If there’s one single sporting event every year that’s become a gotta-watch phenom, it’s this coming Sunday’s Super Bowl. Even if you don’t care much or at all for football, even if you downright despise it, even if you’d rather sit and watch cobwebs grow than sit in front of a football game, you go
tta watch it.
And if you don’t know why now, you’ll find out long before game time. Trust me.
So, since you’ll be glued to the tube (except, possibly, when the game itself is actually on), it might be handy to have something to keep your strength up until you, and whoever else has joined, have the time or desire to get dinner together.
Here are two possibilities, then, the first of which is shared by Arlington cook Marcella Henske. It’s a zippy cranberry twist on those popular grape-jelly-sauced cocktail meatballs, and she says it’s taken from “Gooseberry Patch,” adding, “I thought someone might enjoy these for Super Bowl Sunday.”
The second option is courtesy of the folks at Ocean Spray Cranberries and is, of course, another bog-berry specialty, as well something with a whole lot of personality.
Cranberry meatballs
2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup ketchup
Sauce (recipe follows)
In a large bowl, combine the beef, parsley, soy sauce, garlic salt, onion, oats, eggs, pepper and ketchup; mix together thoroughly, then roll into 2-inch balls and arrange in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes; drain.
Meanwhile, prepare sauce and set aside. When meatballs are baked and drained, spoon sauce over them and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.
Makes 42 meatballs.
Sauce
1 can (16 ounces) jellied cranberry sauce
1 bottle (12 ounces) chili sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, sugar and lemon juice, mixing well.
Makes 3 cups.
Kickin’ cranberry-jalapeno poppers
Olive oil
1 pound fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced lengthwise and seeded
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 package (12 ounces) Ocean Spray Craisins (dried cranberries)
8 ounces whole-berry cranberry sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon salt
8-10 round buttery crackers, crushed
Halved bacon slices, preferably apple-bacon
Preheat grill. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Place jalapeno halves on baking sheet. In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, craisins, cranberry sauce, garlic and salt; mix well. Spoon the cranberry mixture into the jalapeno halves. Coat mixture with the crushed crackers. Wrap a half-slice bacon around each filled jalapeno half. Secure with a toothpick, if desired.
Place baking sheet on the grill, cover grill and grill the poppers until the bacon is crispy.
Makes 30 poppers.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
