 As predicted, the Eagles have turned things around here after struggling through the tough part of their schedule early this season. This week, they face their first big challenge in the NFC East, and so those of us who are Eagles fans are going to need some good food to get us through what should be a good game. Fortunately, it's Sunday Afternoon Tailgate to the rescue. As always, this week's menu features dishes so simple and delicious that even those folks who are used to drawing penalty flags for unnecessary roughness on the digestive system should persevere.  Epic 7+ Layer Dip Says my friend Dominique, "This was a favorite of my roommates back in college and a staple of our Super Bowl parties (or generally any party). I have sort of tailored it to my tastes over the years (so "Ashley's Five-Layer Dip" became "Dominique's Seven-Plus"). I added more meat, so it eats like a meal now. Keep a dollop of guacamole to finish, as a garnish."
(Preheat oven to 375 degrees) Spritz a 9 x 13 inch pan with olive oil or Pam cooking spray. Spread the refried beans along the bottom of the pan. Follow with a layer of salsa (use about a third of the jar). Sprinkle with a little cheese (a thin layer here). Then spread a healthy layer of sour cream, followed by a layer of black beans. Put all of your meats on top of the black beans and pour the rest of the salsa on top of that. Finish the bag of shredded cheese on top (and since my friends like cheese, I used another half-bag too). Sprinkle the green onions on top of the cheese. Bake until the cheese on top is melted and starting to brown, and things are getting bubbly (so around 8-10 minutes--since I made this one the day before, and refrigerated just about everything overnight, it took me closer to 15 minutes). Serve with your favorite dipping chip (those restaurant-style Tostitos are awesome) and, if you want, a dollop of guacamole!  Kap's Legendary Big Game Snack Mix Okay, so maybe I'm overselling it, but I've been making this party mix for years and it's always a hit. The seasoning in this recipe is the product of much trial and error, and the end result is much better than the recipe that comes on the back of the cereal box (and that junk from the chips aisle that comes pre-made in a bag). Add your favorite dry ingredients (note: Bugles brand snacks taste good in this mix; so do mini garlic bagel crisps), but make sure you adjust the recipe to keep the ratio of dry and wet ingredients the same or you'll end up with a bland mix.
Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients. Mix melted butter with the rest of the wet ingredients and the seasonings. Pour over the dry cereal mix and toss until evenly coated. On a baking sheet lined with foil, spread the mixture out in a single layer and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, stirring halfway. After the mixture is cooked, spread it out on paper towels to cool (for about 15 minutes). Chow down! Store leftovers in an airtight container.  Beery Cheesy Deviled Eggs I'm a big deviled eggs fan. Mostly, I like them simple, just like my grandmother used to make them--a little mayo, a little mustard, some paprika on top. But that wouldn't be very unique, and so I've decided to switch things up a little this time by injecting the old classic with some gameday flair.
To Hardboil the Eggs: Put the eggs in a boiling pan and cover with cold water one inch above the top of the eggs. Heat on high until the eggs reach a boil. Then remove the pan from the heat and immediately cover it. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Then drain the hot water out, pouring in cold water as you do so. Let the eggs sit in ice water for 20-30 minutes before drying them off and moving them to the refrigerator or peeling them. To peel, tap both ends on the counter and roll the egg in your hands until the shell becomes loose enough to peel off. While the eggs chill, bring the beer mixture to a boil on the stove and reduce down to about 2 TBSP. Mix in the Jar of cheese sauce, the bacon, the pimentos, chives, the chili and garlic powders, and heat until warm. (You can save whatever you don't use for the eggs as a dip with tortilla chips.) Once the eggs are chilled and peeled, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the yolks. In a bowl, mash the yolks with a fork and add the cheese mixture from above, slowly, until you reach the desired consistency. (You don't want it to be too soupy.) Mix well. Using a small spoon, fill each egg white section with this filling. Top with paprika and a few chopped chives and serve. Obviously, if you aren't going to be eating these right away, you need to refrigerate them. 
** Recipe courtesy of Dominique Bruno
 Orange Shandy Sweet Potato Pierogies I can't take the credit for this recipe. It came in a case of Leinenkugel I bought, and I've been dying to try it. It's a unique twist on the classic pierogie recipe, using sweet potatoes and Leinenkugel's seasonal orange beer. I use pre-made lasagne sheets instead of making my own dough (as you've undoubtedly figured out, I don't do dough), and I add some chopped scallions to the final product for color, and it's game on! Note: When I went to make the sweet potato filling for the pierogies, it wouldn't get smooth enough. My friend Dominique suggested adding another TBSP of butter and that solved the problem, so I recommend upping the amount of butter from 2 TBSP to 3 TBSP.  Baked Stuffed Apples I just got back from apple picking last weekend, and so with all these fresh fall apples to eat, I decided to make an easy and decadent dessert. With both apples and candy bars in the recipe, this dish sort of covers both ends of the snack food spectrum. It's probably not going to "keep the doctor away," but it sure does taste good.
Pre-heat oven to 350. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter and brown sugar. Using a spoon or melon baller, core the apple, leaving the bottom intact. Then score the outside of the apple skin (small vertical slits) with a sharp knife. Slide a miniature candy bar in the cavity of each apple, then rub the outsides and tops of the apples with the butter-sugar mix. Sprinkle each apple with the coarse salt and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. After baking, remove from the oven and add marshmallow fluff to the cavity of each apple (atop the melted candy bar). Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the apple is soft. Allow apples to cool for 5 minutes before eating.  Drink Recommendations Cocktail: Summer Sundown I've got a fridge full of Oktoberfest Beer and Spaten Lager, so (naturally) what am I doing? Coming up with a mixed drink for this week's game. Aside from whisky sours, I'm not much of a mixed drink fan, but I am a fan of the non-alcoholic refreshments that both summer and fall have to offer: Lemonade and Cider. Maybe I just want to hold onto summer as long as possible before winter closes in. Who knows? But I decided to make a lemonade cocktail--probably my last one until spring rolls around. If you like hard lemonades, this one will go down smooth.
Mix the Lemonade, Bourbon, Sprite, and Maraschino Cherry. In a separate glass, mix Brandy, Triple Sec, and Vanilla. Then pour the second mixture over a spoon to make it float atop the first mixture. If you're like me and not a big fan of ice, you may find that using frozen lemonade cubes is better because it doesn't dilute the drink when it melts. EAGLES PREDICTION: Win! -- This week is sort of a trap for folks like me who are trying to make predictions. That's because Tony Romo is unpredictable. Every once in a while Romo goes off and throws for 500 yards (like he did against the Broncos two weeks ago), and in those situations, The Boys are very difficult to beat. (Especially when your defense is as bad as Philly's is right now.) That said, Romo also has a knack for making big mistakes at crucial times that end up costing his team the game (again, like he did against the Broncos two weeks ago), and Philly usually finds a way to make it a tough game against their arch rival. So, I'm going with The Eagles on this one. Big D, after all, has kind of become a circus in recent years, and with Shady McCoy in the backfield The Birds are simply the better team. It should be a tough game though. MY RECORD: 5-1 All recipes listed above come from my own imagination unless otherwise indicated. If you try one of these recipes in your own kitchen, leave a comment below and tell me how it goes. And, of course, share your modifications, enhancements, improvements, etc.
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