Super Bowl!

Every year we host a super bowl party.  It's no secret that I am all about catching up with friends, the commercials, halftime, and...the food!  We always do a potluck style party, so I generally only make a few things.  I think it's important to find a balance between crowd pleasing munchies with simple prep work, and great tasting dishes that still have some nutrition.  Here is my simple, mainly make-ahead menu from this year

Appetizer: Mini Wedge Salads

Main Dish: Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese

Dessert: Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberry Footballs

Let's start with dessert first :)

These strawberries were a hit, and were super easy!

Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberry Footballs

Ingredients:

1 container fresh strawberries

1 bag dark chocolate chips

Optional toppings: Mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, heath toffee bits and white writing icing

Directions:

1. Create a double-boiler (place a bowl on top of a pan of simmering water - make sure the bowl does not touch the water, but creates a seal with the bottom pan to trap in the steam)

2. While the water heats, cover a cookie sheet with wax paper.

3. Fill small bowls with the toppings of your choice

4. Fill the bowl from the double-boiler with the chocolate chips.  Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

5.  Dip the strawberries in the chocolate and twirl to coat, followed by dipping into the desired topings. 

6.  Refrigerate the strawberries until the chocolate is hardened. If making the football laces, wait for the chocolate to harden completely before piping the icing onto the strawberry.

Mini Wedge Salads

Ingredients:

2 heads iceburg lettuce

8-10 slices bacon, cooked (try to cook it in the oven for perfectly mess-free crispy bacon!)

1 package cherry tomatoes, diced

Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing

Optional: diced red onion, crumbled blue cheese

Directions:

Wash iceburg lettuce heads and cut off bottom. Place cut side down on cutting board, and then cut wedge in half.
Place cut side down again and dice into 4 wedges. (each head should make 8 small wedges)
Arrange wedges on platter, then top with a drizzle of dressing. (make extra dressing available for those guests who like a little more!) Sprinkle with tomatoes, bacon and any additional toppings. Done!
 

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

2 pound precooked shredded chicken

1 pound elbow pasta (uncooked)

1 yellow onion, finely diced

4 cups milk (2% recommended)

6 tbsp butter, melted

1 cup Frank’s red hot sauce (add or subtract depending on how hot you like it!)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

6 cups shredded cheese (we used 2 cups cheddar, 2 cups colby and 2 cups mozzarella)

Toppings: diced celery, diced carrots, crumbled blue cheese 

Directions:

Add onion, chicken, and pasta to crockpot. In a separate bowl, combine milk, butter, hot sauce, and garlic powder.  Pour over chicken and pasta, then top with cheeses.  Stir everything together and turn crockpot to low for 1 hour.  Stir, then continue to cok for another 30 minutes until pasta is cooked.
Note: Do not overcook or you'll end up with mushy pasta!