FORMER ALL-PRO NFL FULL BACK OVIE MUGHELLI’s TAILGATE PARTY
The Former All Pro Bowl NFL Veteran & Network TV Football Analyst Shares his Secrets for Having a Good Time Supporting your Team this Fall
Ovie Mughelli was a bruising fullback for more than a decade in the NFL. The former All-Pro player was known for punishing linebackers, but also for his engaging personality and ability to have fun with his teammates both on and off the field. Mughelli has since taken his big personality to later network TV Sports analyst, but he still finds times to fire up his grill and share his can’t-miss tips for enjoying all the games. Ovie has some tips for some things that can liven up any tailgate or game-watching party.
WHERE TO START FOR A GREAT TAILGATING EXPERIENCE
I love to grill. And, I believe every great tailgate or football party begins with great food. It is a perfect time to upgrade your grill. I just got this X200 TRU-Infrared™ Portable Gas Grill from Char-Broil along with its a custom carrying case with tear-resistant materials durable enough for travel throughout the tailgating season.
This Char-Broil® X200 TRU-Infrared™ Portable Gas Grill has a high-impact frame and an unprecedented 200 square inches of cooking space – plenty of room to cook for all of your friends. Its push button ignition and lid-mounted temperature gauge make grilling easy. And, its locking lid and convenient carrying handles provide ease in travel. My favorite feature, though, is Char-Broil’s forgiving TRU-Infrared™ cooking technology, which prevents flare-ups and makes juicier food. For more information, visit www.charbroil.com
TIPS FOR GETTING READY FOR GAMEDAY
I like to keep it simple and do all of my shopping in one place. 7-Eleven is your football headquarters this season, with everything you need to host an epic tailgate or “home-gate” party. They offer an easy way for fans to enjoy the game without spending too much money. You can get everything from oven-baked pizza, to snacks, reusable coolers and even paper goods. They also have these cool collectible cups with your favorite teams on them and matching helmet straws. They can be filled up with a Slurpee or Big Gulp drink and then re-used for your football watch party. They have seven different cups, featuring a new top player every week. For more information, visit www.7-eleven.com
SOMETHING THAT IS GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOUR GAMEDAY FOOD SPECIAL
You have to have some wow recipes to make a tailgating party that stands out. I like food with a cheesy goodness to it, but you can’t use just any cheese. My secret ingredient is Castello cheeses. Check out these recipes: blue cheese burger, the blue cheese dip and the potato salad with green beans and blue cheese. Any one of these are guaranteed to please. This Castello Traditional Danish Blue has intense flavor that’s an ideal base for dips like this creamy blue cheese dip. Whether it’s at the tailgate, or back home at the watch party, Castello’s variety of cheeses are an easy way to make your game day dish a winner. For more recipes, visit www.castello.com
Creamy Blue cheese dip
Leave it too long and it might be gone – our recipe for smooth Blue Cheese Dip is a sure fire hit at dinner parties and get-togethers. This creamy delight features a blend of intense blue cheese with sour cream to offer rich flavours to fresh vegetables and savoury snacks.
45 min 4 servings
ingredients
½ Castello® Double Crème Blue
2 tbsp sour cream
salt
pepper
¼ cup whipping cream
preparation
1. Take the cheese out of the fridge half an hour before making the dip as this allows the cheese to soften.
2. Mix the Double Crème Blue cheese with sour cream. Grate a little lemon peel and add a little juice. To adjust the texture, you can also add a little cream.
3. Season with salt and pepper and serve with potato or root vegetable crisps.
Barbecue and Blue Cheese burger
There are burgers, and then there are blue cheese burgers. Cushioned between toasted burger buns, seasoned beef enjoys a coating of intense blue cheese and homemade BBQ Sauce in this recipe. There are no in-betweens – these are all-out, full-blown jumbo-sliders with something to say.
4 servings
ingredients
7 ounces finely chopped pointed cabbages
7 ounces grated carrots
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp sweet mustard
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
1 pinch sugar
6 – 8 tbsp barbecue sauce
1.1 pounds ground beef
4 slices Castello® Burger Blue
4 burger buns
1 tomato
preparation
1. Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise and sweet mustard. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar. Add the cabbage and carrots and stir until everything is covered. Let stand for about an hour.
2. Form the ground beef into 4 patties of approx. 4½ ounces each and season well with salt and pepper. Brown the patties in some oil on each side.
3. Brush the patties with a generous amount of barbecue sauce. Pop them in the oven for 6-8 minutes at 400°F. Then top with Burger Blue cheese and give them another couple of minutes until the cheese has melted.
4. Warm the buns. Place a spoonful of coleslaw on the bottom half of the bun. Then add a patty and a slice of tomato and finish off with the top half of the bun spread with barbecue sauce.
Chili cheese tops
Oozing from a golden crust like a slow wave of melted cheese – our recipe for Chili cheese bites offers dreamlike delights in the shape of bite-sized treats. Spruced with fresh jalapeño, matured Cheddar relies on a coating of eggs, mixed flour and breadcrumbs to deliver its crispy crust.
ingredients
1 cup chicken stock
12¼ ounces Castello® Extra Mature Cheddar
1½ tbsp cornflour
2 jalapeños
⅔ cup flour
2 eggs
⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs (or 100 ml polenta or flour)
4¼ cups neutral oil for deep-frying
1 cup chicken stock
12¼ ounces Castello® Extra Mature Cheddar
1½ tbsp cornflour
2 jalapeños
⅔ cup flour
2 eggs
⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs (or 100 ml polenta or flour)
4¼ cups neutral oil for deep-frying
preparation
1. Finely grate the Castello® Extra Mature Cheddar and evenly mix with the cornmeal.
2. Finely dice the jalapeños, and remove the seeds first if you would like it not quite as hot. Add the chili to the cheese and mix.
3. Bring the chicken stock to a boil, and then reduce the heat. Stir the cheese mixture into the stock, a small amount at a time. Continue to stir until the cheese mixture has been incorporated into the stock. Transfer to a bowl, and place in the fridge for about 3-4 hours until it is completely cold.
4. Take the cooled mixture, and roll it into balls, and then dip them first in the seasoned flour, then in the beaten egg, and finally in a combination of polenta and Panko.
5. Deep-fry the balls until golden brown. Don’t fry them all at once; if you place too many in the saucepan together, it will reduce the temperature of the oil so much that they won’t fry properly.
6. Drain the fried balls on some paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
UNEXPECTED MUST-HAVE ITEMS FOR YOU TAILGATE PARTY
With the fried, fatty and spicy foods we eat at the tailgate, some fans are likely in for some heartburn, so my recommendation is to be prepared! For those with heartburn, there’s new store brand Omeprazole Orally Disintegrating Tablets, or ODT, which is the first and only orally dissolving form of omeprazole to treat frequent heartburn. It’s a 14-day treatment that features MelTech technology so it melts in the mouth without water and can be easily taken on-the-go at the tailgate, treating the symptoms of frequent heartburn for 24 hours. You can find it near the pharmacy section at your local retailer under each store’s own brand label. For more information, visit www.dissolveyourheartburn.com