Kap & Mina's Sunday Afternoon Tailgate: Week 17

We made it! It's the final week of the NFL regular season. Mina's still enjoying her vacation for a few more weeks here (though not as much as she was, following a heartbreaking BC loss in yesterday's Pinstripe Bowl!).

That's okay--I'm holding down the Tailgate here with some help from my wonderful mother. In fact, this week's theme is "Mother's Kitchen." What does that mean? Comfort food, for one thing, and a couple of the best homemade recipes my mom has to offer. These are the dishes I grew up with, and they are sure to please even the most discriminating tailgater. . . .

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"Mother's Kitchen"

MEATLOAF SANDWICHES

Is there any food that says "home" more than the quintessential meatloaf? I can't think of one. My mom makes an excellent meatloaf, but (of course) the best part is always the sandwiches made from the leftovers. We've cut out all pretense for the tailgate and decided to put ours on a bun from the start. Remember, the thing about meatloaf is that it's good both hot or cold.

- Kap

• PAM Cooking Spray
  
• 1 1/2 lb. Meatloaf Mix (that's beef, pork, and veal)
• 1 packet of Lipton's Dry Onion Soup Mix
• 1 c. Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
• 1/4 tsp. Dry Mustard
• 1/4 tsp. Celery Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Weber Garlic and Herb Grill Seasoning (you can use Garlic Salt as a substitute)
• 3/4 c. Milk
• 1/4 c. Ketchup
• 2 Eggs, slightly beaten
• Sweet Glaze, recipe below
• 1 package of Club Rolls
• Cooper American Cheese, sliced
• Shredded Lettuce
• Mustard, Ketchup, or your favorite condiments (I like Honey Mustard!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl with clean hands and divide into 2 portions.

Spray a 13 x 9" shallow glass baking dish. Take each portion of the mixture and shape it into a rounded loaf, slapping it firmly and roughing it up. (You heard me.)

Once both loaves are in the dish, bake them in the oven for 1 hour. 

Once cooked, brush the meatloaves with the sweet glaze and bake for 15 min. more. Then let the meatloaf sit for 1 hour.

Serve or refrigerate. (It cuts better if it's cold.)

To assemble the sandwiches, simply put a slice of the meatloaf on the roll, top with a slice of cheese (melt in the microwave, if desired). Add lettuce and condiments, and enjoy!

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Sweet Glaze

• 1/4 c. Ketchup
• 2 TBSP White Karo Corn Syrup

Mix ingredients well.

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MOM'S MACARONI SALAD

Some of the best home recipes are the simplest. In the case of my mother's macaroni salad, there's nothing particularly flashy about it. No exotic vegetables. No gourmet ingredients. And yet, it's just not a picnic without my mom's mac salad, proving the old adage that sometimes "less is more."

- Kap

• 2 c. Elbow Macaroni
• Salt, to taste
• 2 stalks of Celery, diced
• 1/4 c. Carrot, shredded
• 1/4-1/2 c. Orange, Yellow, or Green Pepper, diced
• 4 Green Onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 c. Miracle Whip
• 1/2 c. Mayo
• Dried Dill, for garnish

Boil Macaroni according to the instructions on the box (about 8-10 min.), until tender. Drain and cool. Salt to taste.

Add vegetables and refrigerate.

About 2 hours prior to serving, add the Miracle Whip and mayo (mostly, I just eyeball it). Garnish with dill.

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DRINK RECOMMENDATION: SLOE GIN FIZZ

I didn't have a highball glass here at my parents' home, so I used this low glass. Looks a bit flat, but tasted great!

My mom isn't much of a drinker, but when I asked her what her favorite cocktail is, she replied "Sloe Gin Fizz." So that's what we're making. It's a classic drink--fragrant, floral, and fruity--and it's the kind of cocktail that pleases most, so good choice, Mom.

- Kap

• 1 oz. Lemon Juice
  
• 1/2 oz. Gin
• 1 1/2 oz. Sloe Gin (you may tweak the ratios of Gin and Sloe Gin, if you like a different flavor profile, or forego using regular Gin altogether, if you wanti d)
• 1 oz. Gomme Syrup (2:1 ratio of sugar to water)
• About 4 oz. Club Soda

Combine all ingredients in a highball glass with ice and stir well.

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EAGLES PREDICTION

Win. -- The Eagles have been eliminated from the playoffs in what can only be described as a tremendous melt-down, and in the process, they've tanked my season record of predictions with their 3-week skid. Perhaps my blind loyalty to the Birds is my undoing, but I'm sticking with them this week against an under-powered Giants team that performed pretty well last week and is trying to save their coach's job. This one is for nothing more than pride, and I see the Eagles stepping up and ending the season with one more in the W column. 


MY RECORD -- 10-5

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PLAY OFF PREDICTIONS RECAP

With the official end of the season, let's look back and review some of my earlier predictions for the 2014 NFL Playoffs and see who actually made it.

AFC EAST

My Prediction: New England Patriots

Actual Winner: New England Patriots (first-round bye)

Early in the season, New England looked like a shell of its former self, but by the midway point of the season, they had returned to form, making this a no-brainer.

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AFC WEST

My Prediction: Denver Broncos

Actual Winner: Denver Broncos (first-round bye)

Last year, I wrote: Was there any question that Peyton Manning would lead the Broncs to to a first-round bye? One more year and the line remains the same.

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AFC NORTH

My Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers

Actual Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers

This has been the hardest fought division in all of football with the Steelers, Ravens, Bengals, and (at one point) even the Browns contending. Pittsburgh is playing playoff football right now. They aren't a team I would want to face in the month of January.

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AFC SOUTH

My Prediction: Indianapolis Colts

Actual Winner: Indianapolis Colts

For the second straight year Andrew Luck wins the division and leads his team to the playoffs, proving why he is a franchise quarterback. The Colts didn't play well against Dallas the other night, but they bounced back this week and should still be a tough team to beat.

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AFC WILDCARD

My Prediction: Baltimore Ravens

Actual Winner: Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are another team that well enough to make the playoffs but I don't expect them to advance far. They've shown flashes of brilliance, and they earned their spot for now, but they lack consistency.

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AFC WILDCARD

My Prediction: Kansas City Chiefs

Actual Winner: Baltimore Ravens

Late in the season, K.C. began to fade, but they did play spoiler to the Chargers' season today, and that makes the Ravens the lucky beneficiary of the last playoff spot.

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NFC WEST

My Prediction: Arizona Cardinals

Actual Winner: Seattle Seahawks (first-round bye)

I don't feel too bad about muffing this one, given that Arizona still had a great record and is still in the playoffs. Who, outside of Seattle, saw it coming, after the Hawks started with a 3-3 record? They may be the best team in the NFL right now, and should be the odds-on favorites going into the playoffs.

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NFC NORTH

My Prediction: Green Bay Packers

Actual Winner: Green Bay Packers (first-round bye)

Aaron Rodgers may be the best quarterback in football right now (even injured), and with him behind center, it could make for an interesting NFC Championship--especially if he meets Seattle's Legion of Boom head-to-head.

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NFC EAST

My Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles

Actual Winner: Dallas Cowboys

This one pains me to write, but Dallas won this division fair and square, putting up big numbers when it mattered. Even worse, they are playing good football right now and look to be real contenders in this year's playoffs.

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NFC SOUTH

My Prediction: New Orleans Saints

Actual Winner: Carolina Panthers

This division was hard to pick because no team in the South really deserved to make the playoffs this year. I'd chosen the Saints on their past experience and Drew Brees alone, but Carolina emerged as the strongest team this year. They may not go far, but at least they're playing competitive football.

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NFC WILDCARD

My Prediction: Dallas Cowboys

Actual Winner: Arizona Cardinals

The best team to not win their division, the Cardinals cap off a tremendous season by making it into the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

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NFC WILDCARD

My Prediction: Detroit Lions

Actual Winner: Detroit Lions

With a stout defense, some strong quarterback play by Matthew Stafford, and the incredible receiver who goes by the nickname Megatron, the Lions have managed to play good ball this year, earning them a solid spot in the playoffs.

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Final Thoughts (for Now!) . . .

During the preseason, Mina and I made our Super Bowl picks, and up until a few weeks ago, they looked like a real wash. However, the tides can change quickly in the NFL, and suddenly, our predictions don't seem so far-fetched. I chose Denver and San Fran, and though the 49ers aren't in the playoffs, the Broncos stand as good a chance as anyone of making the big game. The most brilliant prediction, however, belongs to Mina, who said that New England and Seattle would be facing each other in Super Bowl XLVIII. Neither team looked very good early in the season, but both are now the top seeds in their conference heading into the playoffs and the heavy favorites. If they meet in the Super Bowl, it will mark the first time either of us correctly predicted the competitors, so stay tuned!

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Penn State! (And don't forget it!)

All recipes listed above come from our own imaginations unless otherwise indicated. If you try one of these recipes in your own kitchen, leave a comment below and tell us how it goes. And, of course, share your modifications, enhancements, improvements, etc.