Jalapeno Popper Rolls

Andy, me, Jennifer, & Chris, TCU tailgating 2012

Andy is in four (count them, FOUR- quatro, quatre) NFL fantasy football leagues.  I could barely even manage to remember to make my picks in my college pick 'em last year, so how he manages four teams each fall, I will never know.  One is a work group of friends, one is his dad's buddies, one is college friends, and one is a group of his KA buddies from Midwestern State University.  This year, the KA boys' draft was at our friends, Clay and Michelle's, house.  I wanted to make something easy and bite sized for the draft party, so I turned to my Pinterest boards to see what I could find.


Andy & Me, TCU tailgating 2012

Andy loves to make Grilled Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers, but they are messy and were going to be hard to transport to Keller for the party.  Instead, I found a recipe for Jalapeno Popper Rolls, which are basically a self-contained, less messy, less gooey cousin of Grilled Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers.  I made them the morning of the draft party, cooked them for 10 minutes at my house, then reheated them at 350 again for 10 minutes once we got to Clay & Michelle's.  All of the attendees brought something different- from alfredo meatballs to Taco Bell tacos, and from McDonald's chicken nuggets to Fuzzy's chips & queso. 

Andy, me, Sara, & Philip: TCU tailgating 2012

The popper rolls were a hit, so I also made them the next weekend.  The next weekend was the first TCU tailgate of the season, and Jalapeno Popper Rolls turned out to be super fast and easy when I prepared them in advance.  Basically I made them and baked them on a Friday, sealed them in a baggie and refridgerated them overnight, and was able to pop them in the oven on Saturday before heading to the tailgate to crisp them up.  I tripled the recipe for the TCU tailgate, and they were gone in about an hour... so it's safe to say they were a hit with NCAA fans as well as the NFL fans.


Andy & me, TCU tailgates 2012

The tailgate was crazy-busy but a ton of fun.  In addition to my Jalapeno Popper Rolls, I took guacamole and Julio's chips.  Chris' mom brought the first Cinnamon Roll Cookie Bars that I'd ever tried, and I immediately fell in love with their rich, thick, sweetness- recipe to come soon when DeeDee sends it to me!  TCU made quite an entrance into the Big 12 with a 56-0 win over Grambling State, but I'm pretty sure it was the beer-drinking, snack-munching tailgaters that were the biggest winners that night.

Andy & me, TCU tailgating 2012

Jalapeno Popper Rolls
www.hellohue.com, healthified by Kate Strickland
Servings: 16; Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 1

• 1 can reduced-fat Pillsbury crescent roll dough
• 2 tbsp fat-free cream cheese
• 2 jalapenos, chopped and de-seeded
• 3 strips center-cut bacon, baked and crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Roll out your dough. It's perforated in triangles, but cut each triangle in half using a pizza cutter to make more "bite-sized" poppers.

     3.  Place a dollop of cream cheese on the wide end of the triangle shape

     4.  Sprinkle bacon and jalapenos atop the cream cheese

     5.  Roll the crescent rolls from wide end to skinny end

     6.  Pinch together the two ends so the stuffing doesn't ooze out

7.  Bake 15 mins

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Spicy Corn Dip

Chelsea and me at the TCU v. BYU Tailgate at Cowboys Stadium

I had 2010 season football tickets for the TCU Horned Frogs, but I did not use them a single time.  I was taking a class at TCU, and my current student ID could get me into the games for free, but I chose not to go.  "Why?" you ask?  Because I saw no sense in leaving our sweet tailgate set up, comfortable camping chairs, shade from our tent, and an ice cold cooler of beer to go stand in the middle of thousands of sweaty, stinky, sometimes drunk fans while baking in the hot Texas sun.  Some may say I'm not a true fan- I say I chose the better of the options- watching the game on Chris' tv at the tailgate spot.

Andy and me at the TCU v. BYU Tailgate at Cowboys Stadium

This year, the 2011 season, I did not have season tickets.  I did, however, chose to buy Andy and myself two tickets to the TCU v. BYU game at Arlington's Cowboys Stadium on October 28th.  I figured it would be an indoor game, with seats, with a roof to block the blazing sun, and with adult beverages (available at outrageous prices).  No sweaty, stinky fans to crowd me- it'd be great.  Great, however, until the Rangers decided to get to game six of the World Series and miss being World Series Champions by one strike not only once, but twice.  Luckily, they had played much better in game five when I went, but game six- not so much.  Losing game six advanced the series into a seven game series- Game Seven being on Friday, October 28th.  At the exact same time as the TCU v. BYU game.

Jennifer and me at the TCU v. BYU Tailgate at Cowboys Stadium

Since Andy had so generously taken me to both an ALCS Playoff Game and a World Series game, I thought that the only way to repay him would be to offer to give up our TCU v. BYU tickets.  We figured we would go to the game, see if we could sell our tickets to anyone at the tailgates, then watch the game at Chris' tailgate (again, the tv on the tailgate came in handy).  Well, we weren't the only ones who preferred to watch the Rangers over the Horned Frogs.  When we arrived at Jerry World, numerous people were trying to sell their tickets in an effort to watch the Rangers win their first ever World Series Championship.  Oh, well, at least we would get to see the game- if only for the price of our tickets. 

Andy and me freezing and watching the Rangers in Game 7 of the World Series
Arlington, Texas, Cowboys Stadium

So we set up camp.  Food on our right, cooler on our left.  Although it had been a beautiful day when the sun was out- cold and windy, but very sunny- the temperature dropped dramatically when the sun set.  There we sat, wrapped up in blankets, gloves, and sweatshirts, cheering on the Rangers.  Unfortunately, the Rangers did not win that night (the Horned Frogs did), and we lost the World Series, but what fans we were, huh?  Not everyone would give up tickets to a football game to watch a baseball game outside and freeze to death.  But, what can I say, we were pretty dedicated this season!  I made spicy corn dip for the tailgate- an easy, low fat dip that I threw together, and it was great.  I served it with tortilla chips, and even had leftovers.

Spicy Corn Dip
Pinterest, healthified by Kate Strickland
Servings: 32 (about 5 cups total); Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 1/serving

I made this again for the TCU v. UNLV game yesterday, but I altered the recipe a bit.  I have made those changes to the recipe below in italics.  If you want a spicier dip with a bit more zip, go for the one in italics.  Note- the italicized recipe is for half of the amount, so it only yields about 2 cups.

• 1 (16 oz) container fat-free sour cream  *8 oz fat-free sour cream
• 2 c fat-free mayonnaise  *1 c fat-free mayonnaise
• 2 (11 oz) cans Mexican-style corn, drained
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced  *5 jalapeno peppers, seeded & minced
• 1 (7 oz) can diced green chilis
• 1 1/4 c shredded fat-free cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  Serve with tortilla chips or veggies.

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Andy and me at the TCU v. UNM Tailgate

On Saturday, October 22, Andy and I went to the TCU tailgate to cheer on the Frogs as they took on the University of New Mexico Lobos.  Take on the Lobos, they did- the final score was 69-0.  After spending all day in the hot sun, reflected off the hot pavement, made hotter by the lack of any type of legitimate breeze, I decided to invite people over for a relaxed night of sports- the Texas Rangers v. St. Louis Cardinals (the World Series) and Texas Tech v. OU (sucks).

My friend, Kat, and me at the TCU v. UNM game-
so good to see her after two years!

We moved the TV from my room into the living room so we could have on both games, moved the couches around to make room for everyone to sit, and started cheering on our respective teams.  Unranked Texas Tech beat the #3 OU Sooners, 41-38.  Even I was excited since the Sooners had beaten the Longhorns earlier this month.  The poor Rangers were not as lucky as the Red Raiders or the Horned Frogs- they lost World Series Game 3, 16-7.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese and Bone-In Ribeye (Bock Beef Marinade recipe available here)

Ready for a comeback in Game 4, I invited people back over for Sunday Funday the next day.  Unfortunately, I think the Rangers' poor performance in Game 3 must have gotten people's spirits down because not many people were up to wave their rally towels.  Andy spent the day cleaning from the night before and watching football, and I spent the day cooking.  I made Layered Taco Dip for work on Monday morning, and I made Baked Macaroni and Cheese for a side to go with dinner.  Central Market had bone-in ribeye and pork loin on sale, so I grabbed one of each for Andy and me.  The Baked Macaroni and Cheese turned out great, and our friend, Thomas, came over to cheer on the Rangers.  The Rangers won Game 4 of the World Series, 4-0.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese and Boneless Center Loin (Bock Pork Marinade available here)

Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Kate Strickland
Servings: 8; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 7

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

• 12 oz uncooked macaroni
• 1/2 c fat-free sour cream
• 12 oz fat-free evaporated milk
• 8 oz fat-free cheddar cheese
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tbsp dried bread crumbs (or broken up croutons)
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and transfer to a large bowl
3. While pasta is still hot, stir in sour cream; set aside
4. Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until scalding (tiny bubbles appear just around the edges)
5. Reduce heat to low, add cheese and simmer until cheese melts, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, about 2 mins
6. Remove from heat and stir in mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg
7. Add cheese mixture to pasta; mix well.
8. Transfer to a 4-quart casserole dish.
9. Combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese; sprinkle over pasta
10. Bake until top is golden (about 30 mins)

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Layered Taco Dip

This year, the Texas Rangers were lucky and talented enough to go to the World Series.  In fact, this was the second year in a row that the boys played in the World Series, so it was kind of a big deal.  Until last year, the Rangers had never made an appearance in the World Series, and then they went twice.  Andy bought us tickets to go to the World Series Game #5, in Arlington, Texas, on Monday, October 24th, 2011.

Andy and me at the World Series Game 5

I made this Taco Dip to take to work on the morning of October 24th because I was so excited, and I wanted to spread the Rangers spirit.  I figured it was "tailgate-y" and fun and would maybe bring in some Rangers spirit.  I was filling in for our secretary, and I figured I would kick off my secretarial helping with a little bribe in case I messed up. My first day, we had three discharges to complete from over the weekend and three additional discharges to complete by the end of my shift.  Three new patients needed a doctor change, two patients needed to switch rooms, oh, and the PM secretary was sick, so she would not be coming in to fill any gaps I left.  What a first day of filling in!

The. World. Series. !!!!

Every one of my co-workers who saw my dip sitting out sighed and said, "Aww man!  What are you doing to us?  I don't need to eat this all day!"  I promptly assured my peers that the dip was fat-free and they were free to eat all day without feeling like chubby wubbies.

Me, Andy, and Mr. and Mrs. Jennings at the World Series Game 5

After eight crazy-busy hours of secretarying and filling my co-workers with Layered Taco Dip, I headed home to meet Andy and his parents before heading out to the game.  We left for the Ballpark in Arlington at 4:00pm to ensure we got a decent parking spot and avoid the traffic.  Game 5 was AWESOME.  Demi Lovato sang the National Anthem, and Roger Staubach threw out the first pitch.  Thanks to Andy, we had great seats, and we cheered the Rangers on to a 4-2 win over the Cardinals.  Even if we didn't go on to win the World Series, just being a part of the playoffs and going to a World Series game was amazing.  Maybe third time will be a charm, Rangers?  We're still proud of you boys.

Layered Taco Dip

Layered Taco Dip

Kate Strickland

Servings: 25-30; Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 19 for the whole dish

Layered Taco Dip

• 8 oz fat-free cream cheese (the dip is runnier with fat-free cream cheese, so I suggest adding about 2 tbsp flour if your dip seems thin or runny... you can always use higher fat cheese, also)
• 8 oz fat-free sour cream
• 16 oz jar mild salsa
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 2 c iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 2 lg tomatoes, diced
• 1 c fat free shredded cheddar cheese
• (optional) 1 c guacamole, pre-packed or prepared- my recipe here

1. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, and taco seasoning
2. Mix well with an electric mixer (otherwise it'll be chunky)
3. Spread on the bottom of a large shallow glass dish
4. Top with optional guacamole, lettuce, and cheese

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Bourbon Meatballs

It's official: the 2010 football season is over.  We have our Sundays back, yippee! (And Mondays... some Thursdays... occasional Fridays).  At the beginning of the season, the Cowboys had a chance to be the first ever NFL team to play in a Super Bowl in their home stadium.  Then they blew it just as badly as the Longhorns did.  Without the Cowboys, I had no idea who to choose to cheer for in the Super Bowl.  Fort Worth was hosting the Steelers and was decked out in red for the week, but Greenbay was the NFC team... I went with the Packers since they were the NFC team playing.  (Yes, I also just learned what the NFC and AFC were this season thanks to my football-crazed boyfriend).  I threw on my one and only green shirt (even though it is a St. Patty's Day shirt) and headed over to our friends, Clay and Michelle's, house with bourbon meatballs (and a few other items, recipes to come soon) in tow.  Michelle is the one with the DIY blog: click her to check out her recent projects!

It wouldn't be a football game without my mom's bourbon meatballs.  I remember the first time I had them.  I was home for Christmas Break, and I went to my friend, Mason's annual Christmas party.  Let's just say that I had a few whiskey and Dr. Peppers at the party, and I wasn't feeling so hot the next morning.  I woke up on Christmas Eve Day to the smell of bourbon and BBQ wafting through my parents' house.  At the time, I thought I was just dreaming the bourbon/whiskey smell due to the night before, but I stumbled downstairs to find bourbon meatballs on the stove.  The bourbon mostly cooks out, of course, but I could still smell it, and it was surprisingly mouth-watering.  Ever since that morning, I have always tried to have the meatballs at a few football game watching parties each year.   

Bourbon Meatballs
Carolyn Poirot

Bourbon Meatballs

• 1 package (appr. 2 lbs) of meatballs
• 1  bottle of Bar-B-Q sauce
• 1 c bourbon
• 1/2 c honey
• 1/2 c mustard
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire

1. Whisk bbq sauce, bourbon, honey, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a pot on the stove
2. Bring mixture to a boil
3. Turn burner to low
4. Add meatballs
5. Cook at least 30 mins (and up to 6 hours), stirring every now and then to cover the meatballs with sauce

*There won't be enough sauce to cover the meatballs over the top.  This is why you have to stir them and coat them occasionally.

*It is really messy to try to measure out the BBQ sauce so I just dump in the whole bottle.

*Do NOT think: "Oh, I only have 1/2 a cup of bourbon left, I should just use the rest of this in the meatballs."  They will NOT taste good!  I did this once and it was like taking a shot of bourbon with a little bit of meat aftertaste.  Stick with the measurements on this part.

My football crockpot

Texas Caviar

My mom and me walking into my new house!

After I finished my undergraduate work in 2008, I planned to move home to begin graduate school at TCU in the education department.  I was moving back to Fort Worth, and I knew that I was going to need to find a place to live.  As much as I adore my parents, I could not fathom moving back into their house, so I began the long adventure of house hunting.  I spent many weekends back going house to house with a patient real estate agent and even more patient parents.  We probably saw 30 houses, but none of them were quite right.  Finally, my mom suggested that we look a bit farther out where I could get a nicer, newer house for less money.  At first I was hesitant, but then I fell head over heels for what I'd soon after call my home.  It was perfect for me.  A gorgeous backyard, a quaint back patio, three bedroom, two bath, with a country kitchen.  If this house was a food, it would be King Ranch Chicken (low fat, of course)- close to home, but with enough flair and differences to make it my own.

Holiday Cocktail Party 2009 Crew

For the past two Christmases I have had a holiday cocktail party because 1.  I love decorating for the holidays and 2. I will make any excuse to have people over to my sweet little house.  I say "holiday" party in order to be respectful of my Jewish friends (shout out to Sam!), and so everyone will feel welcome (the more the merrier!)  This past year, I decided to turn the party into a potluck dinner and had everyone bring their favorite holiday dishes.  (You know, the classic argument of "my grandma's Christmas cookies are better than your grandma's!"  This potluck put those arguments to an end.)  My kitchen was filled with bourbon meatballs (recipe to come later!), a cheeseball and crackers (Melynda), white cheddar queso (The Cochrans), candied yams (The Settles), chess (no, not cheese- chess) cake (Michael), sugar cookies (mom), about 10 other dishes that I can't remember... and Texas Caviar.  The Texas Caviar was brought by my friend, MaryEllen, who I can't say enough great things about. She's kind of amazing ;-) I was nervous because I figured caviar meant caviar... as in fish eggs... but no no, there is no fish found here.  Texas Caviar is the perfect light dip for any get together, and was the first bowl that was practically licked clean at the holiday party.

Holiday Cocktail Party 2009 Counseling Crew

Recently, we Horned Frogs congregated in the parking lot of Jerryworld for pre-game festivities before the TCU v. Oregon State game.  If you haven't been to the new Cowboys' stadium, go.  It is awesome.  MaryEllen brought Texas Caviar, and, as usual, it was a crowd pleaser.  I'm not sure if we had so many people at the tailgate because of the shade of the tent, the flat screen TV, or the delicious Texas Caviar dip.

TCU v. Oregon State 2010, tailgating group

So whether you make it for a tailgate or game watching party when you're cheering on the Longhorns, Horned Frogs, or Cowboys... or taking it in a fun Christmas bowl (these are cheap cheap by the way at Walmart!) to a holiday party to deck the halls, Texas Caviar is sure have everyone gathered around the food table.

Chris' tailgate setup at the TCU v. Oregon State 2010 game

Texas Caviar
MaryEllen Strong & Debbie Burns

• 2 cans black eyed peas (rinsed and drained)
• 1 can corn (drained)
• 1 red bell pepper (diced/minced)
• 1 bunch green onions (diced/minced)
• 1 small can diced black olives (I leave these out, but they're optional)
• 1 bunch cilantro (finely chopped)
• 3-5 jalapenos diced (or the jalapenos in a jar prediced, 3-5 tbsp)
• 1 bottle of Paul Neumann's Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (to keep this fat free, pick up a bottle of fat-free balsamic vinaigrette instead!)

1. Slice & dice all ingredients above *Hint: if you have a food processor, pulse quickly for a finer consistency.  Be care not to puree because it turns out too soupy.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl
3. Pour in the dressing
4. Mix gently and let stand overnight to marinade
5. Serve with chips or crackers

18 Year Friends at the 2009 Holiday Cocktail party