Tailgating menu, by Melissa Friday

Slider Burgers

Simple Stuffed Mushrooms

Rumaki

Pineapple-Cream Cheese Spread

Banana Pudding Cups

S’more Cookies

SLIDER BURGERS

1½ lbs. ground beef

1 egg

½ cup rolled oats or Italian bread crumbs

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 tablespoon A-1 Steak sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Use a tablespoon to scoop out mixture to make small patties. Place them on the grill over high heat and grill 3 minutes on each side. If you choose to make regular-size burgers, grill 6 minutes on each side. If you choose to make the sliders, Sister Schubert dinner rolls are excellent with these. Makes 10-12 slider burgers or 4-6 regular-size burgers.

SIMPLE STUFFED MUSHROOMS

1 lb. pork sausage (I use Jimmy Dean)

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature

3 (8-ounce) cartons whole white mushrooms, stems removed and scrape out insides

Paprika

Chives

Place room-temperature cream cheese in a medium-size bowl set aside. Cook sausage in a skillet until browned and remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain excess grease. Stir the drained sausage into the cream cheese and mix well. Using a teaspoon or baby spoon, stuff each mushroom with the cream cheese mixture. Place mushrooms onto a large jelly roll pan, sprinkle with paprika and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Broil the tops for 1-2 minutes (watching carefully) then remove from the oven. Transfer them to a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped chives. These are so easy and delicious!

RUMAKI

1 lb. bacon cut down the middle

1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 carton pitted dates

1 bottle Kikkoman’s Teriyaki Baste and Glaze

Take a water chestnut and a pitted date and wrap into a piece of bacon; secure with a toothpick and place into an 11×13 oven-proof baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and carefully place into a clean 11×13 baking dish. Pour the sauce evenly over all bacon pieces and bake an additional 8 minutes at 350. Let them cool about 10 minutes before serving. Makes 25 to 30 appetizers.

PINEAPPLE-CREAM CHEESE SPREAD

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

¼ cup each finely chopped bell pepper, onion and green onion

1 cup chopped pecans

1 tablespoon seasoned salt

Stir cream cheese with a form until nice and creamy then add remaining ingredients. Form into 2 balls about the size of a grapefruit, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. This is delicious with Ritz crackers. This also freezes well.

BANANA PUDDING CUPS

1 bag Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies

1 large box instant vanilla pudding

3 cups cold whole milk

1 can Reddi Whip of Cool Whip

2-3 bananas sliced

Strawberries and fresh mint for garnish

6 (6-ounce) wine glasses or 12 miniature glasses

Mix the pudding and milk together and place in the fridge for 15 minutes. Place cookies in a large Ziploc bag, seal and crush them with a coffee cup or rolling pin.  Place a few tablespoons of crushed cookies at the bottom of each glass. Next, top with a few tablespoons of pudding  and a few slices of bananas. Repeat layers and top with whipped cream. Garnish with a strawberry and fresh mint if desired.

S’MORE COOKIES

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup graham cracker crumbs (you can find these on the baking aisle)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup creamy peanut butter

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 bag large marshmallows, cut in half (you will not use all of them)

3 Hershey bars broken into squares

Mix first 4 ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Cream butter, peanut butter and sugars on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour mixture a little at a time. Scoop out dough with a teaspoon, form into a round ball and place onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and place a slice of marshmallow onto each cookie. Bake for 5 more minutes, remove from the oven and place a Hershey square over each marshmallow.  Let cool completely. Makes about two dozen.