maria provenzano hebrew national

maria provenzano hebrew national

Sponsored by Hebrew National 

When I think of fall, the first thing that comes to my mind is football season, and my favorite part of football season is tailgating! I love spending time grilling, and making “football” themed food. It’s another reason to extend grilling season! Getting a group of people together to spend the entire day watching football, eating food, and playing games is so much fun. I always look forward to fall, but I know a lot of people don’t want to say good-bye to the hot days of summer. These game day recipes will make you fall in love with fall!

Good game day food has to involve grilling, and since hot dogs are always a crowd favorite, I love having them on my tailgating menu. It is a good idea to have the traditional toppings (ketchup, mustard, chopped onions, relish, pickles, and peppers) so that everyone can customize their own “perfect” hot dog, but I also like to have a not-so-traditional take on a topping just to mix it up. I was inspired by the idea of ketchup and mustard on a hot dog, but wanted to make it fancier with more depth of flavor. Tomatoes taste so wonderful when they are cooked, because it brings out their natural sweetness. There are two ways you can create a nice smoky, roasted, charred flavor in tomatoes, and they are grilling and roasting. Either way works great, it’s up to you to find your favorite method! I like to top off good quality hot dogs, like Hebrew National® All-Beef Franks, with grainy mustard, and roasted tomatoes for a surprising new take on the traditional ketchup and mustard flavors.

hebrew national maria provenzano

hebrew national maria provenzano

Being an Italian girl, I always need to make a pasta dish when I am entertaining, and that includes tailgates. For this fall-inspired side dish, I added in lots of veggies and cheese. To make this pasta really special, and amp up the flavor, I grilled all of the veggies, including the kale. This makes the kale crispy, with a smoky flavor. Grilled kale adds a really nice texture and crunch to finish off the pasta. (Recipe for Pesto Pasta with Grilled Veggies and Crispy Kale here)

Chips and guacamole are another great game day staple. My recipe for Corn and Queso Fresco Guacamole has a pop of sweetness from fresh corn, some heat from a jalapeno and red pepper flakes that complement the rich and creamy avocado. It’s finished off with fresh lime juice and cilantro for lots of bright and fresh flavor. (Recipe for Corn and Queso Fresco Guacamole here)

As a fun dessert, I made my Simply Perfect Basic Brownies, and cut them to look like footballs. I made a quick frosting out of powdered sugar and milk, placed it in a plastic bag, and piped white lines onto the brownies to look like the seams of a football. To add a bit of height to the table, I placed them on kabob skewers and poked them through an empty egg carton that I covered with tissue paper. These are a really simple way to add a festive game day touch. (Recipe for Simply Perfect Basic Brownies here)

To make this tailgating table really special, I made a football field table runner out of felt and white scotch tape. The football decorations on the wall are made from tissue paper (tutorial here). I finished off the table with a red and white pom-pom inspired banner!

The combination of franks and these sides may not be kosher.

tissue paper footballs

tissue paper footballs

corn and queso fresco guacamole

guacamole maria provenzano

pasta

pesto pasta maria provenzano

DSC_0159

DSC_0159

Roasted/Grilled Tomato Hot Dog Topping

Ingredients

  • 1 pint tomatoes

  • olive oil

  • salt

  • skewers; if grilling

Instructions

  1. If roasting:

  2. Cut the tomatoes in half and toss with them some olive oil and salt

  3. Place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and roast at 415 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until bubbly softened, and starting to brown.

  4. If grilling:

  5. Soak about 10 skewers in water for about 10 minutes (if they are wood)

  6. Skewer some tomatoes on to each

  7. Drizzle with olive oil and salt, then place on a hot grill turning frequently until they start to soften and turn brown

  8. Once cooled slightly place tomatoes onto the hot dogs with mustard!

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hebrew national

What makes a Hebrew National® kosher hot dog premium? It’s all about what makes the cut (And what doesn’t). We’re choosy about what goes into our franks – we use only premium cuts of 100% kosher beef from the front half of the cow and then choose the best from that. No artificial flavors, colors, fillers or by-products. When your hot dog is Kosher, that’s a hot dog you can trust! For more summer fun with Hebrew National, visit facebook.com/hebrewnational