Mudslide Critter Bars Food

SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH TATER TOT TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.
• Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter has melted.
• Shred the potatoes and add to a medium bowl. Pour the butter-oil mixture over the potatoes, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and stir to combine. Set aside.
• In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Add the spring onions and garlic; stir, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the chili powder.
• Add the tomatoes, beef broth and flour. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat further and stir in the peas and Cheddar; cook until the cheese is melted. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
• Evenly cover the top of the casserole with the grated potato mixture and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, until crisp on top and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

BIG SLAB BROWNIE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 26-by-18-by-1-inch baking sheet with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang over the sides. Spray the parchment with nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then the vanilla extract until completely incorporated. Add the flour mixture a cup at a time and beat until combined.
• Remove the bowl from the stand and use a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate chips and cherries. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan and bake until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Cool on a rack to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
• Pour the Chocolate Ganache over the brownies and let cool. Cut into 32 rectangle-shaped cookie bars.
• Put the chocolate chips in a medium bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan, about 3 minutes. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate and stir until completely melted and smooth.

BEER-BATTERED CURLY FRIES

Steps:

• Fill a heavy Dutch oven outfitted with a deep-fry thermometer halfway up with oil. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F.
• Whisk together the flour, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and beer in a large bowl, until a thin batter forms.
• Cut the fries into a curly shape using a curly-fry cutter.
• In batches, dredge the potatoes in the batter, and then fry them until crisp, 6 to 7 minutes; use tongs to separate the potatoes while they're in the oil, so they don't stick together.) Drain the fries on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt before serving.

BUFFALO MEXICAN SHRIMP SKEWERS

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
• In a medium saucepan add the butter, hot sauce and chili powder over medium-high heat. Once the butter melts, add the garlic and vinegar, and saute until it sizzles and is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Reserve a few tablespoons of the sauce for a later use.
• Stick 3 shrimp on each skewer. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the shrimp on the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, basting with the sauce the last few minutes of grilling.
• Remove the shrimp to a platter and drizzle the reserved sauce over the skewers. Serve the shrimp skewers with carrots, celery sticks and creamy blue cheese dressing.

TWO MEAT CHILI WITH SCALLION CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the chili: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and bacon and cook until the bacon is light brown and crispy, about 4 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside for the cornbread.
• Add the garlic, onions and green and red peppers to the bacon renderings and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the chile powder, cumin and cayenne pepper to the vegetables and allow the spices to brown to open up the aroma, 1 to 2 minutes. Next, add the tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and mix with the vegetables. Mix in the ground beef and pork. Add some salt and pepper and cook for about 3 minutes. Finally, add the beef broth, pinto beans and kidney beans, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot loosely with a lid and let simmer for 40 minutes.
• For the cornbread: In the meantime, whisk together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and whisk until combined. Add the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, salt and sugar and whisk to combine. Add the buttermilk and sour cream and whisk together. Add the jalapenos, scallions and reserved bacon and use a spatula to stir until just combined.
• Lightly grease a cast-iron skillet and pour in the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving with the chili.

GLAZED CARROTS WITH MARJORAM

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the shallots and cook until beginning to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the carrots, sage, chicken broth, honey and wine and bring to a simmer. Cook until the carrots are tender and the liquid has reduced to a syrup, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the marjoram and some salt and pepper to taste.

MUDSLIDE

Steps:

• Put two small tumblers in the fridge to chill overnight. Put 30g of the chocolate in a shallow bowl and melt in the microwave in short bursts. Dip the rim of the chilled glasses in the melted chocolate, then stand them upright so it gradually drips down the sides. Return to the fridge until you're ready to serve.
• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then pour in the coffee-flavoured liqueur, vodka, Irish cream liqueur and double cream. Shake until the outside of the shaker is very cold.
• Put a few ice cubes in the prepared glasses, then strain in the cocktail. Finely grate over the remaining chocolate and serve with a paper straw.