Good Morning Dubbers! Continuing with our theme of the farewell tour, we are going out with a bang:

After a not-so-dominant win on the road against Indiana, we host the mighty Penguins of Youngstown State. While we share Mr. Sweatervest himself, I can't fathom Tressel rooting against either team, but rather, I can see him hoping for a good, clean, hard-fought game with 97 punts.  That being said, even though YSU will test our secondary more than last week, we should still come away with a 20+ point win. 

I was thinking of what to make, and it donned on me that I haven't shared a favorite fall recipe of ours, and given YSU as the opponent it just makes sense. 

Loaded Crock Pot Pierogies 

Ingredients:

• 1  package Kielbasa, sliced into 1/2" pieces
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tablespoon White Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 cup bacon, cooked & roughly chopped
• 2 cups Muenster cheese, shredded 
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 16oz packages frozen pierogi (I use one package with potato and cheese and another with sauerkraut)

Directions:

• Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray (I use Pam).
• In a saucepan melt the butter, and add bacon grease, then saute the onions until translucent.
• Stir in the whipping cream and White Balsamic Vinegar, and add the bacon to mixture. Reduce heat to low, simmer 3-5 minutes.
• Stir in 1 cup of shredded Muenster cheese and sour cream, and remove the pan from heat.
• In the slow cooker add Kielbasa, then layer one package of the pierogis on top.
• Spoon 1/2 of the onion/cheese mixture over the pierogi layer, and 1/2 of remaining shredded cheese.
• Repeat layers beginning with second bag of pierogis.
• Place lid on crock pot then cook on high 4 hours, stirring once to combine mixture.

Pro Tips:

• Add more sliced cheese, sour cream, scallions (if you want), and chopped bacon on top before putting the lid on, and repeat after stirring.
• For heat, add some cayenne pepper (or whichever pepper you want) to the onion/cheese mixture, or a diced jalapeno to the slow cooker.
• You can customize this even more by adding in some freshly grated garlic, some beef/chicken stock, Lowry's, mixing in some cabbage/sauerkraut, beer (not too much or it becomes soupy) etc..
• Brown the Kielbasa in a pan before adding to the slow cooker for added flavor/texture.
• If you want crispy pierogies, cook per the package and then deep fry in some oil for a bit before adding to the slow cooker (note, this won't need to cook for 4 hours anymore or they become mushy).
  ​

The Greatest Hit - Part 2

This week’s blast from the past comes to us from week 2 of the 2016 TGF, courtesy of Mrs. 3M, 

Mrs 3M’s Hurricane Delight

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Bacardi light rum
• 2 Cups Bacardi dark rum
• 2 Cups passion fruit juice
• 1 Cup orange juice
• Half of a lime, juiced
• 1 Cup grenadine

Directions:

Mix in a pitcher, chill, drink, repeat.

I hope everyone has a great NFL opening weekend - WHODEY & Go Bucks! 

Previous editions of Tailgate Fare

11W Community Tailgate Cookbook