Fast & Easy Pantry Superbowl Snacks

It’s a few hours before the big game, but you still don’t know what to do for snacks?  Maybe you didn’t make it to the store, or maybe you just got too busy to think about it.  Whatever the reason, don’t worry, all is not lost.  I’ve got a few easy ideas using items you probably have on hand in your kitchen.  

Pigs in a blanket

1 package of hot dogs or cooked sausage

1 roll of Crescents (Pillsbury)

Ketchup (optional)

Mustard (optional)

Pre-heat oven according to Crescent roll package.  Open and unroll Crescent rolls onto a clean working surface. Separate them according to the perforations. Spread a light amount of ketchup and mustard (if using) only on the wide end of each roll.  Place one sausage or hot dog at the wide end of each roll and roll them up. 

Place them on a lined or sprayed baking sheet a few inches apart. 

Bake according to package directions.  Let cool for 5 minutes and then cut them to size.  Serve with more ketchup and mustard, melted cheese, BBQ sauce, or hot sauce. 

Cheese dip

1 Eight ounce box of Velveeta

½ cup of Rotel tomatoes drained or ½ cup of salsa excess liquid drained

½ cup of cooked sausage or left-over cooked meat chopped fine (optional).

1 scallion, sliced thin keeping white and green parts separate (optional)

Place all ingredients, except the green parts of the scallions, in a bowl and microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring after every 30 seconds, until Velveeta is completely melted. Stir thoroughly and sprinkle the top with scallion greens. Serve immediately. If it gets too cool and starts to be hard to dip, microwave for 30 seconds, and stir.

Variation:  Omit Salsa/Rotel and meat and stir in a can of chili instead.

Air Fryer Taquitos

1 ½ – 2 cups of left-over cooked meat and/or cooked veggies

1 cup of shredded Cheddar, Monterey, Gouda, Colby or Taco blend cheese

4-8 inch flour or corn tortillas as needed

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 tsp ground garlic

Jarred sliced hot peppers (optional)

Mix meat and/or veggies with cumin, chili powder, and garlic.  Mix in hot peppers if using.  If the mixture is too dry, add 1 Tablespoon of water at a time. It should be moist but not dripping.  Put cheese on one end of a tortilla, place meat/veggie mixture on top of the cheese, place a little more cheese on top and roll up.  Depending on the size of your tortilla, you should have about 3 Tablespoons of filling (including the cheese) in the tortilla, don’t overfill.  You should be able to roll it easily.  Place seam side down in a single layer in the air fryer basket.  Repeat until all the filling is used.  Spray Taquitos with oil spray and air fry on 380 for 6-8 minutes until light brown and crisp.  Cool for 2-3 minutes before biting in; they will be very hot inside.  You can serve salsa, sour cream, guacamole on the side for dipping. 

Buffalo Cauliflower or Brussel Sprouts

2 cups of Cauliflower florets (can be frozen)

Or 

2 cups of cleaned, trimmed, and cut in half Brussel sprouts

Frank’s Original Hot Sauce or Buffalo Sauce

Ranch or Bleu cheese Dressing

Pre-heat oven to 375.

Place Cauliflower or Brussel sprouts in a Microwave safe bowl with a lid and add ¼ cup of water (if using frozen, don’t add any water), cover and microwave for 3-4 minutes or until a fork offers only slight resistance.  

Transfer to a strainer and drain off any liquid.

In a large bowl, Toss Cauliflower or Brussel sprouts in Frank’s until well coated.  Transfer to a lined and sprayed sheet pan.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until they are brown.  Check after 10 minutes.

Serve with Ranch or Bleu cheese dressing for dipping.

Crab Cakes

These crab cakes are a great way to help kick the winter blues. They have fresh flavors that will soon have you imagining yourself al Fresca dining with a cold glass of Prosecco in the warm sun. They are easy to make and cook quickly. Enjoy them with a salad of spring mix and vinaigrette for a light summer style meal any time of year.

Crab Cakes

Makes 4-5

Zest (grated or chopped super fine) & juice of 1 Lemon

1 tsp prepared horseradish

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp ground mustard

1/3 cup mayonnaise or 1/3 cup tartar sauce

Fresh breadcrumbs from 1 slice of white bread

1 dash Tabasco or to taste

1 dash Old Bay seasoning or to taste

1 dash Worcestershire sauce or to taste

2 Tablespoons chopped chives

¼ cup minced red onion – microwaved for 30-40 seconds to cook slightly

2 dashes of dried dill weed, or 1 Tablespoon of fresh chopped dill weed

16 oz fresh lump crab meat – picked over gently to remove shell and moisture squeezed out (be careful not to break up too much)

Panko breadcrumbs as needed

Mix everything EXCEPT crabmeat, fresh breadcrumbs, and Panko in a bowl until mixed well.  Gently fold in fresh breadcrumbs and crab meat until blended being careful not to break up crab meat.  Shape into 4-5 crab patties. Press Panko breadcrumbs onto each side of crab cakes. Place on a tray or plate, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.

Spray a non-stick pan with pan spray and fry on low temp slowly on each side until golden brown and warmed through.

Serve with tartar or remoulade sauce or make into a crab burger.

*These are very delicate and will fall apart easily when handling and cooking.  If you prefer a firmer and easier to work with cake, add one beaten egg to the mix when you mix all the seasonings. 

**Onions can be raw, but they will remain raw even after crab cake is cooked.  Alternatively, you can sauté the onion in a little butter or oil before adding to the mixture.  If you sauté the onion, make sure to drain most of the oil /butter before adding it to the mix.

Black Bean & Rice Salad Recipe

This recipe was developed for my food truck business. It’s colorful, healthy, and has a lot of flavor. It is served cold or at room temperature. If you make it ahead of time, wait until you’re ready to serve it before adding the scallions on top because it should be stirred before serving as some of the dressing will settle to the bottom. Enjoy, and be sure to post a photo of your results here or on my Facebook page.

Makes 8-10 servings

1 15-16 ounce can of Black Beans drained & rinsed well

1 cup long grain white or brown rice cooked & cooled to room temp.

1 red bell pepper seeded & small diced

1 green bell pepper or 2 medium large Jalapeno peppers seeded & small diced

1 medium red onion diced small

1/3 cup of chopped scallions, white & green parts separated

Dressing ingredients:

¼ cup of chopped fresh Cilantro or 1 tablespoon of dried

1/3 cup of Olive oil or Avocado oil 

2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider or Rice Vinegar

1 Tablespoon of fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons of sugar, honey or agave 

2 teaspoons of cumin

2 teaspoons of paprika

2 teaspoons of dried granulated garlic or fresh minced garlic

Salt and black pepper to taste

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together thoroughly, let them sit for 5 minutes and whisk again. Taste and adjust for salt, pepper and sweetness.  It shouldn’t taste really sweet or really tart, balance with more sugar or more vinegar. Salt will make both of these flavors more pronounced, so adjust that first.

Mix rice, beans, peppers, scallion whites, and red onion together. Add dressing and combine thoroughly. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Place into serving bowl and top with scallion greens right before serving.

Best served at room temperature.