I have a confession to make.  I used to be a football ‘faker’.  I would feign interest in football games just to be part of the crowd – clap when everyone clapped, stand up when everyone stood, and yell out things I heard others yell out.  My boyfriend was on our college football team, and I had no idea what went on for four years.

I feel a little ashamed now, especially knowing the reason for my lack of interest – it all just seemed way too complicated.  And if I hadn’t learned the rules before college, well it was simply too late.

Since being married to a football fan who is very dedicated to his college team, I have once again found myself attending football games, this time with young kids often in tow.  And they ask me questions . . . about football.  Well, I can’t have the children growing up in ignorance like their mother did.  So I’ve been forced to actually pay attention and figure out what’s going on.  I guess it’ll keep my brain young and all, you know, learning something new.  And my kids won’t have to fake it either.

Now, something I don’t have to fake is cooking up some tasty football snacks.  If you’re in need of a warm and spicy dip for the game, this is what you need to put on the table.  Sausage, cream cheese, spicy tomatoes and hot sauce melt together to make a delicious dip for corn chips, baguette slices, or crackers.  It also tastes just as fabulous with turkey sausage and light cream cheese as it does with the regular stuff.

Trust me, there’s no fakin’ the fabulousness of this dip.

Hot and Spicy Sausage Dip

from Shortbread

Ingredients

• 1 pound (16 oz) ground sausage, pork or turkey
• 2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
• 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, regular or reduced fat
• hot sauce to taste

Directions

1. Cook sausage in a large saucepan over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain and return to pan.
2. Add tomatoes and cream cheese to pan and cook, stirring occasionally until thoroughly blended and heated through.
3. Stir in hot sauce to you liking.
4. Serve warm with corn chips, crackers, or baguette slices.

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Who still has their Christmas tree up?  (Raises hand.)  The ornaments are off of ours, but it still sits in the den, crispy and deep-fried from the dry heat.  Looking more like something from The Nightmare Before Christmas.  Scary.

Tomorrow I am planning to put a pot of this incredibly easy and incredibly delicious meat and bean mix in the slow cooker to work its magic while I put away all the decorations.  And when I’m finished, I’ll be able to make something fun with it like these Pork and Pinto Bean Nachos.

Start with a bag of dried beans, some meat, and a few pantry ingredients, dump it all in a slow cooker, and let it go.  How easy is that?

This is another one of those ‘possibilities are endless’ recipes.  First of all, you can use any meat you like – I’ve made it with chicken pieces, pork loin, beef and venison stew meat.  And then once it’s done, it makes the perfect filling for any kind of Mexican dish you can think of.

Way better than crispy fried Christmas tree.

Slow Cooker Pork and Pinto Beans

from Shortbread

Ingredients

• 1  pound dried pinto beans
• 1  pound boneless pork loin chops
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  tablespoon chili powder
• 2  teaspoons salt
• 1  teaspoon dried oregano
• 1  teaspoon ground cumin
• 1  (32-ounce) box chicken broth
• 1  (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies

Directions

1. Rinse and sort beans according to package directions.
2. Place pinto beans in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Place pork pieces on top and cover with rest of ingredients.
3. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours or on HIGH 5 hours until beans and meat are tender.
4. Stir to break meat into small pieces.

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*For the nachos, top tortilla chips with the meat mixture and cover with shredded cheese. Microwave until melted. Top with your favorite things like avocado, salsa, jalapeño and cilantro.

This weekend included both cinnamon rolls and biscuits and gravy, so I must do a little cleansing of the arteries this week.  If you happened to indulge over the weekend, let me suggest a dish that is packed with flavor and will not leave you feeling guilty.

Tacos Al Pastor are made with pork that is marinated with a mixture of spices along with pineapple, which tenderizes the meat and causes it to really absorb the flavors.  What you get once the meat mixture is cooked is a delicious spicy/sweet filling for your tortilla that you can garnish with your favorite taco trimmings, healthy or not.  ‘Cause you needn’t be riding the guilt train to make these.  They’re fantastic anytime.

Click HERE for the original recipe from Southern Living magazine.