Pulled Pork Nachos
1/2 - 3/4 cup olive oil
7-8 cloves garlic
2 packets Sazon
3 tablespoons Goya seasoning salt
8 pounds pork shoulder
2 onions, cut into chunks
2 red peppers, cut into chunks
2 jalapeños, sliced in half, seeds removed
2 bay leaves
3-4 cups chicken stock
1. In a food processor, puree olive oil, garlic, Sazon, and 3 tablespoons seasoning salt to form a paste. Rub the paste all over pork shoulder.
2. In a large slow cooker, add onions, peppers, jalapeños, and bay leaves. Place pork into cooker fat-side up. Pour in the chicken stock and make sure meat is covered. Secure tightly with the lid.
3. Set slow cooker on low and cook for 24-36 hours. Check occasionally to add additional stock. The meat must remain covered in liquid. When the meat is falling off the bone, remove it from slow cooker and shred. Remove vegetables and bay leaf from slow cooker. Return shredded meat to slow cooker along with remaining chicken stock. Keep meat on warm.
For homemade tortilla chips:
Yellow corn tortillas
Vegetable oil to fry
1. Cut tortillas into wedges and fry at 350 degrees or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
For the chipotle sour cream:
1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 cups sour cream
ó cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
1. In a food processor, combine 2 chipotle peppers, 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce from the can, sour cream, and mayonnaise. Pulse until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Additional toppings:
Sweet Mama's Mambo Sauce (Spicy or Rag’n Island Style)
Pickled jalapeños
Nacho cheese sauce
To serve:
On a large platter, heap a generous pile of tortilla chips; top with shredded pork, a dollop of chipotle sour cream, and desired additional toppings above.
Philly Cheesesteak Pretzel Bites
1 container store-bought French bread dough
5-minute steaks (quick-cook steaks found in the frozen food section, such as Steak-Ums)
Salt and pepper
Processed cheese in a jar (like Cheez Whiz)
1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 cup melted butter
Coarse sea salt
1. Cook steaks in a skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Add ó-. cup processed cheese. Refrigerate mixture overnight.
2. Take the dough out of the container and cut into 1/2-inch discs. Take a spoon full of cheesesteak mixture, put into the middle of the disk, then roll into a ball.
3. After rolling all of the dough balls (making sure the dough is tight), bring 4 cups of water and baking soda to a boil.
4. Put dough balls into the boiling water, allowing them to come to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon. Cook about 3 dough balls at a time.
5. Place onto parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and top with sea salt.
6. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 16-20 minutes.
Ultimate Stromboli
2 containers store-bought pizza dough
ó pound Capicola ham, thinly sliced
ó pound Genoa salami, thinly sliced
ó pound pepperoni, sliced
1 pound provolone cheese, sliced
Yellow mustard
1 egg, whisked
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Dried Italian seasoning
Garlic salt
Marinara sauce (your preference)
Red pepper flakes
1. Roll out pizza dough into a rectangular shape.
2. On one side of the dough, not in the middle but closer to the edge, start to layer your meats: Capicola, salami, and then pepperoni.
3. Drizzle yellow mustard over top of the meat. Next, add a layer of provolone cheese. Repeat the meat and cheese layer twice, but do not repeat the mustard.
4. Fold over the dough and seal, pinching it with your fingers.
5. Brush on the whisked egg with a pastry brush. Sprinkle top with garlic salt, dried Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
6. While stromboli is baking, warm marinara sauce and add red pepper flakes to your liking. I like mine hot, hot, hot!
Mini Sweet Potato Cheesecakes
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
For the filling:
12 ounces softened cream cheese
1 cup canned sweet potatoes
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a paper cupcake liner in each cup of a standard mini muffin pan.
2. To make the crust: in a food processor, combine gingersnaps, sugar, and melted butter until crumbs are moistened. Press crust into the bottom of each muffin cup (about a teaspoon).
3. Beat cream cheese with a handheld electric mixer until fluffy. Add sweet potatoes and cream together. Next, add white and brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Spoon cream cheese mixture over crust in baking papers. Bake until just set, about 20 minutes.
5. Allow to cool completely before serving. Serve with a small dollop of whipped topping.
Check out more of Jen's favorites in The Game Day Kitchen.
Jen Heasley is the owner of Sweet Mama’s Mambo Sauce and author of Cooking with the Pros where she serves up top athletic personalities and easy, comfort food recipes to the kitchens and couches of sports lovers of all ages. Read more at cookingwiththepros.us