Tailgate Tuesday: Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

(note: Tailgate Tuesday posts are special features written for the SideLion Report from us gals of The Thrifty Table. Check in every Tuesday for a new recipe perfect for that week's tailgate party!)

For Tailgate Tuesday this week we are featuring another great dessert. These Whoopie Pies are the perfect fall treat for a tailgate or any other get together. They are a great dessert to take on the go and would be perfect for your next fall party or tailgate. Enjoy!

Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (adapted from Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies on allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• Cookies:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
  
• Cream Cheese Filling:
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. For cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease or line four baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large mixer bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin and vanilla extract; beat until smooth. Stir in flour mixture until combined. Drop by heaping measuring teaspoons onto prepared baking sheets. (A total of 72 cookies are needed for the recipe.)
3. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until springy to the touch. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
4. For cream cheese filling: Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Spread a heaping teaspoon of filling onto flat side of one cookie; top with flat side of second cookie to make a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

Rice Noodle Stir-Fry

A new thrifty option for Meijer shoppers is mPerks. You can go to their site and clip electronic coupons. No scissors required! You can have your "coupons" printed or emailed to you, and when you check out at the store, just type in your phone number and they will be applied to your purchase. Catherine told me about this and now I use it all the time. Maybe someday soon all coupons can be electronic...how nice would that be?

One thrifty purchase I made was Thai Kitchen Rice Noodles (combined a manufacturer's coupon and mPerks coupon!). I never made rice noodles before, but my husband loves to get them when we go out. Now it is time to try it at home!

I followed the basic recipe on the box, adding in chicken and the veggies I had at home (carrots and green beans). A few cashews added on top really make this meal delicious!

Rice Noodle Stir-Fry

1/2 box of rice noodles
2 T vegetable oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1-2 cups of vegetables (I used 1 cup sliced carrots and 1 cup fresh green beans)
2 T soy sauce
dash of sesame oil (optional)
handful of cashews (optional)

1) Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Remove from heat and immerse 1/2 package of rice noodles. Let stand for 8 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse with cold water (or they will become sticky).

2) In a large frying pan cook chicken in oil until done. Add the vegetables, soy sauce and sesame oil. Heat for a few minutes, then add the cooked rice noodles, adding more soy sauce or water as needed until the vegetables and noodles are tender. Serve with a few cashews or chopped green onion. Serves 2-4. Enjoy!

Tailgate Tuesday: Cream Puffs

(note: Tailgate Tuesday posts are special features written for the SideLion Report from us gals of The Thrifty Table. Check in every Tuesday for a new recipe perfect for that week's tailgate party!)

Catherine, a true baker at heart, always wanted to try making homemade cream puffs. Since Lions are playing the St. Louis Rams this week, we thought they would be a great fit for this game!

We were nervous at first, thinking that the cream puffs would take too much work. By following our adapted recipe from allrecipies.com, we had no problem! As long as you have all ingredients ready to go, you can make these in no time.

It may be interesting to adapt the filling by changing the flavor of the pudding. We did the traditional vanilla, but feel free to be more creative! Enjoy!

Cream Puffs (adapted from allrecipies.com)
~Makes 12 cream puffs~

* 1 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1/2 cup milk

* 1/4 cup butter
* 1/2 cup water
* pinch of salt
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 eggs
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* 1 tsp. sugar

Directions

1. Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix, cream and milk. Cover and refrigerate to set.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
3. In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs, mixing immediately. Continue mixing for 2-3 minutes until it has an elastic texture. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment or silpat.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry. Immediately after removing from the oven poke each with a toothpick to allow the steam to vent.
5. When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.

Tailgate Tuesday: Beer Cheese Dip

(note: Tailgate Tuesday posts are special features written for the SideLion Report from us gals of The Thrifty Table. Check in every Tuesday for a new recipe perfect for that week's tailgate party!)Here is a dip this week that is sure to please a Packers or Lions fan. I made this a couple weeks ago when our friend from Wisconsin, Alec, was in town. I figured he should try this dip out being from the land of beer and cheese. I think it was a hit and would be a hit at your next tailgate too.

Beer Cheese Dip

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (8 ounce) packages shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup beer
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard (optional, if you want an extra kick)

Directions

1. Place cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, garlic powder and beer in a food processor. Blend until smooth. You can also just use and electric mixer for this.
2. Spoon the dip into a bowl and serve with pretzels, veggies, bread, or crackers.

Enjoy!

Tailgate Tuesday: Swedish Meatballs

(note: Tailgate Tuesday posts are special features written for the SideLion Report from us gals of The Thrifty Table. Check in every Tuesday for a new recipe perfect for that week's tailgate party!)

For Tailgate Tuesday this week we thought an appropriate dish would be Swedish Meatballs in honor of the Lions playing the Minnesota Vikings. It is also a great dish because I am a Swede who loves Swedish Meatballs. I always look forward to taking a trip to Ikea and getting some of their delicious meatballs and lingonberry juice. It seemed about time I tried my own.

I found that one of the best rated recipes out there was by Alton Brown on the Food Network website so I used his recipe as a base and altered it a bit to my liking. The result was delicious. I served the meatballs over noodles but this would be a great dish to throw in a crock pot and eat with toothpicks at a tailgate. I hope you try this recipe out and enjoy it as much as we did!

Notice the lingonberry juice as our beverage of choice.

Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 2 slices fresh white bread
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons clarified butter, divided
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• A pinch plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 pound ground chuck
• 3/4 pound ground pork
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Tear the bread into pieces and place in a small mixing bowl along with the milk. Set aside.

In a 12-inch straight sided saute pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sweat until the onions are soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread and milk mixture, ground chuck, pork, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and onions. Beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes.

Using a scale, weigh meatballs into 1-ounce portions and place on a sheet pan. Using your hands, shape the meatballs into rounds.

Heat the remaining butter in the saute pan over medium-low heat, or in an electric skillet set to 250 degrees F. Add the meatballs and saute until golden brown on all sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs to an ovenproof dish using a slotted spoon and place in the warmed oven.

Once all of the meatballs are cooked, decrease the heat to low and add the flour to the pan or skillet. Whisk until lightly browned, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the beef stock and whisk until sauce begins to thicken. Add the cream and continue to cook until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Remove the meatballs from the oven, cover with the gravy and serve.

Tailgate Tuesday: Miniature Cheesecakes

(note: Tailgate Tuesday posts are special features written for the SideLion Report from us gals of The Thrifty Table. Check in every Tuesday for a new recipe perfect for that week's tailgate party!)

We are girls, so we have to include cheesecake somewhere in this football season. What could be better than eating a scrumptious Philadelphia cream cheese desert while the Lions play the Eagles? (Well, a win maybe). These miniature cheesecakes are easy to make, and you can add whatever topping you like. We guarantee that they will be gone before the first touchdown!

Miniature Cheesecakes (adapted from a recipe on allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package vanilla wafers
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (Philadelphia brand!)
  
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• fresh strawberries, pie filling, or other topping
• whipped cream (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line muffin tins paper liners.
2. Place one vanilla wafer into each paper cup.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Fill each miniature muffin liner with this mixture, almost to the top.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool. Top with a teaspoonful of topping and whipped cream.

Tailgate Tuesday: Italian Beef Sandwiches

(note: Tailgate Tuesday posts are special features written for the SideLion Report from us gals of The Thrifty Table. Check in every Tuesday for a new recipe perfect for that week's tailgate party!)

When it comes to Chicago food, Italian Beef sandwiches are a favorite. In honor of the Lions playing the Chicago Bears this week, we decided to make this Chicago staple. These sandwiches remind me of when my RA staff at Calvin College had Italian Beef sandwiches from Portillo's. Amazing!

I found several recipes online using a slow cooker and chuck roast to replicate these juicy sandwiches. A little bit of planning ahead in the morning results in an easy meal at dinner (or tailgate!). Served on toasted hoagie buns with melted provolone cheese and sauteed green peppers, these sandwiches are a perfect fit for some hungry football fans.

Italian Beef Sandwiches
1 3 lb. chuck roast
3 C water
2 t beef base
1 t ground black pepper
1 t dried oregano
1 t dried basil
1 t dried parsley
1/2 t crushed red pepper
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 green pepper
sliced provolone cheese
hoagie buns

In the morning, trim the fat off the meat and place in a slow cooker. Combine the other ingredients (except the green pepper and cheese) in a liquid measuring cup and microwave until warm. Add to the roast and cook on low for 10 hours. After 8 hours, remove the bay leaf and shred the beef and place it back in the liquid and let cook for another 2 hours.

Cut the peppers into small strips and cook in a pan with some olive oil. Heat over medium high heat for about 10 minutes, until they are soft and begin to brown. Set aside.

When the meat is done, serve on toasted hoagie buns with a lot of extra juice and the green peppers. If you really want to make them tasty, place them under the broiler with provolone or pepper jack cheese!

*Adapted from http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/italian_beef.html Check it out for some history behind the Italian Beef Sandwich! The slow cooker version is adapted from http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/slow-cooker-italian-beef-for-sandwiches/Detail.aspx