Football season is well underway, and like always, that means only one thing to me: snacks, lots of snacks. Whether you’re hosting at your place or attending as a guest, keep these easy and handy snack recipes in your arsenal so no matter which team loses, you’ll always come out a winner.

 

Philly Cheesesteak Dip

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 green onion, diced
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1-2 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1-2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1-2 tsp. onion powder
  • pinch of chili powder, optional
  • 2 blocks cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 1 lbs. deli-sliced roast beef, chopped
  • 2 - 2 1/2 cups shredded provolone cheese

Directions:

  1. Heat butter in a skillet and saute together the onions and peppers.

  2. Mix in the seasonings and cook for a couple of minutes until translucent, then set aside to cool.

  3. Preheat oven to 400, and in a large bowl, using a hand mixer, blend together the cream cheese, sour cream, vinegar and additional spices to taste.

  4. Add in the sauteed vegetables, beef and half of the shredded cheese.

  5. Place in a baking dish and top with remaining cheese.

  6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with toasted baguette slices or pita chips.

Chef's note: To make it even easier, I sometimes use a package of frozen onions and peppers, cook that down until all liquid is evaporated and then begin with step 1.

 

Mini Pretzel Bites

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 cans of refrigerated biscuits
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/3 cup baking soda
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
  • coarse salt for topping

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.

  2. Open up the cans of biscuits and cut each into about 4-6 bite-sized pieces.

  3. In a medium-sized pot, boil the water with the baking soda.

  4. In small batches, boil the biscuit pieces for a few seconds and then place on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle tops with coarse salt.

  5. Bake for 6-10 minutes or until browned.

  6. Serve with melted butter or your favorite cheese dip.

 

Apple Pie Slab Bars

Ingredients:

  • 2 refrigerated pie crusts

Topping:

  • 1/3 cup white sugar 
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, cold, in cubes

Filling:

  • 2 cans apple pie filling, OR
  • 1/3 cup white sugar 
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp. flour
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 4 lbs. apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced 

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and on a lightly floured surface, remove crusts from package, lay flat and stack on top of each other to make them thicker. Then roll them out together to the size of a small jelly roll pan, about 15x10 inches.

  2. Transfer crust to the jelly roll pan and decorate edges to your liking.

  3. To make the topping, mix together all ingredients by hand or fork until a crumbly texture and then place in fridge.

  4. To make the filling, in a mixing bowl, mix together the sugars and spices first, then add in your sliced apples and lemon juice and toss together to coat uniformly.

  5. Assemble everything together. Pour apple slices on top of crust and then the crumbles on top evenly, and bake for about 30-40 minutes depending on your oven. Allow to cool and serve with caramel or vanilla ice cream.

 

From Z to A with Zara Abbasi

Zara Abbasi is the pastry chef and recipe developer for Zara Made It. Follow her food adventures on Instagram at @zaramadeit.