Packer Party!

Yeah, I said Packer Party, not Super Bowl party :-) In honor of the Packers going to the Super Bowl on Sunday, I've pulled together a few snacks to add to your party list.

The first one is a pineapple upside down biscuit. It's such a staple of mine, I wouldn't be surprised if I posted this recipe before. It's a recipe from Paula Deen that I've recently adapted to be Packer-Friendly.

Pineapple Upside Down Biscuit

from foodnetwork.com

1 10oz can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup room temperature butter
10 maraschino cherries - For the Packer party get the green ones!
1 12oz package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, (10 count) - I can never find these so I usually get two packages of 8

• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Grease 10 muffin tin cups.
• Strain the can of crushed pineapple, save juice for later.
• Combine the pineapple, sugar, and butter, and mix well.
• Divide the pineapple mixture among the muffin cups.
• Place a cherry in the center of each muffin cup, making sure cherry hits bottom of cup.
• Place 1 biscuit in each cup, on top of sugar and pineapple mixture.
• Spoon 1 tsp reserved pineapple juice over each biscuit.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden.
• Cool for 2 minutes.
• Invert the pan onto a plate to release the biscuits. Serve warm.

This next recipe was a HUGE hit on NYE. It's a pain-in-the-butt to make but well worth it.

Crispy smashed roasted potatoes

from The Best of fine Cooking Party Food magazine

12 - 15 baby red potatoes
Kosher salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• Put the potatoes in a large saucepan (preferably in one layer) and cover with at least an inch of water. 
• Add 2 tsp. kosher salt to the water. 
• Bring the water to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook the potatoes until they are completely tender and can be easily pierced with a metal or wood skewer. The total cooking time will be 30 to 35 minutes.
• While the potatoes are cooking, set up a double layer of clean dishtowels on your countertop. 
• As the potatoes finish cooking, remove them individually from the water, and let them drain and sit for just a minute or two on the dishtowels. 
• Fold another dishtowel into quarters, and using it as a cover, gently press down on one potato with the palm of your hand to flatten it to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. 
• Repeat with all the potatoes.
• Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; put a sheet of parchment on top of the foil. 
• Transfer the flattened potatoes carefully to the baking sheet and let them cool completely at room temperature. 
• Heat the oven to 450°F. Alternatively, if you have a convection function, turn it on and set the temperature at 400°F. 
• Sprinkle the potatoes with about 3/4 tsp salt and pour the olive oil over them. 
• Lift the potatoes gently to make sure some of the oil goes underneath them and that they are well coated on both sides.
• Roast the potatoes until they’re crispy and deep brown around the edges, about 30 minutes if using a convection oven, 30 to 40 minutes if roasting conventionally, turning over once gently with a spatula or tongs halfway through cooking. 
• Serve hot.

These went really fast! A lot of people gravitated towards these because they thought the brown bits on top of the potatoes were bacon - but really they were just browned potato skins. :-)