Sudsy Sizzlin’ Beer Recipes for Super Bowl Sunday

Browsing through a local Barnes & Noble recently, I spotted “Cooking with Beer” in the store’s discount aisle. The cookbook is chock full of recipes – many of which sizzle, not only with suds but also with hot pods.

It’s perfect for selecting recipes for this weekend’s Super Bowl Sunday parties – Go Cardinals!

A compilation of favorite recipes from major companies and organizations, this book is a steal at $7.98. Contents include appetizers, beef, lamb, pork, poultry, seafood, side dishes, and soups. Recipes are either “fondued,” grilled, baked or broiled. A bonus in this full color publication is the handy metric conversion chart located on the inside back cover.

Nachos con Queso y Cerveza (Serves 4)

• 4 ounces tortilla chips
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• 2 jalapeño [or serrano] peppers, * seeded and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces), cooked and chopped
• 1/3 cup pilsner lager
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz) Mexican-style diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 tablespoons black olives, chopped

*Jalapeño peppers can sting and irritate the skin; wear rubber gloves when handling peppers and do not touch eyes. Wash hands after handling.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Place chips in 13X9-inch baking pan. Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat until hot. Add onion, peppers, garlic, chili powder and cumin. Cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken, pilsner and tomatoes. Simmer until liquid is absorbed. 

Spoon tomato-chicken mixture over chips; top with cheese and olives. 

Bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Smoky Barbecued Beef Sandwiches (Makes 6 servings)

• 2 large onions cut into thin slices
• 1 beef brisket (about 3 pounds), trimmed ½ teaspoon salt ¾ cup beer (not dark) ½ cup each packed light brown sugar ½ cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 whole canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can
• 6 Kaiser or hoagie rolls, split and toasted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Separate onion into rings. Place brisket, fat side up, over onions; sprinkle with salt. Combine remaining ingredients except rolls in small bowl; pour over brisket. 

Cover with heavy-duty foil Roast 3 to 3 ½ hours until brisket is fork- tender.

Transfer brisket to cutting board, leaving sauce in pan; tent brisket with clean foil. Let stand 10 minutes.

Skim fat from pan juices with spoon; discard. Transfer juices to large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring frequently. Trim fat from brisket; carve brisket across grain into thin slices. Return slices to sauce; cook until heated through, coating with sauce. Serve brisket and sauce on rolls.

Grilled Chicken with Chili Beer Baste

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper
• 3 bottles (12 ounces each) pilsner beer, divided ½ cup tomato juice ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 whole chickens (3 ½ pounds each), cut up

To make baste, heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic until tender. Combine next 7 ingredients in medium bowl. Add 1 bottle of beer, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice and whisk. Add to onion mixture. Cook sauce until reduced to 2 cups. Cool; refrigerate overnight.

Divide chicken between 2 cups large resealable plastic food storage bags. Pour remaining 2 bottles of beer over chicken; seal bags. 

Refrigerate overnight.

Prepare grill for direct grilling; grease grill grid. Remove chickens from marinade. Grill chicken over medium-hot coals, 25 minutes for dart meat and 20 minutes for breasts or until chicken reaches 175 degrees F. Brush with baste during last 10 minutes of cooking. Serve chicken with remaining warmed baste.

Bacon and Cheese Rarebit (Makes 6 servings)

• 12 slices bacon
• 1 small loaf (8 ounces) egg bread or challah, cut into 6 (1-inch-
• thick) slices
• 1 ½ tablespoons butter or margarine
• ½ cup beer (not dark)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp yellow American cheese
• 1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded yellow American cheese
• 1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 12 large slices ripe tomato

Cook bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat about 7 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towels. Toast bread slices until golden brown. Cover and keep warm.

Preheat broiler. Meanwhile, melt butter in double boiler set over simmering water. Stir in beer, Worcestershire, mustard and red pepper; heat through. Add cheeses, stirring constantly about 1 minute or until melted. Remove from heat; cover and keep warm.

Arrange toast on foil-lined 15X10 inch jelly roll pan. Top each serving with 2 tomato slices and 2 slices of bacon. Spoon about ¼ cup cheese sauce evenly over each serving. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

Sunny Conley is an award-winning author, writer, editor and desktop publisher, specializing in Southwest cuisine, culture and business. Since 1994, Sunny’s columns and features have appeared in national and regional magazines and newspapers, and on the Internet. For more information, visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/sunnyconley or write sunnyc@evliving.com.

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