Family Game Night Recipes

1. Chicken Parm Bites

Ingredients
for 2 servings

1 lb chicken tenders
1 ball mozzarella cheese
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup flour
2 eggs
oil, to fry
1 cup marinara sauce

Preparation

1. Cut the chicken tenders into 1.5-inch pieces.
2. Take a knife and carefully cut a hole into the chicken tenders.
3. Make sure to not cut all the way to the other side.
4. Stuff the holes with mozzarella cheese.
5. Add garlic powder, dried basil, dried parsley, and salt to the panko bread crumbs.
6. Batter the chicken in flour, egg, then panko bread crumb mixture.
7. Add around 1-inch of oil to a pan and heat until around 350˚F/175˚C.
8. Fry the chicken on both sides until fully cooked and golden brown.
9. Serve with marinara sauce and garnish with more parmesan cheese.
10. Enjoy!

2. Pesto Chicken Garlic Knot Sliders

Ingredients
for 16 sliders

1.5 lb pizza dough
3 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
8 oz pesto, 1 jar
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 tablespoons salted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
2. Cut pizza dough into eighths. (Each ball of dough should yield 8 even-sized pieces of dough, for a total of 16).
3. Using your hands, roll each piece of dough into a thin strip about 7 inches (18cm) long. Then carefully tie them into a knot, tucking the loose ends of dough underneath.
4. Place each tied knot on a baking sheet or casserole dish with high sides, nestling them close together in a 4x4 grid. Once all the knots are placed in the dish, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
5. Uncover and bake for 12 minutes or until the slider buns are golden brown and no doughy grey bits remain.
6. Once the knots are out of the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350˚F (180˚C).
7. Allow the knots to cool, carefully remove them from the baking dish and cut the grid horizontally,creating both a top and bottom piece.
8. NOTE: It’s helpful to hold the knots together with a towel on top while cutting them horizontally, as the motion of the knife might cause some of them to pull apart.
9. Return the bottom half of the knot-grid to the original baking dish. Evenly layer the bread with cooked chicken, followed by the pesto and mozzarella cheese. Place the top half of the garlic knots on top.
10. Mix together melted butter, garlic, and parsley. Brush mixture liberally over the top of the knots.
11. Bake at 350˚F (180˚C) for an additional 10 minutes until the tops of the knots are golden brown and cheese is melted.
12. Pull apart for individual sliders.
13. Enjoy!

3. Pizza Onion Rings

INGREDIENTS

1 medium onion

1 pack thinly sliced pepperoni

1 ball mozzarella, cut into cubes

1 jar pizza sauce (this can be a basic pasta sauce or passata etc)

100 grams parmesan, grated

3 tablespoons dried oregano

Oil for deep frying

Dredge

3 eggs

100 grams panko breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons paprika

PREPARATION

1. Cut onion into 2 centimeter slices. Carefully separate the layers into individual rings.

2. On a tray lined with baking paper, lay out onion rings and place a slice of pepperoni in the centre, pushing the pepperoni slice down to take the shape of the onion and make a bowl.

3. Layer in a tablespoon of pizza sauce, mozzarella, some parmesan, and a sprinkle of oregano.

4. Place tray in freezer until solid (about two hours).

5. Add flour, beaten eggs, and panko breadcrumbs to three separate bowls. Stir paprika and oregano into the flour

6. Remove frozen pizza rings from freezer.

7. Roll each first in seasoned flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.

8. In a large saucepan, heat oil to 180˚C/350°F.

9. Fry pizza onion rings in batches until nicely browned on all sides, about 3 minutes.

10. Place on paper towel-lined plate to drain off any excess oil. Sprinkle with more dried oregano.

11. Enjoy!

4. Cheesy Spinach And Artichoke Bread Ring Dip

Ingredients
for 6 servings

12 balls frozen dinner rolls
8 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup grated romano
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup sour cream
14 oz artichoke heart, drained and chopped
¾ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of excess water
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
olive oil

Preparation

1. Coat a 10 inch (25cm) oven-safe skillet with olive oil. Place the dinner roll dough balls in a ring around the skillet. Cover and let rise until thawed and doubled in size.
2. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, parmesan, romano, mozzarella, sour cream, artichoke hearts, spinach, garlic, basil, and red pepper flakes.
3. Once the dough has thawed, uncover and scoop the dip into the center of the skillet.
4. Brush the rolls with olive oil, and top with an additional sprinkle of cheese (optional).
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 375˚F (190˚C) for 25 minutes. (If the bread browns too quickly, lower oven temperature to 350˚F (180˚C) or cover the bread with a ring of foil). Remove and let cool slightly before serving.
6. Enjoy!

5. Peanut Butter Banana Brownies

Ingredients
for 8 servings

2 ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup flour
¼ cup cocoa powder, plus 1 tablespoon
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup creamy peanut butter

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. In a bowl, use a fork to mash the bananas. Add the sugar, ½ cup (115 g) of butter, and vanilla, and whisk until combined.
3. Add the flour, salt, and cocoa powder, and whisk until fully incorporated.
4. Use the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to grease a 9x9-inch (23x23 cm) baking tray.
5. Use the remaining 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to dust every side of the baking tray.
6. Pour batter into prepared baking dish.
7. Use a spoon to add dollops of peanut butter on top of the batter. 8. Use a butter knife to swirl the peanut butter into the brownie batter.
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until center no longer jiggles when pan is shaken.
10. Allow brownies to cool completely before cutting.
11. Enjoy!

6. Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs

Cut low moisture mozzarella cheese into 3/4 inch cubes cubes. Store in refrigerator while preparing the meat.

In a large mixing bowl combine:

1 pound ground beef

1 pound hot Italian sausage

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup chopped parsley

Roll golf ball sized balls with the meat mixture. Squish mozzarella cube into the center and pull the edges of the meat ball around it until it’s a new ball again.

Arrange meatballs in slow cooker and cover in tomato sauce.

Cook on high for 2 to 2.5 hours.