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That ended up being a great Super Bowl after a snoozer of a first half! But the game exposed me as a little bit of a fraud. 

I did a betting board with my wife and her family and I started out, nailing the first six picks, and the family was impressed and saying, “It’s not fair, you cover sports for a living!”

Well, much to their delight, I proceeded to miss the next seven picks and ended up finishing behind my seven year old niece Vienna and only a couple points ahead of my three year old niece Brynn who just giddily yelled “YES!” to every bet her mom yelled to her. I ended up tying with Gugli, our exchange student who had never watched a Super Bowl before. Some expert I am.

Here we are in February and still, there isn’t much snow on the ground, but the temps are moving down and I am hoping we get at least one blizzard for Gugli’s sake, but who knows with this winter!

We’ll try to will a bit of winter and snow here this week with some nice cozy dinner ideas.

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BROCCOLI CHEESE & CRACKER CASSEROLE

3 sleeves round butter crackers  (Ritz )

3 lb. broccoli, cut into florets

2 lb. processed American cheese

1/2 c. milk

1/4 c. heavy cream

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the crackers in a large plastic, zip-top bag and crush slightly, leaving some large chunks. Set aside.

Plunge the broccoli into boiling water and allow to boil for 1 minute. Strain and set aside.

Cut the Velveeta into chunks. Throw it into a large pot with the milk, cream, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Melt, stirring occasionally, until totally smooth. Stir in the Dijon mustard, if using.

Add the broccoli to the cheese sauce, then add half the cracker crumbs. Stir to combine, then pour the mixture into a buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Top with the remaining cracker crumbs, then sprinkle the top generously with black pepper.

Bake until the top is golden brown and the casserole is bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.

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CHICKEN FRIED TURKEY

FOR THE TURKEY:

2 tbsp. poultry seasoning

2 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 c. whole buttermilk

2 tbsp. hot sauce

1 large egg

2 lb. turkey cutlets

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. cornstarch

1 tbsp. baking powder

Vegetable oil, for frying

FOR THE CREAMY GRAVY:

1/4 c. salted butter

1/2 medium yellow onion, grated

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

3 1/2 c. warm turkey or chicken stock, divided

3/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. dijon mustard (optional)

For the turkey: In a small bowl, combine the poultry seasoning, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, egg, and 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture until smooth. Add the turkey to the buttermilk mixture; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours).

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 10 minutes before frying. In a medium shallow bowl or pie plate, stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, the remaining spice mixture, and 3 tablespoons of the turkey marinade until well combined (the mixture will be pebble-y). Working with one piece of turkey at a time, dredge the turkey in the flour mixture, patting to coat. Shake off the excess flour, and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining turkey.

Add oil to a depth of 1 inch in a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350°F.

Preheat the oven to 200°F.

When the oil is hot enough, fry the turkey, in batches as necessary, until golden brown on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. (The internal temperature of the turkey should read 165°F on an instant read thermometer when finished.) Transfer the cooked turkey to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, to taste. Keep warm in the oven.

For the creamy gravy: In a medium stainless steel skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until lightly golden and tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour smells toasty and turns lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Gradually add 3 cups of the stock, whisking to break up any clumps. Add the salt and pepper, and bring to gentle simmer. Cook, whisking frequently, until the gravy is smooth and thickened, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream and mustard, if using. Add more stock, if needed; season with additional salt and black pepper.

Divide the turkey among plates; spoon the warm gravy on top. Sprinkle with more black pepper.

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BEEF & NOODLES

3 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. seasoned salt, divided

1 tsp. ground black pepper, divided

1 1/2 lb. beef stew meat (or chuck roast), cut into 1" pieces

2 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

12 oz. sliced mushrooms

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 qt. beef stock 

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

4 sprigs of thyme

1 12-oz. bag frozen egg noodles, prepared  brand

Sour cream and chopped parsley, for serving (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the flour and 1/2 teaspoon each of seasoned salt and black pepper. Add the cubes of beef to the bowl and mix until well coated.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan. Place the meat in a single layer and cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir the beef and let brown on another side, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and transfer the beef to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, mushrooms, garlic and remaining 1/2 teaspoon each of seasoned salt and black pepper. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, seared beef, and thyme sprigs. Bring to a simmer, cover, then reduce heat to low. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, with the stock just barely simmering.

Remove the lid and discard the thyme sprigs. Add the egg noodles and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender. Serve immediately, topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of parsley.

TFD: Ignore the clock; move forward like it does. Keep progressing.

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