Make dishes ahead for televised games

Whenever your team — the WSU Cougars or the UW Huskies, not to mention our own Seattle Seahawks — is playing an away game, you can always decide to pass on serving any homemade football food that day, and just make a pizza call.

Or there’s the option play. That’s the one where you periodically make a run from the TV to the kitchen and back again, handing off servings of this or that, homemade by you ahead of time, or readymade by somebody else and ready to go.

If opting for the homemade-readymade plan appeals to you, here are two possibilities.

The first, a seafood and cracker snacker to keep body and soul together until the eventual real meal, is yet another creation shared by that clever, crafty Camano Island cook Susan Bender.

The funky bean combo, on the other hand, is designed to tackle any open spots in the dinner lineup. It comes to us courtesy of the National Honey Board.

While this recipe doesn’t actually say so, I don’t see any reason not to make it ahead of time, long before the game begins, and then just reheat when it’s time to eat.

Susan’s shrimp and crab dip

2packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, at room temperature

12cup sour cream, at room temperature

14cup mayonnaise

2tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2large cloves garlic, minced

2tablespoons minced fresh parsley

2tablespoons minced fresh chives

Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces to taste

1pound cooked shrimp and fresh crab combined, chilled and chopped

Garnish: 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill

Crackers and fresh baguette slices

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, chives and Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces, mixing until smooth and creamy. Gently fold in the shrimp and crab. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon minced dill to garnish, then cover and chill.

Serve with crackers and baguette slices.

Football barbecued beans

2tablespoons olive oil

2cups chopped onion

1can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning, undrained

1can (15 ounces) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

1can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

13cup honey (see note)

12cup mesquite barbecue sauce

2tablespoons instant coffee granules

12tablespoon liquid hot-pepper sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large saucepan; add onion and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with liquid, kidney, black and pinto beans, tomato sauce, honey, barbecue sauce, coffee granules and hot sauce. Mix well and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Note: Honey should not be fed to infants under 1 year of age.

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