If you’re coming down with or maybe already suffering from a case of cabin fever — but you could get out and make a quick grocery run — we might have come up with a couple of yippy-skippy cooking projects to keep us busy and happy at least temporarily.
Both can be made right now and then frozen until you want or need them. Both would be super to serve for this year’s upcoming Super Bowl Sunday, supplying you with both an appetizer and an after-the-game meal mainstay.
The first is a snappy takeoff on those everybody-loves-‘em Buffalo wings, delivered to our mouths in a meatball.
Meatball gurus Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow of the Meatball Shop say these are a top seller and were willing to pass the recipe along, where we picked it up at www.epicurious.com.
The second recipe makes a traditional pot of chili but — whoa, mama — with just a few changes that turn it from ordinary (no matter how good) into extraordinarily delicious.
Prepared exactly as directed, the folks at canolainfo.org list this as heart healthy, always an added bonus, especially when something tastes this good.
Don’t even think about using anything but dark stout beer, and don’t skimp on the red onion and lime juice on the top, either.
Mini Buffalo chicken balls
2tablespoons vegetable oil
4tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce or any other favorite hot sauce
1pound ground chicken, preferably thigh meat
1egg
1/2 rib celery, minced
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1teaspoon salt
Blue cheese dressing
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle the oil into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface; set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the butter and hot sauce and cook over low heat, whisking until butter is melted and fully incorporated. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool for 10 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the hot sauce mixture, ground chicken, egg, celery, bread crumbs and salt and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.
Roll the mixture into round, 3/4-inch balls, making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place balls in the prepared dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. Meatballs should be touching each other.
Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving. Serve with blue cheese dressing. Makes about 40 meatballs.
To make ahead: Make sure the meatballs are fully cooked (otherwise, they fall apart when thawed) and cooled. Wrap well and freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat, the meatballs can be cooked in a microwave for 4 minutes (add 2 minutes more cooking time if they are frozen) or turn into a baking pan, add 3 tablespoons water, cover and bake at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Deep, dark and stout chili
2tablespoons canola oil, divided
1pound extra-lean lean ground beef (see note)
1can (about 15.5 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained (see note)
2cups diced green bell peppers
1cup diced red onion
3cans (14.5 ounces each) no-salt-added stewed tomatoes
1bottle (12 ounces) dark stout beer
3tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1tablespoon sodium-free beef bouillon granules
1teaspoon salt
Toppings:
1/2cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1medium lime, cut into 6 wedges
Note: If desired, use 1 1/2 pounds extra-lean ground beef and omit the kidney beans.
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