It's our favorite weekend for saucy snacks and prime commercial viewing. . . Oh, and football. What are your plans for game day? Will you host a viewing party potluck? Or, will you keep it small, perhaps with a bowl of chili and topping bar. No matter your plans, you need some sustenance to fuel your cheers and jeers. A few signature qualities come to mind when we think of game day snacks: Ones served hot or warm are ideal, they should carry some spice, and—because it's still sweater weather—make them a little indulgent.
We're unleashing gourmet ingredients to level up this year's game day snacks. With specialty cured meats, Charleston-made hot sauce, and craft pickles, these snack recipes will score the touchdown.
Make blue cheese dressing: In a large mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, blue cheese, garlic, lemon, and Worcestershire. Leave at room temperature
In a separate bowl, toss tomatoes with salt and pepper. Leave at room temperature to let marinate, about one hour.
Place cast iron pan over grill, add bacon and grill until crispy, about 8 minutes.
Assemble: Spread blue cheese dressing on piece of romaine, add tomatoes and bacon.
Garnish with green bell pepper, basil, and oregano
Directions
Make butter: In a food processor, combine butter, hot sauce, garlic, lemon zest and pulse until butter is a uniform shade of pale pink. Set aside mixture in refrigerator.
Prepare oysters: Heat grill to high, and set oysters on the grill grate, cooking about a dozen at a time. Top each with about ½ teaspoon of butter, taking care not to overfill the shell. Cook until the butter and oyster liquor bubble but the oyster is still plump, about two to three minutes. Transfer hot oysters to a platter lined with crumpled foil (to help keep the shells upright) and serve immediately with more hot sauce and lemon wedges.
In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat 2 inches of peanut oil to 350.
Place the flour and cornmeal in separate bowls, and mix in salt and pepper to each. Dredge individual pickle slices through flour, then egg, then cornmeal. Put aside until ready to cook.
Working in batches, fry the pickles until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
