"Bowl"ed Over with Snacks for Football and New Year's Eve

Eat 'em up! Eat 'em up! K-S-U!

Let's hope our signature K-State chant leads to victory over Navy at the AutoZone Liberty Bowl game today. We didn't make the trip to Memphis, but we'll be watching the 'Cats from the warmth of our living room.

 

And we just might be dipping into some tailgate-worthy snacks from the comfort of our own home. Whether you're cheering for the Wildcats or just looking for a quick appetizer to help welcome the New Year, this Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip is a contender.

I've made it for our family's Christmas Eve celebrating for several years now. My sister, Lisa, initially brought it to the gathering, but I liked it so well that it has become a permanent fixture. Jill also served it as an appetizer for our family's Thanksgiving gathering.

It's easy to put together. I find it makes less of a mess if you freeze your cranberries and then chop them in a blender or food processor. Just chop up the rest of the ingredients, stir together and let it marinate to blend the flavors. Then pour it over cream cheese and start dipping the crackers for a tangy taste treat.

There are some other K-State (or New Year's) snacks at the bottom of this post. They are easy to make for a last-minute football bowl or New Year's snack.

Happy New Year to you and yours from The County Line! And Go 'Cats!

Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

Recipe from my sister, Lisa Bauer

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese

1 package (12 oz) fresh cranberries (Freeze and chop in the blender or food processor)

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

2 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro

1 tbsp. diced jalapeno (or more, if you like it hotter)

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

Dash salt

Combine all ingredients except cream cheese.  Mixture needs to sit for 4 hours or so. Garnish with additional chopped green onion and/or cilantro.

Spread cream cheese in bottom of serving plate. Top with cranberry mix. Serve with Wheat Thins or other crackers.

Try these other snacks for bowl games, tailgates or parties. You can always tailor the colors to fit your favorite high school, college or pro team. 

Pretzel Snacks

Toffee Snack Mix

  White Chocolate Cinnamon Pretzels

Dippity-Do-Dah!

Maybe you have more exciting plans than we do for New Year's Eve. We will be loading a U-Haul with Brent's worldly possessions in preparation for a cross-country trip to South Carolina. He'll begin working on his master's in sports administration at the University of South Carolina on January 10.

But if you're looking for something a little different to make for a New Year's Eve celebration, I have a contender.

I made it for a Nu Lambda-Beta Sigma Phi potluck before Christmas. It was a blast from the past. I made it years ago after it was a third-place winner in The Hutchinson News' Holiday Recipe contest back in 1988. I guess that recipe is as old as Brent.

It's a great dip for fruit, and I served it with some apples and pears for the party. But the original recipe used sweet tortilla chips: I also gave snackers that option.

In the original recipe, you make your own chips from flour tortillas. This time, I purchased already-made flour tortilla chips from Anchor Inn, a Mexican restaurant, in Hutchinson. After I got them home, I heated them briefly in the microwave and then sprinkled them with cinnamon-sugar while they were warm so the cinnamon-sugar would stick.

Whether you serve it with fruit or tortilla chips or both, it could be a pretty and tasty addition to a New Year's Eve table ... and good for leftovers when you watch football the next day. And it's super easy, too ... especially if you cheat and buy the chips. (And really, it's not cheating: It's just being efficient. Who needs more of a mess in the kitchen?)

Enjoy!

Double Delight Strawberry Dip

1 pkg. (10 tortillas) flour tortillas, cut into 8 wedges each
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 cups whipped topping, thawed
1/2 cup powdered sugar (or to taste)
2 10-oz. pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed

Deep fry tortillas and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Store in airtight container until ready to use.

Mix together all the other ingredients until smooth. Chill well.

To serve, put dip in glass bowl in the middle of a serving tray. (Garnish with a whole, fanned strawberry, if you have one available. I didn't.) Surround with tortilla chips or fruit.