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Bacon Wrapped Smokies SUBMITTED
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January 30, 2013

GAME DAY

Karen's Kitchen Karen Freeman The Daily Southerner Wed Jan 30, 2013, 12:05 PM EST

TARBORO — Game Day will be here before you know it! Are you having a party? Are you watching at home with your family? Either way, it's a great excuse for some fun food. Here are a few recipes that you should give a a try.

The first is a loaded potato skin dip. Serve it with dips and chips and or pile it onto real potato skins.

The second is a parmesan sour cream dip. You also serve this one chips or with tortilla chips.

The third recipe is one of my hubbies favorites. It's bacon wrapped smokies. These are always a favorite at any gathering. They are easy to make and everyone wants them!

The next recipe is my favorite! Bacon wrapped shrimp. I think anything with shrimp in it is great!

Loaded Potato Skin Dip

2 strips bacon

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

8 cloves garlic, smashed

3 to 4 Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 pound)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup sour cream

Potato chips, for dipping

Assorted vegetables such as bell pepper strips and celery sticks, for dipping

Cook the bacon in a medium skillet set over medium heat until crispy, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Add 2/3 cup of the oil and the garlic to the skillet with the bacon drippings. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Peel the potatoes and slice the potato skins into very thin strips (the thinner your cut the strips the crispier they will be). Toss the strips with 1/4 teaspoon salt, some pepper and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Spread in an even layer and bake on an ungreased rimmed baking sheet, stirring once, until golden and crispy, about 15 minutes.

Cut the peeled potatoes into 1-inch chunks and put in a saucepan. Cover with cold water by about 2 inches and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and allow to cool slightly. Pass the potatoes through a ricer into a medium bowl or mash with a potato masher until smooth.

Pour the oil and garlic mixture into the bowl of a food processor and puree. Add the potatoes, vinegar, 1/3 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste and pulse until just creamy and combined; do not over process or the potatoes will become gluey. Add up to 3 tablespoons more water if necessary so that the dip is soft and spreadable. Season with additional salt and pepper.

Transfer the dip to a shallow serving bowl. Crumble the bacon and sprinkle it over the dip along with the crispy potato skins and scallions. Top with sour cream and serve warm or at room temperature with potato chips and cut up vegetables for dipping.

Parmesan Sour Cream Dip

1(16-ounce) container reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Serve with black pepper potato chips.

Cook's Note: Season lightly with the salt since we are using Parmesan and it's a salty cheese.

Bacon Wrapped Smokies

1 pound sliced bacon, cut into thirds

1 (14 ounce) package beef cocktail wieners

3/4 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Refrigerate 2/3 of the bacon until needed. It is easier to wrap the wieners with cold bacon. Wrap each cocktail wiener with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle brown sugar generously over all.

Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the sugar is bubbly. To serve, place the wieners in a slow cooker and keep on the low setting.

Bacon Wrapped Barbeque Shrimp

16 large headless shrimp

8 slices bacon

Barbeque seasoning, to taste

Clean and devein the shrimp, leaving the last section of the tail. Wrap with 1/2 slice of bacon, securing with a toothpick. Be sure and use the large shrimp; the cooking time for the shrimp and the bacon is similar. If you do use mediums, you might want to precook the bacon a little--over cooked shrimp are tough and rubbery, and a real sin!

Line a jellyroll pan (15x18x1 inch baking pan) with aluminum foil and place baking rack in pan. Place the shrimp on the rack, and sprinkle with barbecue seasoning to taste; turn and sprinkle second side. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes while the oven preheats. The bacon will turn from creamy white to a little opaque, and the seasoning will soak in.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Bake wrapped shrimp in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. The bacon should be crisp, and the shrimp pink and tender. The rack keeps the shrimp from sitting in the draining bacon fat.

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