Gourmet Superbowl Snacks

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Whoo hoo!  It’s Superbowl weekend!  Whether you are rooting for the Seahawks or the Broncos (and even if you only watch for the commercials), you are going to need some snacks you can enjoy with family and friends in front of the TV.  Here’s Sally Roeckell from Table and Dish to the rescue with some gourmet game day eats.  Did someone say bacon wrapped dates?  We think we have a new girl crush…..

 The men in my life are highly motivated by two things, snacks and football.  So obviously, the Super Bowl is considered a major holiday worthy of the same snack lineup as other holidays.

One snack always stands out as the king of football snacks.  Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with smoked almonds.  How do I know?  Try it and move out of the way.  The tray will empty in real time before your eyes.  It could be that the main ingredient is bacon.  Most men I know consider bacon essential to life.  If I put out a plate of dates there would be no fan fare but remove the pit replace it with a couple salty smokey almonds, wrap it in bacon and it’s a new animal.  Smokey, crispy, bacon with salty, crunchy, almonds tucked into a sweet gooey date brings together a taste sensation that will be a touchdown for all your football fans.  This year we added a new ingredient. Dates stuffed with Italian sausage and wrapped with bacon.  Yes Please!!

Bacon Wrapped Dates

• 18-24 Large Medjool Dates Pitted (these are the large meaty dates you will find in the produce section)
• 1 pound of the best applewood smoked bacon
• small can of smoked, salted whole Almonds
• optional: your favorite spicy italian sausage

Preheat your oven to 425°.  Pit your dates by making a slit in one side length wise with a parring knife.  Replace the pit with 2 almonds. (or a tsp of Italian sausage) Use 1/2 of a slice of bacon to wrap the stuffed date.  If you use thick cut bacon you may need to secure the wrap with a toothpick.  Place on a baking pan lined with parchment.  Cook until the bacon is cooked and crispy.  Cooking times may vary.  Mine usually take about 10-15 minutes.

You can wrap these ahead of time and store them for 24 hrs in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator.  Cook just before serving.

Corn and Shrimp Chowder is another game day favorite.  Actually an any day favorite.  As a young girl nothing was more pleasing than coming home from a hard swim team practice to a pot of hot home made soup.  My Mom made everything from scratch and her wonderful soups were no exception.  She still serves this favorite , corn chowder, in her restaurant today.  We (my kids and I) have combined it with another favorite, seafood chowder, to make one of our own family favorites.  After college I lived in Newport Rhode Island.  I miss my seaside home more than anything today. I have so many fond memories of this place.  It is after all where I met my wonderful husband. Newport is famous for many things but I’m pretty sure chowder is on the top of the list. They have perfected the art of New England chowder. The Black Pearl and the Clarke Cooke House serve the best chowder in the world.  Totally my opinion but I can easily find many who will agree.  We have combined our favorite aspects of each soup to come up with a flavor that will cause you to hide the last bowl in the back of the refrigerator to have all for yourself when everyone else thinks it’s long gone.  I’m just saying!  It’s that good.

Recently my trip to the Basque Country in northern Spain reminded me of my former home in Newport.  The narrow cobble stone streets, the fresh seafood and vibrant seaside colors all trigger wonderful memories.  It’s hard to believe that one pot of soup can bring back so much comfort and happiness but this speaks to the power of food. Food is truly a connector in our lives.  There are dishes that take me back to my grandmothers embrace and the smell her fresh cotton apron.  It’s powerful and my hope is that my kids will pass it on to theirs.

Corn & Shrimp Chowder

• 5 cups of fresh cooked corn cut from the cob.  (you can substitute 2 bags of frozen corn)
• 1/2 pound thick cut applewood smoked bacon, diced.
• 1 diced sweet onion
• 1 quart fresh cream or half and half
• 1 bunch fresh dill
• kosher salt and fresh pepper
• 1Tbs olive oil
• 2Tbs Butter
• 1/4 C. Gluten Free flour  (I use Cup 4 Cup)

In a cast iron or heavy bottom soup pot ( I use LeCrueset ) sauté diced bacon.  Remove and drain bacon.  In the same pot add onion and sauté until translucent. Add corn and cream.  In a  small skillet make a rue with the butter and flour.  Season with salt and pepper. Add the rue to the soup pot. Stir, then simmer for about an hour.

While the soup is simmering, use a grill pan to grill your shrimp. The shrimp should be cleaned and deveined with tails off. Reserve about 12 shrimp for garnish then chop the rest and add to the soup.  Add the cooked bacon.  Add a large hand full of chopped fresh dill. I like more some like less so do this to taste.  Let simmer on low for 10 minutes more then serve with crusty sour dough bread.

Why use gluten free flour then serve the soup with sourdough bread?  Well, in our house I am gluten free but the other 5 mouths I feed are big bread lovers.  This way they can have their bread and I can enjoy this delicious soup.

I hope your gang loves these recipes as much as mine.  Leave me a comment to let me know how you liked these recipes or what variations you tried.

Sally Roeckell

Sally is a contemporary lifestyle photographer who started out photographing children and families.  In the evolution of her craft she found a passion for food photography.  Now, using natural light and her equal love of cooking she creates mouthwatering images.  Sally shares her travels, food and recipes on her blog, Table and Dish.  Sally lives north of Chicago with her husband and four kids.  When she’s not cooking or photographing food you can usually find her in the pick up or drop off lane at one of the three schools her kids attend.  Sally also teaches photography at Harper College.

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