Super Bowl Snacks Part 2

 

PART TWO

Hot Rueben Dip 

Cook's Notes: No need to wait for a March date to serve a dip with an Irish twist. 

Hot Reuben Dip is like a deconstructed Reuben sandwich, all magnificently reborn into a baked, ooey-gooey, cheesy dip. You’ll love this hot appetizer and warning-it's addictive! 
Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
• 2 cups shredded corned beef
• 1 pkg. 6 oz. lite cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup Thousand Island dressing
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup lite mayonnaise
• Optional 1 small can sauerkraut, drained very well (place in strainer to press out liquid)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• In a large bowl, beat all the ingredients until smooth. Transfer mixture to a serving dish that can be placed in the oven (a greased glass pie pan works well)
• Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until dip is bubbling and nicely browned.
• Serve with toasted cocktail-size rye bread and/or Triscuit crackers.

Perfect party food for a crowd The Cuban Sandwich. 

Makes 8 mini sandwiches and the recipe comes from the CHOW

Rumored to have originated in Cuba or Key West, the Cuban sandwich migrated to Tampa, Florida, and eventually to Miami, growing in popularity along the way. It’s traditionally made with Cuban bread, but Italian or ciabatta bread is an easy-to-find substitute. Ham, roasted pork loin, Swiss cheese, pickles, and yellow mustard are the most common ingredients in a proper Cuban sandwich, but mayo and salami are also common additions. 

For ease of preparation, the assembled loaf is cut in half here, each half is wrapped in foil, and a heavy pot or pan is placed on top to compress the sandwich while it’s toasting. If you have a panini maker, it would work for this toasting. 
Ingredients:

• 1 (1-pound) loaf Italian or ciabatta bread
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise 
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 8 ounces thinly sliced deli ham
• 8 ounces thinly sliced deli roasted pork loin
• 8 ounces thinly sliced Swiss cheese
• 4 whole dill pickles, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick), melted

Directions:

• Heat the oven to 200°degrees and arrange a rack in the middle.
• Cut the loaf of bread in half horizontally and open it up like a book. Spread the mayonnaise/mustard on the bottom piece of bread.
• Evenly place the ham and roasted pork on top of the mayonnaise, then cheese and pickles on the meat.
• Close the sandwich. Press gently on the top to compact the sandwich slightly. Cut it in half crosswise; set both halves aside.
• Lay 2 (20-inch-long) sheets of aluminum foil on a work surface. Brush half of the melted butter on the tops of the sandwiches. Place each sandwich butter-side down on the sheets of foil. Brush the bottoms of the sandwiches with the remaining butter. Fold the foil around the sandwiches to completely encase them.
• Heat a large frying pan on low heat until hot, about 4 minutes. Place 1 wrapped sandwich in the pan. Place a cast-iron skillet, Dutch oven, or heavy pot on the sandwich, push down on the skillet or pot to further compact the cubano, and cook undisturbed for 10 minutes.
• Remove the skillet or pot, flip the sandwich, and place the skillet or pot back on top of it. Cook undisturbed until the cheese has melted and the sandwich is warmed through, about 10 minutes more. 
• Remove to the oven and repeat with the second sandwich. When both are ready, remove the foil, cut into pieces, and serve.

Well, I was saving these cupcakes for Sunday's big game for you. Perhaps someone there may need a day brightener. I believe a cupcake can do just that.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Icing
Cook's Notes: Imagine making a moist, chocolaty cupcake with a ganache topping and no mixer is needed. It's easy, tasty and your day will rock with just one slice.
Recipe from recipecritic.com and makes 10 cupcakes. The batter also does "double duty" as a cake baked in a 8 x 8 baking pan for about 22 minutes.  
Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder e.g. Hersheys
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup coffee, cooled
• ½ cup buttermilk
• Optional 1 tablespoon Kahlua 
• ¼ cup vegetable or canoa oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:

• 4 oz. heavy whipping cream ½ cup
• 4 oz. dark chocolate melting wafers or your preferred chocolate e.g. 1 bar Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate, broken into small pieces

Cupcake Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place paper cupcake liners in a 12-cup regular sized muffin pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together coffee and buttermilk. Whisk in the vegetable oil, then egg and vanilla. Add Kahlua if using. Beat until thoroughly combined.
• Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Then fold into the liquid mixture. Add salt and sugar and whisk until a smooth batter forms.
• Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup and add batter to each of 10 cupcake liners. Fill up batter to the top of the muffin well.  
• Bake 22-24 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and remove each cupcake. Set on a wire rack to cool completely. Add a sheet of wax paper under the cooling rack. When the cupcakes cooled, spoon the ganache frosting over them. 
• Place cupcakes back into the muffin tin.

Chocolate Ganache Directions:

• Microwave the cream in a heat-proof vessel for 50 - 55 seconds, watching it during the last few seconds to ensure it doesn’t boil over.
• Add the broken pieces of chocolate to a small mixing bowl and pour the hot cream over them. Allow it to stand for a minute or two, then whisk until the chocolate has melted completely and the mixture is smooth. Let the ganache cool completely until it thickens but is still pourable.
• The icing sets up fast, so only do 2 cupcakes at a time. Drizzle the ganache over the top and add sprinkles. Refrigerate the muffin pan with the cupcakes for 30 minutes to set the icing.
  
  ENJOY THE GAME!