Korean “강남 가라오케 Style” star, Psy, was recently on the Ellen show teaching Ellen and Brittany Spears how to do the Gangnam Style dance. As Psy described it, the mindset of Gangnam Style is “dress classy and dance cheesy.” That style is the perfect way to approach this fall’s entertaining season. With football parties galore, the cheesy is everywhere. From the literal cheesy ingredients in favorites like wings with blue cheese, to the figuratively cheesy favorites like chips and dip, the cheese is a no-brainer.
The twist to making your football party food stand out from the rest will come with “dressing classy.” That doesn’t mean bedazzling your favorite team’s jersey with rhinestones or wearing your newest skinny jeans, but by dressing up your favorite football foods. You can give your party all the cheese of a Kardashian, with the class of Kate Middleton in these four simple steps.
1. Dress Up Your Beer in a Frosted Mug.
Forgo the bottle and pre-freeze glassware for a simple, yet classy look to this football staple. First, find sturdy, glass beer mugs or pint glasses. Make sure they are clean, but not warm to prevent cracks. (Tip: Thicker glass creates a better frost.) Submerge them in cool water, then empty the glasses, but do not shake or wipe them. Store them in an area of your freezer where they won’t touch each other and freeze for a couple of hours. When your guests arrive, pour a cold beer into a frosty mug and class up this football basic!
2. Caramelize your Onion Dip.
Taking the time to caramelize the onions takes this old standard from cheesy to classy. Grab your favorite onion dip recipe, but add an hour of prep time for caramelizing. Peel and dice the onions as you normally would. In a large skillet, heat olive oil (about 1 Tbsp oil per 1lb of onions). Toss the diced onions into the oil and cook on medium-low heat for about 45 minute to an hour (until the onions are a golden brown color). Cool the now-caramelized onions to room temperature and continue with the rest of your recipe for a classier take on chips and onion dip.
3. Skewer the Sausage and Peppers.
Did you know that Paula Deen’s first professional cooking venture was a catering company called “The Bag Lady?” Talk about going from cheesy to classy! She dressed up her career to include the famous “The Lady and Sons” restaurant just like she dressed up this football favorite. Formerly messy sausage and pepper sandwiches are reborn into a class-act as kebabs. For Paula’s recipe, you’ll need one bottle of dark beer, 1/3 cup of molasses, ¼ cup packed brown sugar, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 Tbsp hot mustard, 1 tsp salt, 2 lbs kielbasa cut into 1-inch pieces, 1 lg onion cut into 1-inch pieces, and 2 lg red bell peppers also cut into 1-inch pieces.
Combine the first six ingredients in a bowl. Place the sausage, onion, and peppers into a zipper bag and pour the beer mixture over all. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Discard the marinade and alternate the sausage, peppers, and onion onto skewers. Then broil or grill 10-15 mins, until the sausage is browned and the veggies are tender, turning for even cooking. Messy sausage and peppers is now a classy dish!
4. Go Boneless with the Buffalo Wings.
Every football party needs great wings, but they can get awfully messy, which can ruin your classy look. Try going the boneless route with chicken tenders so guests don’t need to work as hard to get to the good stuff. Martha Stewart shares her recipe for this classy classic on her website, but you can get the same results by using your favorite wing sauce and blue cheese dip. Just remember to use high-quality boneless chicken breast meat to achieve a classy twist on wings.
