A GIRL’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING GAME DAY
Super Secrets for Tackling Big Game Entertaining
Just in time for the countdown to kickoff, the makers of Hidden Valley® dressings have teamed up with celebrity chef Sandra Lee to develop a playbook of convenient, make-ahead dishes perfect for both amateur and professional hosts, as well as a primer of must-know football facts and no-fumble tips, for hosting a winning gathering. Sports fans know that the best game day gatherings offer a winning combination of camaraderie and great food. “Game time can provide the perfect excuse to entertain – even if you’re not a dyed-in-the-wool sports fanatic. Game-watch gatherings offer an opportunity to tap into your creative inspiration and show off your team spirit by tackling a new theme and reinventing classic game day dishes,” says Lee.
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Ranch Party Poppin’ Drummettes
For off-field kicks, these drummettes will be sure to please with their zesty flavor and special, doctored wing sauce.
Makes 6 Servings 3 2 1 3/4 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 1 pounds chicken drummettes teaspoons garlic pepper blend packet (1.0 oz) Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix cup flour cup butter packet (1.0 oz) Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix Buttermilk Recipe cup mayonnaise cup sour cream teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or more if needed Crudite (such as carrots, celery, bell pepper) Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse drummettes and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle all sides of drummettes with garlic pepper; set aside. Combine Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix with flour in large ziptop bag. Add drummettes and shake until coated. Place butter on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven until butter has melted and begins to sizzle. Add drummettes to sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Turn and continue baking for another 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir together 2 1/2 tablespoons Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix Buttermilk Recipe (reserve remaining mix for another use), mayonnaise, sour cream and hot pepper sauce. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve drummettes with crudite and hot pepper ranch for dipping.
No-Fumble Guidelines for a Winning Gathering
For a game day get-together that’s easy on the host while still delivering all the good food and fun guests expect, borrow the following entertaining tips from Lee’s playbook for a crowd-pleasing gathering:
No Interference
“The role of a host is a bit like that of the coach. It’s a fine balance of preparation, discipline and spirit that ultimately wins the game and yields a successful gathering. I recommend that all hosts take a no-stress approach by combining crowd-pleasing, convenient, store-bought or ready-made ingredients with fresh and creative personal touches.”
In the heat of the action, spectators need free hands for clapping and high-fives, so nix any recipes that call for flatware and focus on hand-held foods.
Sandra Lee Pre-Game Warm Up
Defend the Viewing Zone
TIP #1
Keep die-hard fans in good spirits by setting up multiple viewing and seating areas for guests. Dedicated game watchers will appreciate a conversation-free zone around the TV during regularly scheduled play, while casual spectators may prefer an area where non-sports chatter is welcome.
Novice fans don’t have to feel intimidated. Hosts can provide fodder for game-time banter by providing the day’s sports section and printing online game previews so that everyone has access to team trivia and key stats on star players.
Assemble a Starting Line-up Near the TV
For spectators who don’t want to miss a moment of the action, be sure to stock essentials – such as extra napkins, condiments and beverage refills – within viewing distance of the big game.
Show Your Team Spirit
To help rev up fans, show spirit by decorating with team colors. Lee also suggests creating an unexpected tabletop twist by securing rolled up napkins with terrycloth sweatbands in team colors.
GAME TIME RANCH-ILADAS
Spectators will cheer for the delicious, south-of-the-border flavor in this new twist on the ever-popular enchilada.
Makes 6 Servings 1 1 1/2 1/2 1 1 1 3 1/2 12 can (28 oz.) green enchilada sauce cups cooked and diced chicken breast cup chopped onions cup sour cream packet (1 oz.) Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix can (4 oz.) diced green chiles cups shredded pepper jack cheese, divided use cup canola oil or corn oil corn tortillas Mexican crema, if desired Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray 9"x13" baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 cup enchilada sauce on bottom of dish; set aside. In large bowl, stir together chicken, onions, sour cream, Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix, chiles and 2 cups shredded cheese; set aside. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles when dripped into oil. Lightly fry tortillas, one at a time, about 5 seconds per side (leave pliable). Use tongs to remove from pan and drain on paper towel-lined plate. Working in batches of 3 or 4, dip tortillas into enchilada sauce. Fill each dipped tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken-ranch mixture and roll. Place in prepared baking dish. Repeat to make twelve enchiladas. Spoon any remaining sauce over top of enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Serve hot drizzled with crema, if desired.
Five Must-Know Football Facts
(TO HELP EVEN NOVICE FANS FAKE IT)
You don’t have to be a gridiron guru to hold your own during a game day gathering. Simply brush up on the basics by committing a few basic football rules and concepts to memory:
“My favorite recipes are built around convenient products that pack a lot of punch like Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix. The crowd-pleasing flavor of ranch goes the distance – adding fabulous flavor to dressing, dip and topping – whether I’m entertaining or just pulling together a weeknight meal.”
Sandra Lee Learn the Recipe for a Turnover
Don’t Drop the Ball on Lingo
Don’t trip up on the basic lingo that defines football. Remember, a football game is divided into four quarters (not periods like basketball or innings like baseball).
Complete or Incomplete: That is the Question
To move the football toward the defense’s end zone, the offense may throw a pass. The pass is complete when caught by another offensive player. If the ball hits the ground before someone catches it, it is incomplete.
When the offense accidentally loses possession of the ball to the defense via a fumble or interception, it’s called a turnover. When the offensive ball carrier or passer drops the ball, it’s a fumble. If the defense catches a pass meant for the other team, it’s an interception.
A No-Fumble Guide to a First Down
The offense’s goal is to move closer to the opponent’s end zone and score points. When the offense has the ball, it has four chances – known as “downs” – to gain 10 yards. Successfully moving the ball more than 10 yards secures a first down and earns another set of four downs. If the offense fails to gain 10 yards in four attempts, the other team takes possession of the ball.
Direction is Everything
The team that has possession of the football and is trying to advance it down the field to score points is referred to as the offense. Defense is the team that is trying to stop the offense, prevent it from scoring and force it to give up possession of the ball in order to switch roles.
TIP #2
BABY BACK BASH RIBS
Pork baby back ribs will win extra points for both their mouth-watering dry rub seasoning and their signature ranch barbecue sauce topping.
Makes 6 Servings 2 racks pork baby back ribs, rinsed and patted dry RUB 1 packet (1.0 oz.) Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon garlic salt 1 tablespoon salt-free lemon pepper SAUCE 1 bottle (18 oz) prepared barbecue sauce 1 packet (1.0 oz) Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix 1 tablespoon molasses 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse ribs and pat dry with paper towels. In small bowl, combine Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix, paprika, garlic salt and lemon pepper. Rub ribs with seasoning mixture and place in shallow roasting pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together remaining ingredients; pour sauce over ribs. Cover with foil and roast in preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes. Skim fat from sauce; set aside. Cut ribs into serving portions and serve with sauce on the side.
BENCHWARMER ARTICHOKE RANCH DIP
Loyal fans of artichoke dip will love the warm, tangy zip of this reinvented classic served with tortilla chips or crudités.
Makes 10 Servings 1 1 1 1 cup mayonnaise cup sour cream packet (1.0 oz) Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix tablespoon lemon juice, or more if desired 2 cans (15 oz) artichoke quarters in water, drained and chopped 1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese 1 1/2 cups french fried onions, divided Tortilla chips Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray 1-quart baking dish with olive oil cooking spray; set aside. In medium mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix and lemon juice until smooth. Stir in artichokes, roasted red bell peppers, Swiss cheese and 1/2 cup french fried onions. Transfer to prepared baking dish and top with remaining French fried onions. Bake in preheated oven 40 to 45 minutes, until set and top is golden brown. Serve with tortilla chips.
HOME ON THE RANCH PORK SLIDERS
Even rival teams will agree that these lightly breaded, ranch-infused creations take sliders to a whole new level.
Makes 4-5 Servings 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons sour cream 2 packets (1.0 oz) Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix, divided use 1/2 cup cracker meal 2 eggs 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed, sliced 1-inch thick 1/4 cup canola oil, for frying 8-10 Hawaiian sweet rolls or dinner rolls In small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, and two teaspoons Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix. Refrigerate ranch mayonnaise until ready to serve. In shallow bowl, combine cracker meal and one tablespoon Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix; set aside. Lightly beat eggs in a shallow bowl; set aside. Between two pieces of plastic wrap, pound pork tenderloin slices to 1/4-inch thick; set aside. In a large frying pan, over medium-high heat, heat canola oil. Empty remaining Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix packets onto a large plate. Dredge each pork patty into seasoning mix to coat both sides. Dip each into mixture then press into seasoned cracker meal. When oil is shiny, place pork patties in frying pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve on desired rolls with ranch mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and condiments of your choice.
Sandra Lee is an acclaimed lifestyle expert, celebrity television star and best-selling author. Lee is known for her semi-homemade philosophy, which centers on combining storebought or ready-made products with fresh and creative touches for finished products that look, feel and taste homemade. Lee brings her ideas to life through her Food Network program, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee. She also is the author of four cookbooks, including her most recent titles, Sandra Lee SemiHomemade Grilling (Spring 2006) and Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Gatherings (November 2006).
Recipes created by Sandra Lee on behalf of the makers of Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® dressings
Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix was created in the 1950s as a delicious, take-home gift for visitors to the real-life Hidden Valley Ranch in California. Today, the dry mixture of select herbs and spices is available in more than 30 countries and 13 varieties, including Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Ranch, Cracked Peppercorn Ranch and Spicy Ranch. Food lovers have unique and personalized uses for The Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix. As a must-have for everyday kitchen creations and game time gatherings alike, the versatile packet has become a national favorite and beloved dressing, topping, dip and “secret” ingredient.
Please see www.hiddenvalley.com for additional tips and recipes using Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressings & Seasoning Mix