NHL Stanley Cup party food
Over the past few weeks, my husband and I have been celebrating one of our favorite times of year: Stanley Cup Playoffs. Our team may have gotten eliminated this year, but this year’s finals are no less thrilling. If you’re anything like me, where there’s celebration, there is excellent food. The only thing that would make the playoffs better is a collection of cartoon sound effects. Now, I know I’ve blogged about watch party food before, but it seems like there’s always a fun new (and completely unhealthy) recipe to try. I can’t help myself. So forget your calorie counters, these recipes are purely for enjoyment.
These sweet tater tots take a chunk of time to make. The longest part is in baking through the sweet potatoes, but in retrospect you could do that the night before and leave them in the fridge until you need them. Believe me when I tell you to peel them after baking – if you cut them in half length-wise, the skin will come right off with little hassle at all. To accompany these, I strongly recommend a dipping sauce made from one part sriracha to two parts mayo.
Sweet Potato Tots (as found in Food Network Magazine)
- 1.5 lbs. sweet potatoes (2-3)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 C grated onion
- 1 large bag of sweet potato chips, crushed
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. When ready, bake sweet potatoes for 50 minutes. After they’re baked, let cool completely, then peel. In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes with the onion, egg, and 1 cup of the crushed chips. For the dough into balls, then roll in remaining crushed chips. Place on a baking sheet and pop in the oven for 25 minutes. if the outer chips get a little dark, it’s ok. Enjoy with a dipping sauce, or naked.
What’s a sports watching party without wings? I know I’ve made them before, but these are a totally different flavor profile. They just come off as manly to me. Every flavor directly advertised to men is in this glaze. I’m not saying women shouldn’t eat them, because I did and they were wonderful, but when I tell you the name of them, you’ll imagine a burly lumberjack sort chowing down on these. Bourbon Bacon wings are chicken with meat confetti. In light of it being so warm outside, a great alternative to baking the chicken (with much less cleanup) would be to grill the wings, if it’s available. I strongly encourage this.
Bourbon Bacon Wings
- 3 lb. chicken wings, split at the joints and tips removed
- 8 slices of bacon, cooked to crispy and crumbed
- 2 Tbsp. bacon drippings
- 1/4 C maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp. bourbon
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray, then place on it your wings. Roast for 30-45 minutes, until done. While the wings roast, in a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. When chicken is done, toss to coat. Enjoy!
Tip of the week: Don’t clutter your kitchen with a bunch of one-purpose gadgets. Gadgets are fun, but if they only do one thing, then you probably already have something in your kitchen that does it. Save your cash.
Sally is a wife and domestic diva in Maryland. She approaches life with gusto, humor, and a passion that is unmatched. She is a classic woman, with a modern twist and is the kind of woman who will throw back a beer and watch Star Trek with her husband, and entertain the church croquette group with homemade cheese cake. Sally offers something for everyone, and is always experimenting and cooking up a storm in her kitchen.