Rising to the Occasion:
Tips for Seasoning Your Meals with Soul
with Karen Mitchell-Wilcher

Plan a Fumble-Free Tailgate Menu
By Karen M. Wilcher

It’s football season and in our family we each have our picks for the teams that we think will excel during the season to earn a place in post season competitions.

I am proud to be a Big-Ten alum from the University of Illinois. I am not so excited to be living with a husband that is an ACC, Carolina alum. Things have been known to get competitive in our household. . My brother’s gridiron favorite is most often in the NFL. My sisters like the “Battle of the Bands” rivalries among H.B.C.U (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) schools. Whether it’s an amateur or pro team, we all agree the tailgate festivities are almost as important as the play-by-play. The men enjoy playing “armchair quarterback” with each other around the tailgate table. I like it because it’s easy to make the food, and you’re usually guaranteed to have leftovers to dish up for the next meal that day.

In outlining the game plan for the menu, keep in mind that if you’re taking a grill to barbecue, arrive early to claim the perfect spot and get those coals going about 30 minutes before you want to start cooking. Select foods that are easy to make in advance and transport, and include one or two items that match up with the team colors. Make sure that you can keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

Barbecue beef sandwiches or chili can be prepared or kept warm in a slow-cooker. To transport, place the slow-cooker in a cardboard box with crumpled newspaper around the slow-cooker. This will prevent spills and insulate the cooker to keep the food hot.

For early morning tailgaters start the party with Biscuits with Shaved Ham. Add ready-to-serve fruit cups, and hot coffee. It makes an on-the go breakfast with a lot more flavor than you’ll find at the fast-food drive-thru.

For dessert, keep it simple---make cupcakes or a sheet cake frosted in one of the team colors. Sprinkle the frosted cake with jelly beans or M & M candies in the second team color---what could be easier?

Don’t forget the extras; plenty of beverages, ice, hand sanitizer moist wipes, disposable utensils, plates, napkins, and two big heavy-duty garbage bags—one for garbage and one to load any dirty dishes or utensils in for clean-up at home.

With these guidelines for a fumble-free pre-game meal, you’ll be in your seat for kick-off, ready to cheer your team on to a winning season.

Barbecue Beef Sandwiches
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 lb. thinly sliced deli cooked roast beef
8 (3-inch) French-style rolls
In large nonstick skillet, combine barbecue sauce, onion, brown sugar and mustard; mix well. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.

Stir beef into sauce mixture until coated. Cover; simmer 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Fore each sandwich, fill rolls with beef mixture.
Note: To use slow-cooker, pour heated barbecue sauce mixture into slow-cooker. Stir beef into sauce mixture until coated. Cover; set temperature to low until thoroughly heated. Fill rolls with beef mixture.

Mini Biscuits with Shaved Ham
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons sugar
11/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1/3 to 1/2 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Dash pepper
Thinly sliced cooked ham, cut into 2-inch strips

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. In medium bowl, combine flour, parsley, sugar, baking powder, salt and sage; mix well. Add 1/3 cup milk and melted butter; stir with fork just until dry ingredients are moistened, adding additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary to form a soft dough.

On floured surface, knead dough gently until smooth ball forms. Pat dough into 3/8-inch-thick square. With knife, cut into 12 pieces; place on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees F, 8 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned.

In nonstick skillet, combine mustard, syrup and pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat until blended. Add ham; mix well to coat with mustard mixture. Cook until thoroughly heated. To serve, split hot biscuits and fill with ham mixture.

YIELD: 12 appetizers