The Big Game is no time to drop the ball.
Seriously, there’s no excuse not to cook for the hugest sporting event of the year. It couldn’t be simpler. Everyone is glued to the TV—especially the commercials—and they will eat whatever is put in front of them and be happy about it. This is not the night for knife and fork, and certainly not for your best china.
So grab a case of beer, whip up a few easy dishes that everyone will enjoy, and don’t miss a minute of the game. And FYI: Don’t bother counting calories tonight or you’ll be sorry.
Muffuletta
Serves 6-8
You can get fancy and make your own olive salad the night before, or buy a jar at the store. We won’t tell. Just allow a half hour to weight and refrigerate the mighty big sandwich.
Olive Salad
- 1 cup each pitted green and black olives, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces jarred, roasted red peppers, drained, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 4 ounces jarred, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 tablespoon drained tiny capers
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
For the sandwich:
- 1 large round Italian or French-style bread
- 1/2 pound each thinly sliced mortadella, provolone cheese and salami
Directions:
1. Drain the olive salad, and reserve marinade.
2. Cut the loaf of bread in half horizontally and remove most of the interior, both top and bottom, leaving a bread shell that’s at least 1/2-inch thick.
3. Brush bread interior with some of reserved marinade. Spread half of the olive salad in the bottom half of the bread. Evenly arrange layers of the mortadella, then the cheese, then the salami over the olive salad. Top with remaining olive salad and place top half of bread shell over the top.
4. Wrap the muffuletta in plastic wrap and place between two plates. Weight with several heavy cans on top plate (tomato or soup cans work well) and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Unwrap sandwich and cut into wedges.
Spicy ‘n’ Sweet Wings
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup honey (not the flavored kind, just straight-up Sue Bee works well)
- 1/3 cup hot pepper sauce (Tabasco always works, try their garlic flavored, or sub in your fave)
- 5 pounds mixed chicken wings and drumettes
Directions:
1. In large bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey and hot sauce. Put aside 1/4 cup of marinade in separate bowl for basting. Add wings to marinade in large bowl and toss well to coat. Pour wings and marinade into gallon-size plastic Ziploc bag. Seal and set into a large bowl just in case. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
2. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove bag from fridge and transfer wings to a rimmed baking sheet. Discard excess marinade. Bake wings in preheated oven for 30 minutes, and then baste every 10 minutes with reserved marinade until chicken is cooked through, about 20-30 more minutes.
3. You can serve them straight from the oven, or make a day ahead and rewarm, covered in silver foil, in a 350-degree oven. Of course, you can also serve them whenever you want, ‘cuz they’re delish at room temp, too.
