#Tailgate Time! Reuben Sliders #Recipe @PegCochran

It's tailgate time!  The weather is turning crisp, the leaves are turning colors and thoughts are turning to FOOTBALL!  This recipe is perfect for a tailgate party--easy to put together and delicious.  I took them to a party and they were gone in seconds (which is why there isn't a pretty picture of a slider sitting on a plate--I wasn't quick enough!)

This comes from several recipes I found on the web.  I varied the quantities of the ingredients a bit, but you can really play this one by ear.

Ingredients

1 pkg. Hawaiian Sweet rolls, sliced open
1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing (more or less--I probably used more)
1 lb of corned beef, sliced thin (I had enough left over for a sandwich)
1 lb sauerkraut, drained (16 oz jar or as close to that as you can get)
6 slices Swiss cheese
2 tbsp butter, melted 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drain sauerkraut thoroughly. I let it drain in a strainer and then squeezed further moisture out with my hands. 

I found this fabulous craft beer sauerkraut!

Drain very very well

Butter bottom of 13x9 baking dish or spray with nonstick spray

Slice the rolls in half.  The rolls wanted to tear because they were very soft.  Next time I would refrigerate them or even freeze them slightly to make this easier.  Lay rolls in the baking pan.

Spread approximately 1/4 cup Thousand Island dressing over the rolls (I used more.)

Lay corned beef over the rolls--no need to worry about each individual roll.

Spread sauerkraut over the corned beef.

Lay the Swiss cheese on top of the sauerkraut (six slices covered the rolls for me)

Spread remaining Thousand Island dressing on the inside of the top halves of the buns and place over the Swiss cheese.

Spread melted butter over the tops and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until cheese is melted and tops are golden.

Eat, enjoy and root for your team! 
Who are you rooting for this weekend?

Listen to my Podcast!

I just recorded a fun podcast with the lovely Jenny Wheeler of Binge Reading about reading and writing cozies!  You'll love her delightful New Zealand accent!

https://thejoysofbingereading.com/peg-cochran-cozy-mystery-queen/ 

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The county fair is the highlight of the year for the small town of Lovett, Michigan—especially for food-and-lifestyle blogger Shelby McDonald, who writes as the Farmer’s Daughter. She’s submitting jams and jellies she’s created from the produce she grows at Love Blossom Farm in hopes of harvesting a blue ribbon.

But the townspeople get more than just the excitement of hayrides, tractor pulls, and cotton candy when Shelby’s neighbor and volunteer fireman, Jake Taylor, extricates the body of Zeke Barnstable instead of a dummy during a demonstration of the Jaws of Life. The fact that Jake and Zeke were known to be at odds plants suspicion in the minds of the police. As evidence against Jake grows, Shelby knows she has to plow through the clues to weed out the true killer and save her friend.

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Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

As an alum of a Big Ten school (technically, two of them), I have many fond memories of autumn football games:  stadium blankets, flasks of schnapps-laced cocoa, bellowing fight songs, and -- ta da! -- tailgating!

Even though I've now worked in a college environment for seven years, I thought going to football games as faculty instead of as a student simply wouldn't be the same.  But last fall a group of my friends and I got tickets for a single game.  We tailgated before and then trekked across the road to University of North Texas's brand new stadium . . . and we had a blast.  First, the stadium is gorgeous (I've yet to encounter a line for the bathroom).  Second, it turns out that UNT has lots of fun traditions, such as shooting off fireworks every time the home team scores.  And, finally, it was great hanging out with good friends both before and during the game.

So this year we bought season tickets.

We generally try to arrive near the stadium about 2 hours before kick-off, unpack our camp chairs, and dine on sandwiches, chips, sodas, beer, and something sweet.  We've worked out a certain division of labor, each of us playing to our strengths.  So far this year, I've been on dessert duty . . . a task I relish.

Alas, I don't always have time to make something elaborate or from scratch.  These pimped out brownie-mix brownies are a snap to make and completely delicious.  What's more, the peanut butter just screams fall to me, so these brownies seem perfect for a football tailgate or party.

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

1 box brownie mix (for a 9x13 pan), the batter prepared according to instructions on the box.
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 Tbs. powdered sugar

Preheat the oven per package instructions.  Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper or nonstick foil (to make removing the brownies much easier).  Pour the prepared brownie batter into the pan.

Heat the peanut butter in the microwave for 15 seconds, and then in 5 second increments, until it is a bit runny.  Stir the powdered sugar into the peanut butter.

Dollops of peanut butter on the brownie batter

Drop dollops of the peanut butter on the brownie batter, then swirl with a knife.  Bake the brownies according to package instructions.  When cool, lift out of pan by the parchment paper / foil.  Cut and ENJOY!

Right out of the oven

Tailgater Chili ala the SEC

By Avery Aames  aka Daryl Wood Gerber

DO YOU LOVE FOOTBALL?

DO YOU LOVE TAILGATING?

IF NOT, DO YOU LOVE EATING?

Ha. Gotcha. It's football season for colleges and the pros. 

For those of you who don't know, my husband is a consultant for college sports, which includes consulting for the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which might have the best tailgating experience in the country because of their fan zeal and great southern cooking.

I've told people he works for the SEC and many have said they didn't know he was in finance.  LOL.  

College sports?  To-o-o-o-otally different. 

Anyway, like I said, it's football season. Which means it's time to have fun stuff to eat at home while watching the games or to eat at the back of your SUV, car, truck, or RV. 

We received a cookbook from Southern Living, which is the Official Tailgating Book SEC. You know right now I'm into cookbooks, right? Why? Because I'm writing the new A COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERY series. Lately, I've been asking for all sorts of cookbook ideas. 

In fact, I'm starting a contest in January for cookbook names and recipes you love. The winner will win $100 basket in July, when the series debuts. So put your thinking caps on.

Anyway, chile. I love chile. And this recipe from the SEC version of Southern Living was so great, I had to try it...tweaked, of course. I love to tweak. The SEC version had a number of already prepared things. I went au naturel with the beans and more.

By the way, the more CHEESE (can't lose my love of cheese), the merrier. 

And, my second by the way: the salsa is fabulous!!!

WHITE LIGHTNING CHICKEN CHILE

Ala Southern Living

The Official Tailgating Book SEC

(Tweaked)

Makes 8-10 portions

Ingredients:

1 large sweet onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups cooked chicken breasts, cubed *

28 ounces chicken broth (gluten-free  used: *Pacific Natural Foods)

1 can chopped green chiles (7 ounces)

3 cups pre-soaked pinto beans (about 1 cup dried, soaked overnight)

(The Southern Living recipe called for 3 cans (16 ounces) navy beans.

I couldn’t find them and prefer fresh, which are so easy to do.)

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon garlic salt or onion powder

(This recipe called for a package white chicken chili seasoning mix. I couldn’t find that so I concocted my own mixture of spices)

Toppings: sour cream, Monterey Jack cheese, Avocado-Mango Salsa

Directions:

I love a slow cooker. Though this recipe did not call for it, I poured everything but the beans into the slow cooker. I mashed one cup of the beans (in a food processor) to a pulp, then added the beans and pulp into the slow cooker.

I set the cooker on low for 4 hours. Then I turned it up to medium-high for 2 hours.

Serve with toppings.

* AVOCADO-MANGO SALSA

Ingredients:

1 large avocado, cubed

1 cup mango, diced

½ red onion, diced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

(This recipe called for cilantro. I’m not a fan. But if you are, add 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped)

Directions:

Stir together and serve immediately.

Ooops! I forgot to get a picture with the sour cream on. We added that at the table. Delish!

* As the cookbook says, the salsa stands alone, served with your favorite chips.

* Also, the cookbook says that you can use rotisserie chicken (already cooked from your store) to make this recipe in a FLASH!  I cooked breasts wrapped in foil at 275 degrees for 1 hour. Perfect and tender.

We devoured this chili. So filling. So satisfying. Enjoy!

This Week's Contest:

All commenters on this post this week will be entered in a
contest to win her (his) choice of  A Cheese Shop Mystery series.
Even the newest TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE...if you're willing to wait until February!

PS If you have another Southern Living Cookbook or chile recipe you like, bring it on!!!

Say cheese!

{Remember to check back next Wednesday to see if you're the 
winner or include your email in your response and I will contact you!}

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The 4th in A Cheese Shop Mystery series: 

TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE 

comes out in February.

You can pre-order the book HERE. 

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Also, you probably know my alter ego DARYL WOOD GERBER

has a new series:

A COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERY

which debuts July 2013

Keep up to date on Daryl's website

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She doesn't say all the same things Avery does. Promise.

Say cheese!

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