By Naomi Guidry

nguidry@americanpress.com

Football is king in the South. That makes Super Bowl Sunday basically a national holiday.

The food at your game day party is just as important as the game itself.

Among the recipe collections found on the Tabasco website is a collection with game day recipes.

Spicy Pizza Dip

2 tsp Tabasco Original Red Sauce

1 cup ricotta cheese

½ cup cream cheese

1 cup mozzarella

½ cup marinara sauce

2 teaspoons fresh oregano

16 slices of pepperoni (optional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine Tabasco Sauce, ricotta, cream cheese and mozzarella. Set aside.

Combine marinara and oregano. Set aside.

Layer the dip by placing the ricotta blend in the bottom of a baking dish. Top with seasoned marinara and the optional pepperoni slices, if desired.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until warmed through. Serve with slices of garlic bread, toast or pita chips.

Baked Hot
Chicken Poppers

2 tablespoons Tabasco Original Red Sauce

1⁄4 cup Tabasco Original Red Sauce

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1⁄2-1 inch chunks

1⁄4 cup buttermilk

1⁄4 cup pickle juice

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon pepper

1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder

1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder

1⁄4 cup butter

1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar

1⁄2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder

Cilantro, for garnish

Ranch, for serving

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 400 F and line a 9-by-13 baking sheet with a silicone mat (or parchment paper) and place a wire cooling rack on top. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine chicken with 2 tablespoons Tabasco Sauce, buttermilk, pickle juice and salt. Marinate 30 minutes at room temperature. Drain marinade and set chicken aside.

In another large bowl, combine panko, flour, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.

Place drained chicken into panko mixture and use a spoon to fully coat each piece. Place chicken onto prepared baking sheet. Bake in pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until chicken has cooked through.

Remove from oven and place into a large bowl. Place 1⁄4 cup Tabasco Sauce, butter, vinegar, Worcestershire, sugar and garlic powder into a small saucepan.

Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour sauce over cooked chicken and toss to combine.

Garnish with cilantro, if desired, and serve with ranch.

John T. Edge Burger II

For John T. Seasoning:

4 tablespoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons ground black pepper

2 tablespoons garlic powder

For Burger:

1⁄4 teaspoon Tabasco Original Red Sauce

11⁄4 pound ground beef, formed into 4 balls

1 medium yellow onion, shaved as thin as possible

12 slices American Cheese

4 sesame seed burger buns, halved

2 cups iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced

1 cup dill pickle juice

1⁄4 cup yellow mustard

Directions: For John T. Seasoning, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.

On a hot grill or hot grill pan, place the burger balls and use a spatula to smash the burger balls until they form thick patties. Season with 1⁄4 of the John T. Seasoning. Grill for 2-3 minutes.

Top the patties with onions and smash again to work the onions into the meat. Season the onions with 1⁄4 of the John T. Seasoning and flip the burgers.

Smash the burgers a third time to form a thin patty on top of the onions. Add 1⁄4 of the seasoning and top each burger with 3 slices of cheese. Cover and cook 3-4 minutes. The cheese should melt onto the grill pan and become crispy.

Pull the burgers from the grill pan and allow to rest.

While the burgers rest, toast each half of the buns face side down on a grill pan, about 1-2 minutes or until golden.

In a small bowl, combine the lettuce, pickle juice, Tabasco Sauce, and remaining John T. Seasoning and mix well.

Once the buns are toasted, add yellow mustard to each half. Assemble by placing the dressed lettuce on top of each burger and placing burgers on buns. Enjoy.

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For more game day recipes, visit https://www.tabasco.com/recipe/collection/game-day.