The MOTHER (er, Father? Dad?) of All Super Bowl Posts

It's that time of year again... Super Bowl Sunday! While we really could care less about the game; and want to stop hearing about Deflate Gate; we do still feel obligated to provide you with some tasty recipe ideas. 

The Cool Dads Crew has prepared a handy cheat sheet of our most popular Football Friday recipes. We hope this gives you plenty of ideas of what to feed hungry football fans on Sunday! 

Bacon Dip: a warm, hearty dip with our favorite ingredient ever. We recommend serving this one on a warm baguette, or with crackers. 
http://cooldadscook.blogspot.com/2014/11/football-friday-bacon-dip.html

Bachos: Nachos with bacon instead of tortilla chips. Do we need to say more?
http://cooldadscook.blogspot.com/2014/10/football-friday-bachos.html

White Pizza Dip: This warm, savory dip is excellent with vegetables or warm bread, or it's also good on a flat bread.
http://cooldadscook.blogspot.com/2014/10/football-friday-white-pizza-dip.html

Homemade Pizza Rolls: Way tastier than Totinos, and you can customize them too!
http://cooldadscook.blogspot.com/2014/09/football-friday-homemade-pizza-rolls.html


Italian Beef Sandwiches: Will cure your Portillo's or Al's craving... in the comfort of your own kitchen!
http://cooldadscook.blogspot.com/2014/09/football-friday-italian-beef-sandwiches.html

Smoked Bologna: In case you feel like breaking out the smoker on game day...
http://cooldadscook.blogspot.com/2014/09/football-friday-smoked-bologna.html

There you have it- our most popular football Friday recipes from the 2014-2015 NFL season. Thanks to our loyal readers for recipe suggestions and support, we love you guys!

Stay tuned for our newest feature: Family Meal Friday! We can't wait to share delicious, hearty meals designed for Saturday night dinner or Sunday lunch.

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Kids in the Kitchen Wednesday: Pancake Muffins

If you're anything like the Wisconsin Test Kitchen; than you LOVE making a hearty, big breakfast on the weekends. We use the weekends as an excuse to make the delicious, leisurely breakfasts we don't have time to enjoy during the week (think: omelettes, quiche, french toast). Recently, one of our readers recommended trying pancake muffins... and we're hooked! We've found our new favorite weekend breakfast food.

Pancake muffins are delicious little bites of pancake goodness you make in a muffin tin; and can customize based on your taste preferences (read: how picky your kids are). We tried blueberry, chocolate chip and a combination of both. And bonus points for us having the foresight to make a double batch for easy weekday breakfasts. 

Pancake Muffins
Recipe courtesy of: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/03/pancake-mini-muffins/


3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoons salt
2-1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 whole eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Blueberries, Chocolate Chips, Raspberries, Banana Chunks... whatever you want to put inside your pancake muffins!
Warm Syrup, For Serving

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. (**See note below.)

**425 will result in crisper edges. For a softer muffin, bake at 400. 

Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Set aside.

Stir together the milk and vinegar and let it sit for 1 minute. Whisk in eggs and vanilla.

Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients, then stir in melted butter. If batter is too thick, stir in a little milk.

Spray muffin pans generously with baking spray. Fill cups 2/3 full. Drop 2-3 chips/berries, etc into each mini-muffin tin, or double that for a regular-sized muffin tin. 

If using a mini-muffin tin, bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until golden brown on top. If using a full-sized muffin tin, bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let sit in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes, then turn them out of the pan. (Use a small knife if any are stubborn.)

Serve warm with warm syrup!

As you can see, this is a great recipe to have your little chefs help with; Sawyer loved getting to customize her own breakfast. And she's enjoyed eating the muffins for breakfast all week. 

This is what Cool Dads Cook is all about: delicious, simple recipes you can enjoy with your family.

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Monday Meals: Portobella Steaks

The church Doug and Caroline in the Arkansas Test Kitchen attend has asked the congregation to do a Fast, but more importantly a Daniel Fast. 

For those not familiar with the Daniel Fast, here's some information:

http://daniel-fast.com/

When doing research on the fast, the first thing we noticed was that you can't eat meat. And if there is one thing the Arkansas Test Kitchen eats; it's MEAT. But for the church we thought we would give it a shot. Trust me I thought I would only last a day, or maybe two days at most. But to date I have lasted 7 full days without meat.

The one thing that I have discovered through this experience is that I am more concerned about what I eat. Before the fast, if my son would have half a plate of pancakes left from breakfast, I would finish eating them and not really think about it. But now I am more focused on what I eat, and how much of it I eat.

With that being said, we did title this blog Portobella Steaks. I HATE mushrooms. But thanks to my wife's sister, I tried these and I think they taste and feel just like steak. The Arkansas Test Kitchen gives this recipe two thumbs up.


Portobella Steaks
http://www.thelocalvegan.com/blog/portobello-steaks-and-lemon-herb-potatoes

4 large portobella mushroom caps
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce (we used low sodium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. oregano 

Instructions:
1. Clean the inside of the mushroom caps. If you're not sure how, check out this website for pointers: http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cooking-basics/how-to-clean-mushrooms/
2. In a bowl mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and oregano
3. Place cleaned mushroom caps in a zip lock bag, then pour mixture over the mushroom caps.
4. Place bag in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to 1 hour; turning bag every 15 minutes so they marinate evenly.
5. Spray grill pan with cooking spray
6. Pre-heat grill pan to medium / medium high heat
7. Cook mushrooms for 8 - 10 minutes per side

9. Serve immediately and enjoy. 

We look forward to keeping you updated on the Daniel Fast, and sharing more vegetarian recipes with you.

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Football Friday: Sangria

A few months ago, the Wisconsin Test Kitchen started doing some home renovations. One of the most thankless tasks was removing the dining room wallpaper. It was awful... wallpaper was layered on multiple times in some spots, and in other spots it was applied directly to the drywall. It was horrible. 

We knew we were going to need sustenance to get us through the horrible wallpaper removal process; so we decided to try making homemade sangria. The sangria was delicious, and made the wallpaper removal slightly more tolerable. 

We were invited to a New Orleans themed dinner the other night, and decided it was a good excuse to make another pitcher of sangria. Side note: sangria is more enjoyable when NOT removing wallpaper, just an FYI. We thought we'd pass the recipe along to our fans, if you're interested in trying this for your next tailgating event or football party. 

Fruity Sangria

2 (750 mL) bottles dry red wine (we used Cabernet)
1 cup brandy
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange liqueur
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved
3 oranges, thinly sliced
3 limes, thinly sliced
2 lemons, thinly sliced

Stir together wine, brandy, sugar and orange liqueur in large pitcher, until sugar is dissolved. Add strawberries, lime, lemon and orange to the wine mixture, and lightly mull the fruit to release juices.

Cover and refrigerate for anywhere from 2-24 hours. Strain and serve over ice.

Notes from the Test Kitchen:

-Don't spend a lot of money on the wine for this sangria; you're fine using a $6.00 bottle. 

-We let our sangria sit for close to 24 hours before serving. We believe the longer it sits, the better it tastes. 

Give this yummy drink a try, your guests will love it!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Kids in the Kitchen Wednesday: Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

The youngest member of the Wisconsin Test Kitchen got a new cookbook for Christmas, and was pestering us to make something out of it. It was Packer Sunday, and we decided chocolate fudge cupcakes with peanut butter icing sounded like a quality game day treat.

Yeah, they're wearing Packer jerseys over their pajamas.That's how we roll on Sundays. 

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
Recipe courtesy of Tate's Bake Shop: Baking with Kids

6 T salted butter
6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 t vanilla
1/2 cup all purpose flour

Peanut Butter Icing
Recipe courtesy of Tate's Bake Shop: Baking with Kids

3/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 cup heavy cream

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line 8 muffin cups. 

Combine the butter and chocolate in a medium microwavable bowl. Microwave the mixture on low, stirring occasionally until just melted. 

Stir in the sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each one. Stir in the vanilla, then the flour. 

Divide the mixture into 8 muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into one cupcake comes out with moist crumbs attached.

Let them cool completely on a wire rack before icing them. 

To make the icing, put the sugar, peanut butter, butter and vanilla in a small bowl. With an electric mixer, beat the ingredients until they are creamy. 

Add the cream and beat the mixture until it's soft and creamy. 

Spread the icing over the top of the cupcakes. Top the icing with chopped peanuts or sprinkles if desired. 

Notes from the Test Kitchen:
-We highly recommend the cookbook! It gave easy step-by-step instructions and only called for a minimal amount of ingredients. If you want to buy a copy for your own little chef, we've included a link:

http://www.amazon.com/Tates-Bake-Shop-Baking-Kids/dp/0312513968/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1421610720&sr=8-3&keywords=tate%27s+bake+shop+cookbook&pebp=1421610728565&peasin=312513968

-Cooking is even more fun with Sawyer now that she's getting older. In addition to her being able to crack eggs or measure and pour ingredients, we can now make cooking time a math lesson also. We've been working on basic fractions (if you need 1/3 of a cup, how many do you need to make a whole cup?), and addition and subtraction (if we have 8 eggs in the carton and use 2, how many do we have left?). Think outside the box, and take the opportunity to make a yummy treat a learning experience as well. 

Also, the cupcakes turned out delicious- super moist and the peanut butter icing was great paired with the chocolate cupcakes. Make a batch of these, it's a great way to spend a little quality time in the kitchen with your little chef.

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Monday Meals: Sausage & Red Pepper Alfredo

Mondays... kind of suck. Monday mean the weekend is over, and you have five grueling days of work ahead of you. Ugh. And if your house is anything like the Wisconsin Test Kitchen, Mondays mean back to school, tae kwon do lessons, possibly book club, and finally dinner. Cooking dinner after a long Monday is a thankless task. BUT: we found an awesome one dish meal that might make your Monday a little bit brighter.

Seriously. One Dish. 

And it's so good. Think creamy, delicious pasta and Italian sausage. In one dish. 

Did we mention you can make this in about 25 minutes, in only one dish?

Seriously people: ONE DISH!!!!

Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo
http://hostthetoast.com/one-pot-roasted-red-pepper-and-sausage-alfredo/


¾ lb Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ cups milk, plus ¼ cup for the sauce
1½ cups chicken broth, plus ¼ cup for the sauce
1 (16 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained and pureed (you can do this in a food processor or blender)
8 oz goat cheese
½ cup grated parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 handfuls fresh spinach
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 oz pasta of your choice


Remove the casing from the sausage and discard the casing. To do this, simply cut along the side of the sausage with a sharp knife and peel off the pierced casing with your fingers.
In a large pot or high-walled pan, saute the sausage meat with the garlic and olive oil over medium heat, until browned.

Stir in chicken broth, pureed roasted red pepper, milk and pasta. 

Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 12 minutes. If the liquid has all been absorbed, add the additional milk and chicken broth.

Stir in spinach, 1 handful at a time, and cook until wilted and hot.

Stir in the goat cheese and Parmesan. Continue to stir until melted. Remove from heat and serve.

Notes from the Test Kitchen: 

We tend to play with quantities a little bit, and meals like this are pretty forgiving. We used an entire pound of Italian sausage, a 24 oz. jar of roasted red peppers, and an entire bag of spinach (we love spinach). The addition of extra roasted red peppers added more liquid to the pot, so we didn't need to add the extra 1/4 cups of milk and chicken stock. 

We hope this delicious, hearty meal makes your Monday a little more bearable!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Football Friday: Black Eyed Pea Dip

So, you've got these Black Eyed Peas; and then you have the edible version. One of our favorite redheads; The Pioneer Woman posted a recipe for a warm black eyed pea dip; and we had to give it a try. 

The Packers were about to take on the Dallas Cowboys; and as die-hard Packers fans, we suspected we might need to eat our feelings during the game. We were right... it was a stressful, scream inducing, crazy game. But ultimately the Packers won, so we were pretty happy. That's putting it mildly. We were ecstatic. Oh, and the dip was pretty great too. 

Black Eyed Pea Dip
Recipe courtesy of: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/12/zannies-black-eyed-pea-dip/

1 can (14-ounce) can black-eyed peas
1/4 whole onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup sour cream (we used Greek yogurt)
8 slices jarred jalapeno slices
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons salsa
Hot Sauce, to taste
Salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Drain black-eyed peas and partially mash, leaving some whole.

Add all other ingredients, stirring to combine.

Spread into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Serve with tortilla chips.

*Note: The Wisconsin Test Kitchen likes spice; so we added a few extra shakes of hot sauce, and we used twice as many jalapeno slices as the recipe called for. We stand behind that decision: the extra heat was perfect.

This was so easy to make, and the results were super tasty.  We didn't even think we liked black eyed peas... but we were proven wrong! We see this becoming our go-to game day recipe. Give this one a try- we're pretty sure you'll love it as much as we did. 

Stay Cool,

The Cool Dads Crew

Kids in the Kitchen Wednesday: Snow Day Cookies

Last week Wisconsin saw freezing cold temperatures and a few days of snow. Ugh. Kevin in the Wisconsin Test Kitchen had slipped at work, and sprained his ankle and did something to his ACL- preventing him from shoveling snow. Rebecca almost cried tears of joy when a neighbor came over to plow the front walk and back alley. Needless to say, this kind neighbor was promptly rewarded with homemade cookies. 

What kind of cookies you ask? We tried a recipe for brown sugar chocolate chip cookies; which we promptly dubbed 'the tastiest cookie dough EVER'. And based on the fact we've made a lot of cookies in our kitchen, we felt qualified to make that distinction. 

It's kind of crazy how the addition of dark brown sugar makes for a sweeter, flatter cookie: but it works. Plus, the addition of sea salt gives these cookies that addictive sweet/salty combination that we find SO addictive. COOKIES!!!

 Give these bad boys a try. Maybe pay it forward and give a dozen to someone just because. Let's face it: the world could use a little more kindness.

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe courtesy of: http://jensfavoritecookies.com/2014/09/18/brown-sugar-chocolate-chip-cookies/


½ cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Add salt and soda, and mix well. Add flour, and mix just until combined.
Fold in chocolate chips.

Scoop small balls of dough, place on baking sheet, and bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes. Please note: these cookies tend to spread out on the baking sheet; give them a good 3-4" to spread. 

One tip: these cookies stuck something fierce to the cookie sheet. We learned our lesson after the first batch, and used a silicone baking mat for the next few batches. Parchment paper will work well if you don't have a baking mat. Otherwise you're going to end up with some ugly, wrinkled looking cookies... and a big mess to clean up. No one wants that. Give these a try, and enjoy them as much as we did.

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Monday Meals: MANLY Meatloaf

We all know about Mom's meatloaf, and we've all tried Grandma's meatloaf; but what makes a manly meatloaf? 

Easy: bourbon. 

Feel free to listen to this song on repeat while making our Bourbon Glazed Manly Meatloaf. When it comes to bourbon recommendations, the Wisconsin Test Kitchen highly recommends Bulleit, or Buffalo Trace. And for the record, we drink our bourbon with one rock. We're hard core like that. And by we... we mean Rebecca, our editor. 

But we digress. This recipe is going to take your standard meatloaf to the next level. While the 'loaf' itself is pretty standard; the sweet and smoky glaze is incredible. After much discussion, we also decided this glaze would be delicious on burgers or pork belly. We can't wait to use it in other applications soon. 

Bourbon Glazed Meatloaf
Recipe inspired by: http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/2014/11/bourbon-glazed-meatloaf.html

Loaf Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (you can also use dried)
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and minced
1 tsp salt
lots of fresh cracked pepper

Bourbon glaze
1 cup fruit jam or preserves- we used orange marmalade
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp hot chili sauce or Sriracha
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
1/4 cup water


Set oven to 350F
To make the sauce, put all the ingredients in a sauce pan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, and simmer/boil gently, uncovered, for about 10 minutes until thickened. If you used a chunky jam you may want to use an immersion blender to puree the glaze.

Put the meats in a large mixing bowl, breaking them apart into small pieces as you add them. Add the eggs, breadcrumbs, onion and salt and pepper to the bowl. Mix everything well with your fingertips. You want to thoroughly incorporate all the elements without over-doing it.
Form the meat into a loaf, not too tall and not too wide. You want it to cook evenly, so try to get it even from end to end.
You can set it directly in a pan or on a baking sheet, or set it on a rack if you have one. Whatever you do, be sure to line the pan with foil since the glaze will drip and make a mess.

Spread a layer of glaze all over the meatloaf.

 Bake it for about 60 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the center reads 160 degrees. We basted another layer of sauce on the meat halfway through the cooking.

Remove the meat and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing. Slather on a final coat of glaze just before serving, (heat it up on the stove so it is hot) and serve extra sauce on the side.

This was an incredible dinner; the only thing preventing us from making it again soon is the fact we're out of bourbon- a problem we plan on remedying sometime very soon. Even if you're not a bourbon fan; give this one a try. It might be the best meatloaf recipe ever.

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Football Friday: Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

It's playoff season! Is there a more exciting thing to celebrate in all of January? Nope, we don't think so either. A lot of people are still barbecuing, or making burgers on their grills. Sadly, Wisconsin has seen it's first major snowfall and serious cold freeze; so most of our cooking is done indoors these days. But, if you're still grilling or tailgating, we have an awesome side dish for you!

We made a batch of cheesy scalloped potatoes for our New Years Eve celebration; and they were crazy delicious. They make the boxed scalloped potatoes with the powdered cheese look as appetizing as Jay Cutler (ie: not at all). Oh, did we mention you can also make them in your crock pot? You're welcome. 

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Recipe courtesy of: http://chickensintheroad.com/farm-bell-recipes/slow-cooker-potatoes-au-gratin/

6 medium potatoes (I used Yukon Gold)
8 oz cheese, shredded (we used cheddar)
3 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
chopped garlic (optional)
salt 

1. Wash, peel, and slice your potatoes. You want them about a medium thickness.
2. Grease your slow cooker thoroughly with non-stick spray.
3. Add one layer of potatoes and salt them. You can use regular table salt, Kosher salt, or even garlic salt, but do not skimp on the salt or your potatoes will be bland.

4. Continue layering and salting until you have used all the potato slices.
5. When all the potatoes are in the pot, melt the 3 Tbsp of butter in a large saucepan.
6. Add the flour and whisk.
7. Cook over medium heat until mixture starts to bubble up, then cook for 2 minutes whisking constantly.
8. Slowly pour in the milk and whisk until thickened. (Add 2 Tbsp chopped garlic now if you like. It’s good!!)
9. Add the cheese and stir until melted.

10. Pour over the top of the potatoes. Don’t stir the potatoes, but give them a jiggle to get some of the sauce down into the bottom of the pot.
11. Place 2 paper towels across the top of the slow cooker and put on the top.
12. Turn the pot on high and leave it for an hour. You can leave it on high for two more hours or turn it to low for 3-4 hours.

Sorry we didn't take more pictures. We were pretty excited to dig into our New Years Eve feast. That's our New Years Eve resolution: take more food pictures for our loyal readers! 

At this point, we'd normally give you our football predictions; but Dad #2 has conceded to Dad #1. Congrats Kevin, you are our Cool Dads Football champ for the 2014-2015 season! Here's to the play offs!

Stay Cool,

The Cool Dads Crew

Kids in the Kitchen Wednesday: Cannoli Cake

The Wisconsin Test Kitchen celebrated a Cool Dads birthday this week: Happy Birthday Kevin! Of course the day was celebrated with friends and lots of food. Kevin's amazing (and oh so humble) wife Rebecca made a massive lasagna from scratch, sausage and peppers and bread. But, a birthday celebration isn't complete until there's cake. We decided to keep with the Italian tradition and try making a cannoli cake. 

Why cake and not cannolis? Rebecca is not a pastry person, and the idea of making cannoli shells and filling them wasn't pretty. So, cake it was. And wow! The cake turned out moist and sweet; and the frosting was light and delicious. We deemed it one of the best frostings we've ever made. Our dinner guests also loved it; and were happy to take leftovers home with them. 

Additionally; this is a great recipe to make with kids. Anything that requires them to poke holes in a cake is always a good time. Plus there was plenty of mixing, stirring and sampling to keep it interesting.

Cannoli Poke Cake
Recipe courtesy of: http://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/2014/05/09/cannoli-poke-cake/

1 box white cake mix, plus ingredients on box
1 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions
1. Bake cake according to directions on box for a 9x13 pan.
2. Allow cake to cool completely.

3. Poke holes all over the top of the cake. (I used the end of a spoon)

4. Reserve half a cup of sweetened condensed milk and pour the rest of the sweetened condensed milk over the cake.

5. Put cake in refrigerator for about an hour to absorb milk.
6. Combine ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese and vanilla extract in a mixer bowl. Beat until smooth.
7. Add powdered sugar and cinnamon, if using and mix until combined.
8. Add reserved sweetened condensed milk and mix until combined.

9. Once cake has absorbed milk, spread cannoli topping evenly over cake.
10. Top with mini chocolate chips and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

11. Cover cake and allow to set in refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Cake should keep for 4-5 days.

It was a happy birthday indeed once this cake was served! If you have a special occasion coming up soon (or you're just craving cannolis) we recommend this delicious dessert. 

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew