With March comes the promise of spring and the season’s warmer weather and ascending beauty outside, but all of that can wait for April. For many, March comes with the promise of hundreds of hours worth of continual basketball games. It’s time for March Madness. Whether you’re hosting a viewing party or heading over to somebody’s house with a bigger television and better sports cable package, the last thing you want to be doing in March is spending too much time in the kitchen getting your TV-side munchies together. Here are a few low-maintenance recipes that will make sure you don’t miss any hardcourt action.
Mile High Meatloaf and Crispy Onion Straw Sandwiches
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Take out Chinese and pizza are always a good idea for the season of March Madness basketball and I encourage you to take advantage of as many local food delivery services as you can over the course of the month. But when in need of the comfort of a home cooked meal that still screams “game day food,” look no further. The brilliance of this recipe is that once the meatloaf is cooked, it can be stored in the fridge for days and sandwiches can be assembled at a moment’s notice before tip off. Crispy onion straws aren’t necessary, but are a tasty, crunchy touch of scrumptiousness that is worth those few extra minutes in the kitchen.
Meatloaf Ingredients:
• 1 pkg. mushrooms, minced
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 lb. ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 4 tablespoons BBQ
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in skillet and sauté the onions and mushrooms until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Combine milk and breadcrumbs in a large bowl to soak. Add cooked onions and mushrooms. Stir to combine.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients to the breadcrumb mixture. Combine well using either your hands or a stiff spoon.
5. Using either a meatloaf pan, bread pan or rimmed cookie sheet, form the meat mixture into a loaf shape. Brush the top of the uncooked meatloaf with more BBQ sauce.
6. Bake the meatloaf on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes. If using ground beef with a higher percentage of fat, feel free to drain fat from the meatloaf pan while baking. I recommend using ground beef with 4 to 6 percent fat for this recipe.
7. Once meatloaf is cooked thoroughly, remove and turn the oven to broil. Brush the top of the meatloaf with more BBQ sauce and broil in the oven for another 2 to 5 minutes.
Crispy Onion Straws:
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 cup of flour
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 2 cups vegetable or canola oil
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan to 375 degrees.
2. Using a mandoline (or a very sharp knife) slice the onions very thin.
3. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl.
4. When ready to fry, dip the onions into the flour, shake off excess flour, and then drop into the hot oil. Fry for a few minutes or until onions are golden brown.
5. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add another pinch of salt while hot.
To Assemble Meatloaf Sanwiches:
1. The bread of choice is completely your preference. By tradition, I’ve used soft American white sandwich bread.
2. Slice the meatloaf thick. If using meatloaf that has been refrigerated, reheat in a skillet until crispy on both sides and warmed through. Place on one bread slice.
3. Drizzle BBQ sauce over the meatloaf.
4. Pile a heaping mound of crispy onion straws on top. Add that final slice of bread (that’s a no-brainer, you’re making a sandwich). Enjoy.
French Onion Dip
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When I think of ESPN, I think of French Onion Dip. Ok, that might be a bit of a stretch, but really, who doesn’t want a heaping pile of salty ridged potato chips and a deep bowl of creamy onion goodness to devour while watching an underdog knock out a top-seeded team in March?
This dip is really easy. So easy, that I urge you to forgo the jellified, green-flecked, white concoction in the dairy case at your grocery store and whip this recipe up before the next game.
Ingredients:
• 5 strips bacon
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoons black pepper
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
Directions:
1. Cook bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel. Crumble and set aside.
2. Using the same pan the bacon was cooked in, reheat the bacon grease and cook the onions, slowly, caramelizing until they’ve achieved a deep, brown color. Avoid burning. (This process will take a bit of time, have patience and stir often.)
3. While the onions caramelize, whip the remaining ingredients in a standing mixer or by hand until well combined and smooth. Taste. Add more salt, pepper or cayenne as desired. Set aside.
4. Once the onions are fully caramelized, remove from the pan, draining on a paper towel to cool.
5. Once the onions have cooled, fold them along with half of the bacon crumbles into the dip.
6. Serve in a festive party bowl and sprinkle with remaining bacon crumbles.
10-Minute Peanut Butter Fudge
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When I first saw this recipe, I was skeptical at best. Fudge, in my experience, is a laborious process that requires loads of attention to detail, cantankerous cooking times, delicate temperature control and careful attempts for consistency. But who really wants to be checking candy thermometers when the game’s on?
Surprisingly, the taste of this fudge recipe is pretty remarkable, and what I love most about this recipe is, obviously, its ease. It’s a perfect dessert to whip up before heading to work in the morning and then grab on your way to the neighbor’s weeknight game watching gathering.
Ingredients:
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 30 saltine crackers, finely crushed in a food
processor or blender (see notes)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, melted (optional)
Directions:
1. Crush the crackers into fine crumbs. (I used a food processor. Alternatively, you could place the crackers in a large zip lock bag, seal and whack them a bunch of times with a rolling pin to crush.) Place crumbs in a large mixing bowl with the peanut butter.
2. Combine the sugar, milk and butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Once the mixture starts boiling, turn on a timer for 1 minute. The mixture will look a little frothy. Remove from the heat after 1 minute and pour immediately over the crackers and peanut butter. Add the vanilla and stir to combine until an even, soft dough forms.
3. Press the dough into a 9-inch glass baking dish (or other dish) lined with parchment paper if desired. Allow cooling for at least 1 hour or until firm enough to cut into squares – it sets up pretty quickly in the refrigerator.
4. Drizzle with chocolate (or not). Eat up.