Stuffed Bubble Pizza

This bubble pizza is stuffed with pepperoni and mozzarella and baked in a cast iron skillet for a fun pull-apart dinner.  It's a kid and adult pleaser and the perfect Superbowl snack!

Superbowl Foods Round-up

If you are anything like me, when you think of the Superbowl, you think of food.  Lots and lots of food.  And commercials.  I mean really, isn't that what the Superbowl is all about, food and commercials?  Oh, and maybe some football, if you're really into that sort of thing :) 

In the past, Mike and I have hosted a Superbowl party at our house.  It's filled with food, friends, and laughter.  This year, we're not having a party, but you better believe we'll still be enjoying delicious food.  Here is a round-up of my favorites:

 Superbowl Cookies with Marshmallow Fondant:

 Mini Pizzas:

 Pizza Bites:

Pizza Rolls:

Pepperoni Pizza Bites:

Pepperoni Pretzels:

Fried Dill Pickles:

Pickle Dip:

Baked "Fried" Pickles:

Loaded Potato Skins:

 Pinwheels:

 Bacon Appetizers:

Baked Spinach Cups:

 Jalapeno Poppers:

 Meat Stuffed Jalapenos:

Cheesy Pigs in a Blanket:

 Cheese Twists:

Homemade Cheez-it Crackers:

 Strawberry Mango Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips:

 Tomato, Corn, and Black Brean Salsa:

  Fiesta Dip:

 Texas Caviar:

S'mores Popcorn:

Peanut Butter Fluff:

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Bugles:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Dippers:

 

What are your must-have foods for Superbowl?

Pickle Dip

Last year, Mike and I had a big Super Bowl party with a bunch of our friends.  This year, we decided to keep it simple and just watched the game together.  However, I couldn't resist putting together a fun assortment of food for us to enjoy.  You know that Mike and I love pickles, and so I had a feeling this dip would be a big hit with us.  Mike actually said it was his favorite recipe I made that night!  We've enjoyed this pickle dip a few times in the past few months, and I knew it was a recipe that I had to share with you.  (Better late than never, right?)  If you're a fan of pickles, you're sure to be a fan of this simple and delicious dip!

Pickle Dip

Serves 8

You will need:
1 (8 oz.) block of cream cheese (I used Neufchatel)
1 cup diced dill pickles
1 Tablespoon worchestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon dill pickle juice

Mix all the ingredients together and serve with potato chips.

Source:  Happier Than A Pig In Mud

Super Bowl Cookies with Marshmallow Fondant

Super Bowl Cookies with Marshmallow Fondant

I'm quite proud of these cookies.  They were the result of the second time I've made fondant covered cookies and I couldn't be happier with the results.  In fact, I almost didn't want to eat the cookies because they looked so fun!  My friends thought the same, "but these are too cool to eat!"  By the end of the Super Bowl party, I only had a few left, so they must have overcome that!

I love working with fondant.  I found a great recipe that tastes really good and is super easy to make and work with.  I've had more success working with fondant on cookies than cakes, but that means that I still have work to do.

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how simple it is to make fondant.  It's fun because the possibilities really are endless!  You can decorate cookies, cakes, or cupcakes; you can make fondant confetti or cutouts, just let your imagination go wild!

Alright, enough talking...here's the recipe!

Marshmallow Fondant

You will need:

16 ounces large marshmallows
3 Tablespoons water (you might need a little more)
2 pounds powdered sugar
1/2 cup shortening

1.  Place marshmallows and water in a large microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds.  Remove from microwave and stir.  Continue microwaving in 30 second increments and stirring until marshmallow mixture is melted and smooth.

2.  Generously grease your work area (I just use my kitchen counter) with shortening.

3.  Pour almost half (about 2 cups) of the powdered sugar onto your greased surface.  This is a messy task, but so worth it! Spread it out so you have about a 12 inch by 12 inch area of sugar (it should be pretty thickly covered).

4.  Dump marshmallow mixture onto powdered sugar.

5.  Pour more powdered sugar on top of marshmallow mixture (I use most of the remaining powdered sugar in this step, I usually leave about 1 to 1-1/2 cups to add in later).

6.  Generously grease your hands with shortening.  You want to be completely covered.

7.  Begin kneading marshmallow and powdered sugar together like you would dough.  Continue kneading, adding in remaining powdered sugar.  Grease your hands and counter as necessary to prevent fondant from sticking.

8.  Knead until fondant is smooth and elastic .  It should stretch without tearing.

9.  If you plan to color your fondant, divide into balls for each color.  Add food coloring (I used gel) and knead until evenly distributed.  I made my brown fondant by adding in 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and a tiny amount of water.

10.  Wrap fondant in plastic and let it sit overnight before using.  If you plan on storing it for a longer period of time, coat fondant with a thin layer of shortening before wrapping.  Then place in a plastic bag and store in your fridge (bring to room temperature before using). If you want to use the fondant right away, you can, just make sure it's well blended.

11.  When you're ready to use your fondant, roll it to 1/8 inch thick.  Then cut into desired shapes.  I spread a very thin layer of light corn syrup over each cookie before placing the fondant on the cookie. I've also used a thin layer of white frosting to adhere fondant to cookies.  Both ways worked well.

I used my favorite Sugar Cookie recipe.
The details on my cookies are made with Royal Icing.

Superbowl Round-up~~Spinach Dip

Spinach Dip (2/6/11)

I really don't know if this needs much of an explination...really...spinach dip.  It's just so good!  I went back for food probably 3 times during the Superbowl game, and every time, this dip was on my plate!  I do have to say, I was pretty happy that there was a little bit leftover after the party, so I could enjoy it the next day!

You will need:
1 8 oz package cream cheese (I actually used Neufchatel)
1/2 cup mayonaise (I used light)
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 package frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and chopped
1 cup cheese crumbles (I cut a block of cheese into small pieces)

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate!

Superbowl Round-up~~Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels (2/6/11)

Everyone loved these pretzels!  The hint of sweetness from the sugar, spiciness from the cinnamon, and saltiness from the, you guessed it!, salt makes for such a delicious treat.

You will need:

1/2 bag pretzels

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

olive oil

1.  Spread pretzels on a cookie sheet.

2.  Mix cinnamon and sugar together.

3.  Drizzle olive oil over pretzels.  Toss with your hands to ensure even coverage.

4.  Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over pretzels.

5.  Bake at 300 for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Superbowl Round-up~~Peanut Butter Cup Bars

Peanut Butter Cup Bars (2/6/11)

I love peanut butter cups.  Seriously, for Christmas Mike put a ton of them in my stocking, and I was one happy camper!  I love making peanut butter bars and I think this is my best version yet!  It was a huge hit at our party and I had to send some home with my friend so I'd stop eating them :)

You will need:
3/4 cup margarine, divided
1-3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter (I used creamy but you can use chunky just as well!)
3/4 cup crushed pretzels
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1.  Line an 8x8 pan with foil.

2.  In a microwave safe bowl, melt 1/2 cup of the margarine. 

3.  Stir in powdered sugar until smooth.

4.  Add in peanut butter and crushed pretzels and stir until completely combined.

5.  Spread peanut butter mixture into foil lined pan.

6.  In a microwave safe bowl, melt remaining 1/4 cup of the margarine.

7.  Add chocolate and stir until melted.  You might need to put it back in the microwave for 15 seconds if the chips won't melt completely.

8.  Pour chocolate over peanut butter layer and smooth.

9.  Refrigerate at least an hour, until set.

10.  Remove from pan using the foil as a "handle" and cut with a pizza cutter.

If you have any leftovers, you'll want to store them in the fridge!

Superbowl Round-up~~Pizza Bites

Pizza Bites (2/6/11)

 Our Superbowl party was a huge success!  We had a ton of fun and a lot of food!  Over the next few days I'll be sharing recipes for the foods I served.  First up, pizza bites!

I first made these pizza bites for game night with our friends, but I didn't have time to take a picture.  They went over so well, everyone loved them.  I knew they would be making the cut for our Superbowl menu.  I made a double batch, so I ended up with about 56 little bites, and by the end of the night they were all gone!!!  These are so easy to make and absolutely delicious!

You will need:

3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

30 pieces of pepperoni, cut into 6 pieces

1 cup pizza sauce

1.  Mix together flour, baking powder, milk, egg, salt, seasoning, cheese, and pepperoni.

2.  Let it stand for 10 minutes.

3.  Stir batter and drop by the tablespoon into greased mini muffin cups.

4.  Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, until puffed and golden.

5.  Serve with warmed pizza sauce for dipping!

Super Bowl is Tomorrow!

Is it bad that I wanted to host a Super Bowl party just so I could make a ton of food?  :)  No, I don't think so either!  I spent the majority of the day in the kitchen today;  most of it was spent making these incredible cookies!  I used my go-to sour cream sugar cookie, covered it with a marshmallow fondant, and then decorated it with royal icing.  I was thrilled with the results, especially since it's only my first time working with royal icing! 

These were so much fun to make!  I'll be posting the recipe for them soon!

Here's my Super Bowl menu (sorry, no recipes yet but they're coming!  I should have planned ahead and made the recipes to post on here before hand!)

Super Bowl Sugar Cookies

Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

Peanut Butter Cup Bars

Spinach Dip with Crackers

Vegetable Dip with Chips and Carrots

Pizza Bites

Lil' Smokies in BBQ sauce

Pink Drink

Chimichangas and Taquitos (a friend is bringing these!)

What are you doing for Super Bowl?