Your tailgate needs lemon buttermilk fried chicken and chile relleno casserole
Excitement for football season is swiftly soaring! Maybe it's the energy of the games, the frenzy around a certain pop star's attendance, pro performances from talented teams or it could be the promise of delicious game-day grub. On this installment of our TODAY Food Loves Football series rancher, television show host and cookbook author Elizabeth Poett is joining us to share football-friendly recipes from her cookbook, "The Ranch Table: Recipes from a Year of Harvests, Celebrations, and Family Dinners on a Historic California Ranch." She shows us how to make a cheesy chiles relleno-inspired casserole and crispy fried chicken with lemon and honey.
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Chile Relleno Casserole by Elizabeth Poett
I love classic chiles rellenos — I make them a lot in the summer, when poblanos are in season — but the traditional method of dipping them in batter and frying just a couple at a time makes them hard to cook for a crowd. This casserole solves that problem.
It has all the fresh flavors I love, but I can make it ahead of time and then put it in the oven just before my guests show up. It even makes a great brunch dish; just assemble it the day before and throw it in the fridge overnight.
Lemon Buttermilk Fried Chicken Drizzled with Honey by Elizabeth Poett
When I make fried chicken, I brine drumsticks in a mixture that has lots of rosemary and lemon to add a distinctive California flavor, then I drizzle honey on the chicken just before serving. If you've never deep-fried anything before, the process might seem intimidating, but once you try it, you'll see that it's very straightforward. The trick for me is to get my cooking station organized before I start: I prepare my flour mixture and pour my buttermilk into a bowl and set them on the counter next to the stove, and I have tongs and a potholder or oven mitts nearby. That way, when I start frying, I won't have to walk away from the stove or go looking for something; I can just focus on cooking.
If you like those terrific tailgating recipes, you should also try these:
Foccachos (Foccacia Nachos) by Katie Stilo
Hot Tamale Dip by Elizabeth Heiskell
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
