The Colts without Peyton Manning are pretty much the Cleveland Browns. The Green Bay Packers should have no problem crushing and stuffing them.  And that’s the theme for today’s football tailgating menu.  Don’t worry no horses will be harmed during the cooking process.  Pork will be substituted.  Speaking of which, yes Matt Flynn is a good substitute for Aaron Rogers if it comes to that.

Football Tailgating menu

Breaded pork tenderloin is one of the few regional dishes that belongs to Indiana. Here, instead of plain white bread crumbs, sourdough bread will be used kicked up a notch with parsley, sage and rosemary.  Accompany the crusty pork cutlets with a macaroni salad, cucumbers and onions in sour cream and nutty popcorn sundaes for dessert in honor of Orville Redenbacher, who started his company in Indiana.

Lay the thin-cut pork chops on a cutting board.  Remove any bone and excess fat.  Place on a sheet and waxed paper.  Cover with another sheet of wax paper and pound away.  Since the thin cutlets cook quickly this activity is great to do during the game if it gets close, which it won’t.

When the pork chops are twice as big as when you started put them aside for moment.

Mix 1/4 cup cream cheese, 1/4 cup goat cheese, 1/2 tsp. each chopped parsley, sage and rosemary.  Throw in 1 tbsp. of chopped walnuts for crunch.  Mix well.

Put about 2 tbsp. of the stuffing in the middle on each cutlet. Fold the cutlet around the stuffing as if you were making a burrito or egg roll.  Fasten with toothpicks.  None of the filling should be showing.

Dust the little stuffed colt cutlets with flour. Dip in beaten egg and then in breadcrumbs.  The easiest way to make bread crumbs is in the blender.  Cut the loaf in 1 inch cubes until you have 2 cups. Add 1 tsp. each parsley, sage and rosemary.  Hit the puree button, which is what the Green Bay Defense is going to do to the Colts offense.

Roll the cutlets in the bread crumbs until well-coated.  Add 2 tbsp. olive oil to a saute pan. Place over medium heat. Brown the cutlets on all sides lower to low and finish cooking, probably no more than 10 minutes. The cutlets are tender from all the pounding and crusty on the outside.  The stuffing is hot and creamy with a fresh herbal note and a bit of tang from the goat cheese.  If you don’t like goat cheese use another soft cheese. The entree for your football tailgating menu is finished

The macaroni salad is easy. Use store bought.  Thinly slice one onion and two large cucumbers.  Add 1 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup sour cream. Salads are done.

Finish off your football tailgating menus with the crunchy, salty and sweet sundaes. The sundaes are best made at the last minute.  Top a generous serving of vanilla ice cream with freshly popped corn.  If it’s hot from the popper so much the better. Drizzle caramel sauce over the popcorn and ice cream  Throw in a few salted peanuts if you like.

Now that tailgate menu wasn’t so hard was it?

Read more about the Green Bay Game

The long NFL lockout is over and the season is moving forward. Tailgating is part of football whether it’s a high school, college or NFL game. Just because you’re not going to the game, doesn’t mean you can’t have a tailgating party. This week, in honor of the Green Bay Packers playing a pre-season game against the Arizona Cardinals, this football tailgating menu will feature grilled Cornish game hens, because that’s what the Pack is going to do to those little red birds.

Football tailgating menu

The game hens are marinated in a lime juice and chipolte bath overnight, then grilled. Finish with a spicy sweet sauce for an additional kick of flavor. The meat is succulent and tender with a south of the border twist.

Accompany the birds with smoky grilled potatoes and corn on the cob. A black bean salad is a nice touch. Finish with fresh peaches topped with vanilla ice cream, sprinkled with cinnamon.

Split the hens in half. They’ll grill more evenly. Plan on one hen person. Combine 1 1/2 cups lime juice, four crushed garlic cloves, one bunch chopped scallions, and 1 tbsp. chipolte powder for four birds. Add more or less chipolte powder depending on how spicy you like your food. Reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture and store separately. Put the remaining marinade and the split hens in a zipper-locked bag and marinate at least overnight.

Light the grill and grab a marguerita-lite. Pour a 6 oz. can of limeade with two cans of water and two cans of lemon-lime soda over crushed ice in a pitcher. Add 4 oz. of tequila. Stir well. Serve with a slice of lime.

Pull back the husks of the corn but don’t remove them. Rub off the silks. Fold the husks back over the corn and soak in cold water for about 30 minutes.

Vegetables often take longer to grill than chicken. Start the corn, wrapped in their husks on the grill. Give them about ten minutes. At the same time add the potatoes still in their skins but cut in chunks and threaded on a metal skewer. Move the corn and potatoes off to the side but still on the heat when you’re ready to grill the Cardinals –ah game hens. Grill for about 20 minutes, turning once. Insert an instant read thermometer. Poultry needs to reach an internal temperature of at least 165 F.

Mix the reserved marinade with 1/4 cup of honey. Brush over the game hens during the last five minutes of grilling. Do NOT use the marinade the chicken was in, discard it.  You’re almost finished with your football tailgating menu.

Use your favorite recipe for a black bean salad. Or simply combine 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans with 1 chopped red sweet pepper, 1 tsp. of cumin, 2 tbsp. of lime juice and 1 small can of chopped jalapeños. Throw in some scallions if you have them handy. Serve at half time then watch the Pack finish off the Cardinals while you finish off the ice cream and fresh peaches.

Read Brian’s Green Bay Packers Blog