in smoking the competition. Quite literally, the mascot to be exact with a BBQ Chicken Pizza. Show no mercy with these tantilizing, scrappy-good pizza pie toppings.
Homemade Pizza Dough
makes 2 1/2 lbs dough
A refrigerator-rise dough is simple to make & develops more complex flavors the longer it rests. Be sure to place in an extra large bowl as it will expand a good bit. Look to The Basics: Homemade Pizza Dough for detailed instructions & photos.
2 cups warm water {about 105 degrees}
1 envelope active dry yeast
5 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
Stir together the water & the yeast in a measuring cup. Let stand for 5 minutes. The mixture should be dissolved & foamy on the surface. Whisk together the flour & the salt in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture, the oil & the honey.
Blend on Medium speed for 5 minutes. Stop the mixer & scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough. Remove with a bowl scrapper onto a lightly floured board. Form the dough into a ball. Place it in a large lightly greased bowl. Coat the surface with cooking spray & cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.
Punch the dough down. Remove it from the bowl & place on a floured surface. It will feel heavy. Shape into a large dough ball. Divide the dough in half. Divide the dough into 10 {4-oz} pieces. Use a kitchen scale for accuracy, if desired. Roll each piece into a ball on a lightly floured surface. Place 5 dough balls 2-inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Lightly grease the dough & cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm spot 1 hour. The dough will not double in bulk however, you will notice bubbling under the smooth surface. It should be room temperature to the touch when ready. Use as directed in individual recipe applications.
The Extra Point
If cheesy breadsticks make you weak in the knees causing a bonafide fumble, by all means don’t let me stop you from going all the way. Prepare the dough as directed & smother with your melty cheese favorites. To really sail this idea into the end zone, sprinkle with a smattering of pecans or walnuts before depositing into the oven.
Gridiron Whiskey Caramel Corn
makes 12 servings
The Basic Fundamentals
It’s okay to stir the mixture as it comes to a boil so the butter blends into the sugar making it homogenous. As bubbles begin to pop over the surface, remove the spoon & do not use it again or rinse & dry it well to prevent the sugar from crystallizing creating a grainy texture.
2 {3-oz} bags plain microwave popcorn, popped {about 12 cups}
2/3 cup lightly salted dry roasted peanuts
1/3 cup lightly salted smoked almonds
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup sorghum
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbsp whiskey
1/4 tsp baking soda
Almond Footballs
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Coat two half-sheet pans with cooking spray & set aside. Microwave the popcorn according to package instructions. Place the popcorn in a very large bowl. Discard any unpopped kernals. Stir in the peanuts & the almonds. Set aside. Bring the brown sugar, the butter, the sorghum & the salt to a boil in a 3 1/2-quart saucepan over Medium-High heat. Continue cooking an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Carefully stir in the whiskey until blended. Stir in the baking soda. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the popcorn mixture. Stir well & spread into the prepared pans. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, or until coated & crisp, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Remove from the oven. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Toss with Almond Footballs just before serving, if desired.
The Extra Point
Pull out all the stops & serve the indulgent snack in custom Gridiron Tailgating Bags.
Almond Footballs
Trick Play
Try this same idea on a number of snack attack favorites such as chocolate covered almonds, peanut butter filled pretzels & an array of miniature chocolate candy bar sweets.
Whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp meringue powder & 2 tsp hot water. The mixture will be thick. Fill a piping bag fit with a No. 1 tip. Pipe lines on roasted almonds to resemble football laces. Make as many as you’d like to. Let stand 30 minutes.
The Extra Point
Press the footballs into peanut brittle while still warm for an added touchdown of good game day taste.
FROM THE SOUTHERN HOSTESS OF BUTTERMILK LIPSTICK
{helpful advice}
How To Diagram Special Teams Party Snacks
It’s always a good idea to offer a selection of munchies, especially if the main meal will serve as an attractive half time presentation. Create several snack vignettes throughout your home to keep hungry appetites in line. Side tables, coffee tables & kitchen islands should all be set with a little something to keep the energy up. Matchup crunchy chips & dips on small trays. Have beverage napkins close for cheery, festive spirit. A move that will also serve as backup to a tidy finish.
Alabama vs Chattanooga Mocs
The series between the Alabama Crimson Tide & the Chattanooga Mocs dates back a bit further than one may think. The first game between the two schools took place in 1908 & the Tide has come out victorious in all 12 meetings with 7 of those resulting in shutouts. It’ll need to get pretty scrappy on the gridiron in order for the Mocs to have a chance against the No. 1 ranked Tide.
Auburn vs Alabama A&M
Two of the states land grant universities, Auburn & the Alabama A&M, have met only one other time, in 2012, with the Tigers beating the Bulldogs in a ferocious 51-7 victory. Alabama A&M, located in Huntsville, competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference also known as the SWAC with other schools such as Mississippi Valley State, Southern University & Prairie View A&M University, a member of the Texas A&M University System. Sporting maroon & white with Butch the mascot representing a host of school spirit, Alabama A&M which sits on “The Hill”, plays home football games in Louis Crews Stadium where many notable NFL players got their start. The Auburn vs Alabama A&M matchup is set to kick-off Saturday in the Tigers’ Jordan-Hare Stadium.
etc
Game Day Entertaining 101
Visit these posts for more tailgating party inspiration
Pull Apart Pepperoni Pizza Bread
Pimiento Cheese-Bacon Tailgating Bread
The Ultimate Game Day Snack Mix
Game Day Logistics 101: Kick-Off A Smashing Tailgate Season
Game Day Provisions 101: Gridiron Whiskey Caramel Corn
Game Day Crafts 101: Gridiron Tailgating Bags
Game Day Crafts 101: Almond Footballs
The Tune
“Sympathy For The Devil” The Rolling Stones
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Be sweet.
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