USC Gamecocks vs. UGA Bulldogs

To start off I think you should know that I am a real southern girl. I watch football. Not like the girls who go to games to talk to their friends and just scream when their team scores kind of watch. I know the players, I care about yards gained, and don’t really want to talk to you about what you bought at the mall unless it’s halftime. I love football and I am a die-hard South Carolina Gamecocks football fan.

For a second year in a row the Gamecocks pulled a win out against Georgia. In the usual tradition South Carolina’s team won the hard way and kept us on the edge of our seats the whole game. Ace and I had a bunch of guys from his office over to watch the game. I was excited to try out a bunch of new recipes. The man made manly food, i.e. chili, in the new crock pot and that was a great idea. I made Cream Cheese Sausage Balls, Buffalo Chicken Dip, and Deviled Eggs. I’ve never made any of these recipes but all of them are staples for a great tailgate. I was really happy with the outcome and the boys ate everything!

Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
Adapted from Plain Chicken
1 lb sausage, uncooked
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 ¼ cups Bisquick
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix all ingredients until well combined. (I use my KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook attachment because that's what Plain Chicken did.) Roll into 1-inch balls. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until brown. Plain Chicken said you can freeze these uncooked which would save you some time on gameday.

(I left the first batch in a little too long. Please excuse the crunchy bottoms.)

Buffalo Chicken Dip
Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything
1 can chuck chicken, drained
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
½ cup Ranch dressing
½ cup Frank’s Red Hot
¾ cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Heat chicken and Frank’s sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Make sure to break up the chicken so there are no big chunks. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in shredded cheese. Pour into a shallow dish. I added some extra cheese on top. Microwave until the cheese has melted. We served it with tortilla chips, pretzels, and celery.

Deviled Eggs
6 Hard boiled eggs
Yellow mustard
Light mayo
Celery salt
Pepper

Peel eggs and cut down the middle length wise. Pop the centers out in a bowl and combine with the rest of the ingredients. Ace was teaching me this recipe so there are no measurements. Just mix everything to taste. Then fill the empty centers with the mixer. We dusted half the deviled eggs with dill weed and half with paprika.