EASY PARTY THEME: HOST A CHILI COOKOFF!

Are you ready for some football? Get the whole gang together and host a chili cook-off!

Bring a “throwdown” to your tailgate or your kitchen as the competition heats up when guests battle for first place with their best chili recipes. You might even make it an annual event with a "traveling" award that goes from winner to winner each year.

One of the easiest parties to host for every occasion from game day to neighborhood get-togethers... a chili cook off can become an annual event with big bragging rights on the line!

THE HOW-TO: Send out invitations or call your guests to issue the “cook-off” challenge. 

Your guests should bring their best chili concoction in a crock pot or slow cooker. Iinclude printed copies of the recipe to share with other guests, if desired.  

When the guests turn in the chili, number or name it for voting and make up a ballot. Ask everyone to taste and vote for their favorite. Award prizes for first, second, and third place.

1. Decorations for can be as simple as football themed plates and napkins. Instead of flowers, get a simple flowering plant at the grocery. Set out bowls, serving spoons, lots of napkins, and have kitchen wipes on hand for drips and spills.
2. Have other munchies to have on hand for snacking.
3. Use bowls and trays for snacks instead of their original packaging.
4. Pass snacks for guests glued to the game.

Make up ballots and award prizes. If it is an annual event, create a trophy that can be passed down from year to year.

Make a condiment station with different types of crackers, Fritos, grated chesses, sour cream, chopped scallions and peppers, chopped onion, Tabasco or other hot sauces, etc.

Set up a condiment station with hot sauces, crackers, and other toppings.

Ham Delights are one of those recipes I've been making for 20+ years and still get requests for all the time. People never get tired of them!

Find a good spot to set up the bar; make sure it is away from the food to avoid congestion. Bloody Marys are a good choice for this party. Ice down some beer or wine and your bar is set.

RECIPE: WHITE CHOCOLATE ALMOND BREAD PUDDING

One of my favorite flavor combinations; white chocolate and almond pair so well together. You can substitute chocolate and pecans or any flavors you like with this custard. The key to decadent bread pudding is to make sure the bread is suspended in the custard and to bake it in a covered water bath so that it helps keep the pudding moist.

White Chocolate Almond Bread Pudding is easy and always a hit!

WHITE CHOCOLATE ALMOND BREAD PUDDING

INGREDIENTS

8 eggs, beaten

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

4 cups heavy cream

1 ½ pounds bread cubed and lightly toasted

1 cup (8 ounces) white chocolate, chopped

Pinch kosher salt

1 tablespoon vanilla

½ teaspoon Amaretto or almond extract

1tablespoon ground cinnamon

Pinch nutmeg

1 ½ cups sliced toasted almonds

 INSTRUCTIONS

For the custard: Mix all together except the almonds.  Push the cubed bread down into the mixture. It should be light on bread, heavy on custard. Let it sit as long as possible before you bake; even overnight is okay. Before baking, pull a piece of the bread apart to see if it is soaked through.

To Assemble: Use heatproof ramekins. The bread should be suspended in the custard, not dry. Start with a layer of nuts on the bottom. Using your hand, pick up the bread from the custard and add that next. Continue to layer the nuts and bread and pour custard over the top, filling about ¾ full.

To bake: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Use a water bath to cook the puddings so they don’t dry out. Fill a pitcher with warm water. Put the ramekins in pan with high sides. Fill the pan ½ full with the warm water but take care not to get water into the ramekins.

Cover the pan with 3 layers of plastic wrap. Don’t use foil. You need to be able to see the ramekins. If you lift it, you will remove the steam. Bake at 300 for 30-35 minutes.

Serve warm. Pour over some heavy cream flavored with a bit of Amaretto if you want or shave some white chocolate over the top. Delicious. 

RECIPE: POTATO AND ONION GRATIN; COMFORT FOOD TO FEED A FEW OR A CROWD

I love recipes that can feed a few folks or easily expand to feed an army on the cheap. Well, this is one of those dishes, it is comforting, delicious, so easy to make... best of all, it's so affordable, you can feed a huge crowd for not very much money. Yes, Parmegano-Reggiano is expensive so substitute something else if you must. This is really one of those recipes you will go to time and again. You remember how Bob Tuschman, the head honcho at Food Network said my food was like hot cocoa and warm flannel pajamas? Well, this dish is just that. Get ready to blow the diet; you might eat the whole thing!

Easy and affordable, a potato and onion gratin can feed a few people or a huge crowd!

POTATO AND ONION GRATIN

Serves 6   Prep: 15

Bake: 1 hour

 INGREDIENTS

3-4 large potatoes, peeled and sliced about 1/4 inch thick

1 medium yellow onion, sliced extremely thin

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt

½ teaspoon white pepper

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plus 2 tablespoons for the top

3 tablespoons grated Gruyere cheese or any other cheese that melts nicely

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup milk (use low fat or whole, it doesn’t matter. I use 2%)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350° F

Slice the potatoes and rinse. Keep them in water until you assemble the dish. Mix the salt, pepper, and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Liberally grease the bottom of a 12-inch casserole or gratin dish with the butter.

Drain the potatoes. Blot excess moisture with a paper towel. Arrange a layer of potatoes, overlapping them slightly on the bottom of the dish. Season with thesalt and pepper mixture. Add a very thin layer of onion, do not overlap. Add half of the cheese. Add another layer of potatoes. Season each potato layer with the salt mixture. Add the remaining cheese on top. There should be at least three layers, ending with the cheese on top. You may have more, depending on the size of the dish you used.

Mix the milk and the cream together. Carefully pour the cream mixture into the dish, taking care not to pour on the top of the cheese so that it goes down into the bottom of the dish. NOTE: You may not need the full 1 1/4 cups, based on the size dish you use. AND you can always omit the milk if you want a richer sauce.

Bake for 1 hour or until the potatoes are very soft, the milk is absorbed and the top is golden brown and delicious. It tastes best if allowed to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.