Melting the Steelers - A Broncos Food Theme

The Steelers are coming to Denver tomorrow to try and prevent the Broncos from achieving a third Lombardi Trophy and gain a seventh of their own. The Broncos pass rush will try to apply enough pressure on Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to force a meltdown and create Turnovers. Coming up with a Tailgate theme for this contest was easy. I simply utilized the team colors and the ingredient from the company that owns the rights to their stadium. Below the fold, you will find 4 ideas to create a winning culinary combination for your Game day Tailgate or Patio Party. So fire up the grill and let's get started.

For starters, here is a spread or dip you can rustle up while you get things going. It takes 5 minutes to prepare the ingredients, another 45 minutes cooking time and 15 minutes to cool and serve.

• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup finely chopped green onions
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Now we come to the feature that I created just for this week. The Blackened Burger with Cheddar represents the Black and Gold colors of the Steelers. Add a Smoky Tomato Mayonnaise for a condiment to bring it all together.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 lbs. ground beef chuck
• 1 1/3 lbs. ground beef sirloin
• 3 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 8 slices
• 8 hamburger buns, split and toasted
• 8 slices of tomato
• 8 slices of red onion
• 8 Pickles
• 8 Leaves of Romaine Lettuce

• 3 Tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon onion powder
• 1 Tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more for a spicier version)
• 1 teaspoon dried ground thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Fire up the grill. In a small bowl combine all of the spices. Press each patty into the spice mix so that both sides are liberally coated. Grill Burgers to desired doneness. Toast the Burger buns and coat each with Smoky Tomato Mayo (recipe below). Assemble Burgers with Onion, Pickle Lettuce, Cheese and enjoy.

• 1 large ripe tomato
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 clove garlic
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to meld flavors.


The next offering seemed fitting. The Steelers play at Heinz Field so what better than a meal that uses some of their ingredients. It takes 10 minutes to prep, another 17 minutes to cook and serves 4. Recipe courtesy of heinzitup.com.

• 1/2 cup Heinz Tomato Ketchup
• 2 Tablespoon Heinz 57 Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon each ground cumin and oregano leaves
• 1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
• 1 lb ground sirloin beef
• 4 slices Pepper Jack or other cheese
• Ranch dressing (optional)
• Toasted onion buns
• Sliced beefsteak tomatoes

Audibles:

• For a delicious vitamin C boost, garnish the burgers with sliced avocado.

• For a southwestern chicken sandwich, brush the ketchup mixture onto grilled chicken breast or breaded chicken breasts instead of the burgers.

This entree takes into account the colors that will be prevalent over Big Ben's body after the Von Doom Sack Attack us finished. The Prep time for this dish will take 20 minutes and the Cook Time another 10 minutes.

• 1 lb sirloin steak
• 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup Heinz BBQ Sauce, Garlic or other barbecue sauce
• 4 submarine style rolls, halved and toasted
• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 8 leaves Romaine lettuce

• For a chicken version of the sandwich, brush 4 chicken breasts with the barbecue sauce and grill for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once, until fully cooked through.

• For cheese variations, replace blue cheese with shredded cheddar, Swiss, or crumbled goat cheese.

That's it for Wildcard Week. May you enjoy these offerings as much as tomorrow's victory. Good eats and...

Go Broncos!

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