Comfort Food Tailgates and Everyday Eats

Bacon Egg Cheese Avocado and Walnut Basil Pesto on a Bagel

A great variation of the BLT that is flexible to your taste. It is a hardy meal and goes well with soup or mac n cheese.

Your favorite bagel slied in half ( we like everything bagels)

1 egg per sandwich

6 strips of bacon per sandwich (prepared to your taste)

Your favorite cheese 2 slices per sandwich (use different cheese slices)

Avocado slices to smear on sandwich

Walnut Pesto ( recipe included in the cookbook)

On a cook sheet, toast the bagels in a 400 degree oven for 3 minutes or until beginning to brown. Remove and place a slice of cheese on each half of the bagel and return to oven until the cheese melts and then remove. Cook the bacon to your desired texture. Cook the eggs in the bacon grease to your desire style. Place the egg and the bacon on the one half of the bagel and smear the avocado on the other half of the bagel. Drizzle fresh pesto on the bagel and enjoy.

Mama B’s Mac and Cheese

Of all the food served in our home it seems that the Mac and Cheese is hands down the favorite.  It is rich and creamy and the best part is devouring the serving spoon at the end of the meal to be rewarded with the all the crusty morsels.  This recipes make a lot so good for leftovers.

2 cups of Sharp Cheddar and 2 Cups of Mild Cheddar

I can of Cream of Chicken Soup

1 cup of Cottage Cheese

1cup of Heavy Cream

2 Boxes of Macaroni ( your favorite)

3 cups Cornflakes

1 Stick Butter

Salt and Pepper

In a sauce pan add the heavy cream and the mild and sharp cheddar cheese  and heat on a medium heat till the mixture become soft and flowable.  Add the cream of chicken soup and cottage cheese and mix well maintaining the pourable texture of the mix.   Salt and pepper to taste.   In another pot boil the macaroni until it is tender.  Drain the hot macaroni in a colander.  Do not rinse, the macaroni should be hot for the next step.  Combine all the ingredients into a large aluminum baking container and mix well.  Crush the cornflakes by hand into small pieces and melt the stick of butter and mix with the cornflakes.   Spread the cornflake butter mixture over the macaroni and bake in the oven for 60 minutes at 350 degress

“Cooking may be as much a means of self-expression as any of the arts.” Julia Child

Pesto Accents a Meal

Basil Pesto is an Italian condiment made with fresh herbs and accented with nutty flavor used for pizza, pasta recipes, as a sandwich spread, or even to top chicken or steak!

Ally’s Walnut Basil Pesto

Southwest White Bean Chicken Soup

The perfect soup for a cool evening and can be ready in just 45 minutes. The recipe will feed four adults and have a bowel of soup leftover for the next day. Serve with some fresh bread with some EVOO or a cheese sandwich and you have comfort.

1 can diced green chilies 1 Jalapeno Pepper sliced in stirps.

1 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp oregano 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 can corn drained 2 cans cannellini drained

1 tsp fresh lime juice 1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp rotisserie chicken deboned 1 box chicken broth

1 clove garlic peeled and crushed

In a soup pot sweat the Jalapeno pepper and garlic until tender and add all the ingredients. Hold back the sour cream until just before serving. Simmer under a low heat for 20 to 30 minutes and add salt and pepper to taste. You can add more sour cream and mexican cheese to taste.

Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Bread

Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Bread is the perfect side dish to the White Bean Chicken Chili soup. Prep time is about 45 minutes.. You can buy all the flour and cornmeal separately or just buy a box of Corn Muffin Mix and follow the directions to prepare. What makes it a bit different is what you add to the mix a few additional ingredients.

Add to the batter 1 can of diced Jalapeno peppers or diced green chilis, 1 can of creamed corn, 2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cup sour cream. Pour mixture into an iron skillet, or baking dish or cup cake pan. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees and check for doneness with a toothpick. You change add bacon or sausage to change the complexity of the cornbread.

“If you're cooking and not making mistakes, you're not playing outside your safety zone. I don't expect it all to be good. I have fat dogs because I scrap the mistakes to the dogs bowl”. Guy Fiori

Pesto is easy to make and keeps in the refrigerator for 5 days or can be frozen and used later. The basic foundation behind pesto is fresh basil. You can buy the fresh pesto in the grocery store or grow your own plants and harvest the leaves. A variety of different nuts can be used. The original Italian recipe calls for pine nuts but most any nut will due. A good parmesan cheese will complete the ingredients and will all be blended together will EVOO.

2 cups of basil leaves 1 fresh garlic clove peeled and sliced

1 cup of parmesan cheese 1/2 cup walnuts

Olive Oil (EVOO)

Place the basil leaves in a blender of food processer and add some EVOO in small amounts as you blend to a creamy consistency. Be care to add the EVOO in small amounts so as not to cause the basil to become oily. Add the garlic and blend and then add the walnuts and blend all the time adding small amounts of EVOO maintaining the creamy texture. Salt and pepper to taste. If you like it hot blend in some cayenne pepper.

Tailgate Favorites

For many many years Saturdays meant Ohio State Football and each game started in a parking lot near Ohio Stadium engaging in prep game activities. The food and the drink were a center piece and still to today I find myself reflecting back on the comraderies and traditions. Tom and Jean Kelly owned a 1965 GMC school bus that Tom converted to an Ohio State Tailgate bus. Tom and Jean attended every home game for over 20 years never missing a chance to assemble the group for another party. The bus even went on the road to Indiana on many occasion. The group of tailgaters always created a lot of memories. The local news crews did live segments at the bus and once in a while after the game players would stop by to extend their greeting. Many of the people in the group have passed on but their memories are somehow remembered in food and recipes.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This dip goes with football game and is very easy to prepare. There are many variations and you can get creative with what you add to the dip. The basics are an 8 oz brick of cream cheese, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 2/3 cup of range dressing, 2/3 cup of buffalo sauce and canned or cooked diced chicken breast. Let the brick of cream cheese soften before mixing. Combine all the ingredients and a mix bowl and you can add chive or green onions or bacon to change the dip. It all works well. Combine well and place in a baking dish. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes. You can serve with chips or cracker and veggies for dipping.

Tailgate Potatoes

The perfect quick casserole dish that is a meal. Take to a tailgate or serve as dinner this recipe is hearty and filling. This recipe can be made the night before and baked just before it is needed and it warms will in the microwave for leftovers.

1 bag of frozen hashbrowns 1 can of cream of chicken soup

2 cups sour cream 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded

2 1/2 cups ham or bacon cut to small slices 2 cup cornflakes

1 stick butter melted

Combine the hashbrowns, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper and ham or bacon and mix. Place in iron skillet or baking dish. Crush the cornflakes and add butter in a separate dish and mix well. Spread the cornflake mixture on the top of of the hashbrown and spread a light layer of cheddar cheese on top and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

The Classics…Potatoes

If you grew up in the Waite household you well know and understand about Potatoes. Fried , Baked and Mashed it was a staple.

Al’s Home Fries

This recipe for home fries was always the gold standard and etched in my memories. Served with a steak and fresh sweet corn and tomatoes it will always be in my top five meals. There is nothing complicated or secret about the preparation but always was perfect.

Start with 5 to 6 nice size russet potatoes with the skin on and slice potato in half long ways. Slice each potato half into slices and put the potatoes in to cold water. Dice a yellow onion into small sections and peel and slice fresh garlic gloves into slices. In a frying pan or as Al used a black cast iron skillet add about 1/4 cup vegetable oil or olive and begin to sweat the onions and garlic under a high heat. Stir the onions and garlic and do not let them burn. As soon as the garlic and onions have seasoned the oil add the potatoes and coat the potatoes well. Salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to a medium range and cover the potatoes and begin the process of flipping the potatoes every minute or so until the potatoes are soft. You are looking for a crisp brown edge on the potatoes. Add many pads of butter and flip.

That is Al’s recipe but you can be creative. I like to add some parsley or grated parmesan cheese and mushrooms.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Mash potatoes that are creamy and perfect and add so much to a meal and go well with meat and chicken. It is the variations that take mash potatoes to the level.

Peel 8 to 10 russet potatoes (or just allow the potato skin to remain) and boil until tender so you can push a skewer into the potato. Melt 1 stick butter in a pan and sweat the minced garlic to combine the garlic taste within the butter. The amount of garlic is to your taste but I use a lot of garlic. While the potatoes are hot place the potatoes in a mixer with the butter and garlic mixture, 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 cup sour cream, salt and pepper to taste, and parsley flakes. Bend until creamy and serve.

There is a lot of calories in this recipe so a more dietary way is to substitute chicken stock for the heavy cream.

Marge’s German Potato Salad

This recipe was a recipe my mom made and was handed down from the Paul side of the family. I was told it was from southern Germany were Paul family has roots. The tradition was to have this dish with ham and at Easter or during the winter months. The recipe is very simple and has few ingredients but is large in taste.

Start with 9 to 10 russet or white potatoes skin on and boil until they are soft and a skewer will pass into the potatoes. Do not over cook to a mushy consistency. While the potatoes are cooking fry 1 pound of bacon and reserve the bacon dripping. Real bacon needs to be used. When the bacon is done cut into small pieces and reserve to the side in a bowl. In to pan you used to cook the bacon add 1 1/2 cups white vinegar and add 1/2 cup brown sugar and heat and mix. Slice 1 yellow onion into small pieces and reserve. When the potatoes are done slice the potatoes into thick slices and place in large bowl. Mix the onions and bacon with the potatoes and add salt and pepper to taste. Begin to add the bacon drippings and gently mix together. Then add the vinegar and brown sugar and gently mix. You may need to add some additional white vinegar to achieve a more sweet and sour favor. Best served warm or reheated. You can add some diced green onions or parsley to give the recipe a more attractive appearance.

“However amazing a dish looks, it is always the taste that lingers in your memory. Family and friends will appreciate a meal that tastes superb-even if you've brought the pan you prepared the meal to the table”.

Gordan Ramsey

Potato Fritters

Ever wanted a good idea for all of the leftover mash potatoes? Potato Fritters are a great way to use the mash potatoes the next day. They are simple to prepare and make a great side dish to the next night main course.

Let the leftover mash potatoes come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before you want to prepare the recipe. In a mixing bowl add the mash potatoes, 1 egg, 1 cup bread crumbs , 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese or roquefort cheese depending on your preference, and as an option add bacon or crumpled sausage. Mix thoroughly in a mixer and make patties. Smaller flatters patties fry up better. In a frying pan or iron skillet heat some vegetable or olive oil and fry the patties until the cheese is melted and a brown crust coats the top of the patty.