Two Easy Superbowl Recipes

Let's be honest - If the Bears aren't playing (or even if they are), the Superbowl is a really good excuse to binge eat and a drink on a Sunday with your friends in your fat pants...which pretty much sounds like the best day ever. There's a lot of dips, a slew of wings, endless crock pots set on high, and oh yes, some football playing on the side. 

We have always loved cooking up a storm to coincide with the can't miss commercials and halftime show and this year, we took care of both brunch and afternoon snacks because this is a marathon, not a sprint, ladies. We were excited to work with SPAM® on these recipes, because it's a super easy way to add some protein in your snacks...they have a few different flavors now and we were very happy to see the low-sodium option, which can make you feel a tiny bit better considering all of the calories that will be consumed on Sunday :)

Saucy Meatball Sliders

Is there anybody who doesn't like meatball appetizers? I feel like they are universally enjoyed and one of the first things to go at a potluck. Plus, these are a guy's dream...ham, bacon AND pork? It doesn't get more dude than that. These were a big hit with my Fam...the brown sugar and mustard  makes the sauce a perfect blend of sweet and savory. These are game day gold! 

Ingredients:

• 1 12-ounce can SPAM® Classic
• 6 slices uncooked bacon
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt

Sauce:

• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• Bread: I used Hawaiian rolls

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put the SPAM®, bacon and pork in a food processor and pulse briefly to chop fine. Do not puree.
• Place the mixture in a large bowl with the remaining meatball ingredients and mix well to combine. Using your hands, shape mixture into balls, 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Arrange in a casserole pan.
• Combine the sauce ingredients in a small pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour over meatballs.
• Bake for 15 minutes, baste meatballs and turn them in the pan. Continue baking another 15 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Baste occasionally with sauce. Serve on rolls, adding pan sauces on top.

Ham & Spinach Mini Quiches

How perfect would these be if you have people coming over early in the day? These breakfast quiches are great because you can make them ahead of time and just heat them up when you're ready...plus, do you not love the idea of a mimosa bar on game day (or ANY day?) You can offer a few different alcohol and juice options so people can customize their drinks. I just love brunch and maximize any opportunity to include it in my meal plan!

Ingredients:

• 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Half a package of low sodium spam, cut into small squares 
• Half a 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 3 12-ounce cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease muffin pans.
• In large bowl, combine SPAM®, eggs, spinach, onion, milk, cheeses, nutmeg and pepper; mix well.
• Place biscuits in muffin cups, pressing gently to fit. Spoon SPAM® filling into each cup.
• Bake quiches 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and egg mixture is set. Serve warm. ADD MIMOSAS ;)

What are you cooking up for the big game? We're looking forward to seeing the commercials and Lady GaGa! 

This post was created in partnership with SPAM. While SPAM provided us with material and resources to complete these recipes, all statements and sentiment on sistersmarie.com are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible! 

Christmas Cookie Traditions

Every year, my Mom, best friend and I spend the Sunday before Christmas whipping up our favorite Christmas cookie recipes. We spend hours in the kitchen (comfy clothes required!), making a mess, trying that year's signature drink and tasting our masterpieces. Afterwards, we pile in the car to browse the neighborhood lights and often make a (totally unnecessary) stop at Portillo's for hot dogs and fries because by that time, we're ready for "real" food after hours on a sugar high...

This year, among many others, we made our classic recipes including toffee bars, peanut butter kisses, my Mom's "nerds" (these are a top secret recipe!) and the staple of every party, the frosted sugar cookies. By the way, we have officially found the BEST sugar cookie recipe...we have used it 2 years in a row now and it's so good, that it's hard not to eat every bit of the raw dough before you even form it to bake >> find it HERE!

In addition to cookie tasting, we always have "side snacks" prepared to eat while things bake...this is really just an excuse to inhale more sweets and salt. My Mom always has some great apps to share including fig butter and multiple kinds of spreadable cheeses...this year we added some pizza dip and peanut butter balls (thank you for bringing these into my life, Hormel! They are addicting!)

We always start early so by 6:00pm, we're ready to collapse from a sugar-induced coma but there's usually a few last things to be frosted or sprinkled...

And even though we're exhausted, there's always time for Prosecco (with the CUTEST stopper!) and a quick trip to see some beautiful lights.

What treats do you make for the holiday season? 
Do you ever have a bake-a-thon day?

I am currently a member of the Hormel Foods Extended Blogger Program and this post is part of my involvement in the Group. While Hormel Foods provides me material and necessary resources to complete various activities, all statements and sentiment in this post are my own. Thanks for reading!

The Leftovers

One of the best parts (ok, THE best part) of hosting Thanksgiving is attacking the leftovers the next day. It always seems to taste even better then...perhaps it's because we can eat them in our pj's or because there's time to actually enjoy every bite. We have enough mashed potatoes left to feed all our neighbors from here to the street 3 blocks over and I've tried pawning them off on family and friends, but of course everyone has their own fridge full of goodies. So, instead of eating them as a side with every meal for the next week (thus resulting in adding 2 sizes to my waistline), I tested out a leftovers casserole which is perfect for using a lot of your ingredients in one fell swoop. 

In addition to the Thanksgiving staples (turkey, tatos, stuffing, cranberry, corn, gravy, etc.), we got a little wild and added a few bacon sprinkles to top off the casserole. It's used in lot of stuffing recipes I knew it would taste great and also served as a good way to add something new to a mixture of food we'd already been eating for a few days. 

It turned out more like a pot pie instead of a casserole which my husband LOVED. I enjoyed mixing all of the sides together to create something new instead of just heating each one up individually.
Are you still eating leftovers? What's your favorite way to do a Thanksgiving redux?
I am currently a member of the Hormel Foods Extended Blogger Program and this post is part of my involvement in the Group. While Hormel Foods provides me material and necessary resources to complete various activities, all statements and sentiment in this post are my own. Thanks for reading!