Party Panache, Birthday Football Bash

the Painted Apron

6 years ago

Last weekend we had a small family gathering

to watch the Alabama/Ole Miss Game

and to celebrate DD’s birthday

We like to celebrate birthdays in a big way,

and for DD’s birthday this year,

HHjr had a pretty funny idea for a theme

When DD first graduated from Ole Miss,

long before marriage, children and a demanding career,

she and a good friend made a couple of cookbooks

and sold them locally

They tested family and favorite recipes,

added new ones, and basically cooked up a storm

We all were delighted to be their tasters

and had many enjoyable gatherings with their delicious food

The recurring family joke

is asking DD if she made her Famous Bread Bowl

and HHjr is always teasing her

about the fact that she doesn’t cook anymore

He said to me, “Let’s make all the food for the party from her cookbooks

You can make name cards with “Delish Tips”

taken straight from the pages of her books

“Let’s get out that sign I gave you for Christmas

and we’ll think of something funny to write on it,” he suggested,

and make sure you make our names, the real cooks, prominent!

This sign made of glass,

and you use special markers to draw/write on it,

and then you can plug it in and it lights up and flashes…

Super tacky, but pretty hilarious!

I had a lot of fun setting up a birthday/football buffet

When DD went to Ole Miss they were still the Rebels

and the Rebel Man was their mascot

So, as politically incorrect as it is,

we still pull out the Rebel stuff on game day

I decided to make a 1/2 and 1/2 tiered tray for the centerpiece

I borrowed Alabama ornaments from my Sweet Home Alabama Tree

and used a couple of small bowls and and elephant mug full of popcorn

I also went through a box of birthday decorations,

and used parts of a wooden cake puzzle,

and cake and ice cream ornaments

One side is Alabama Football and one side is Happy Birthday!

When Big E saw it he said,

“Gigi, you know we’re coming up on Halloween,

not Christmas, right??”

He thought I was confused

because I was using shiny red and white balls,

red and green elephants and shiny packages

that represented Christmas to him 😂

The tray looked very festive

flanked by an Alabama flower pitcher on one side

and the Rebel Man on the other

The entire island was laid out with platters waiting to be filled with food

We had Chick Fil-A nuggets for the kiddos

and HHjr made BBQ Riblets

To make the riblets:

Ask the butcher to cut a slab of baby back ribs in half lengthwise

so you have 2 strips of approximately 2 inch long “riblets”

Cook or grill them just like larger ribs

These small riblets make great party food!

I ordered Bundtinis from Nothing But Bundt for an easy dessert

They had cute little birthday hat toppers

Big E made the Prosciutto Bread Bites all by himself!

{with a little supervision from Dad}

Prosciutto Bread Bites

These tasty bites are hard to resist, so double the recipe just in case, and if there are any leftover you can freeze them and reheat!

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword appetizer, bread bites, ham sandwich, party food, prosciutto rolls,, tomato pesto

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Servings 18 bites

Ingredients

1 can 12 count refrigerated bread stick dough
4 oz sun dried tomato spread, tomato pesto spread or pesto
4 oz prosciutto slices
1 cup Italian Blend shredded cheese, divided
olive oil

Instructions

Unroll dough onto a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet, keeping it together into 1 large rectangle, pinching the seams together if necessary
Spread a layer of tomato pesto spread evenly over the dough
Tear prosciutto into pieces and place over the tomato pesto
Sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheese
Carefullu roll dough into a log, starting from the long side and tucking in ingredients if necessary as you roll. The parchment paper can help with rolling
Cut into 16 slices, and carefully place them, seam side down on the baking sheet, spaced evenly apart
Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining cheese
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until dough is golden.
Serve warm or at room temperature

Hawaiian Wontons are a version of BBQ Supper Eggrolls,

made with pork, pineapple and coleslaw mix

instead of the corn and kale salad

You can find the recipe for the Famous Bread Bowl Dip here

The Mango Chutney Cheese Dip is one our all time favorites

perfect for any occasion, and always brings raves!

Mango Chutney Cheese Dip

Sweet & Savory, Creamy and Delicious!

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword appetizer, cheese spread, dip, do ahead, mango chutney, party food, walnuts

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 0

Servings 10

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
5 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups grated cheddar cheese {8 oz.}
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup mango chutney or orange marmalade
1 cup chopped green onions

Instructions

Put crumbled bacon into a bowl
Heat 1 Tablespoon butter in skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and cook, stirring 4-5 minutes to toast, watching carefully so they don't burn. Pour walnuts and butter over bacon in the bowl and stir to combine. Set asides
Mix remaining 4 Tablespoons of butter with the cheeses with the seasonings, and combine well
Place mixture into a serving bowl or on a rimmed platter, smoothing it into an even thick rounded rectangle or circle. Spread chutney or maramalade evenly over the top, letting it run down the sides. Arrange bacon walnut topping over the chutney and sprinkle with green onions.
Serve with sturdy chips, crackers, toast points or baguette slices and provide a spreader