The “Big Game” is coming!  Are you ready? Football fan or not, it’s always a blast to gather with friends and enjoy unbeatable food!

If you’re playing host then you’re probably already forming a game plan to tackle the menu for the big day. Be this year’s MVP with these three mouth-watering dishes, all made with Jeff’s Garden non-GMO products:

Loaded Pepper Potato Skins

Prep Time: 10 min | Total Time: 60 min | Serves: 6

• 6 medium sized russet potatoes, washed and scrubbed clean
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• 3 ounces pancetta, (can substitute bacon)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/3 cup feta crumbles
• ½ cup Jeff’s Garden Sliced Golden Greek Peperoncini, plus 2 tablespoons brine reserved
• ½ cup Jeff’s Garden Roasted Red Pepper Strips roughly chopped and squeezed with a paper towel
• ¼ cup sliced green onion
• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place potatoes on a sheet tray and drizzle with olive oil.  Rub oil all over potatoes to thoroughly coat. Bake for about 40 minutes, turning over halfway through, and remove from oven when a knife is easily inserted into the potato.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to touch, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the potato.  If the skin is not as crispy as desired, place the skins, cut side down, back on the sheet tray and broil in the oven for a few minutes until crispy. Remove from oven and set aside.

Place the sliced pancetta on a foil-lined sheet tray and bake about 10 minutes or until desired crispiness. Remove from oven, place pancetta on a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

Next, season the inside of the potatoes with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the cheeses into the potato skins, add the peperoncini and roasted bell peppers.  Place back into the oven until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle potatoes with green onion and crumble the crispy pancetta over the top.

In a small mixing bowl, stir the Greek yogurt with two tablespoons of peperoncini brine and drizzle over the loaded potatoes.  Serve immediately.

Greek Nachos

Prep Time: 10 min | Total Time: 20 min | Serves: 2

• 1 (8 oz.) bag pita chips
• 2/3 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
• 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 tablespoons red onion, minced
• 4 tablespoons Jeff’s Garden Organic Pitted Whole Greek Kalamata Olives, rough chopped
• 2/3 cup Jeff’s Garden Roasted Red Pepper Strips, rough chopped, squeezed with a paper towel to remove liquid
• 2/3 cup Jeff’s Garden Sliced Golden Greek Peperoncini, reserve brine for Greek yogurt
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• ½ cup hummus

Pre-heat oven to 475° F.
In an oven safe dish, add the chips on the bottom.  Next, sprinkle on the cheeses.

Crush the oregano in-between your fingers before sprinkling evenly over the nachos. Layer on the red onion, olives, and peppers, and bake for about 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

In a small mixing bowl, add some peperoncini brine to the Greek yogurt and mix well.

Remove nachos from the oven, top with Greek yogurt mixture and hummus and serve hot!

Olive & Sun-Ripened Dried Tomato Ricotta Dip

Prep Time: 6 min | Total Time: 18 min | Serves: 6

• 1 pound whole milk ricotta
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley leaves
• ½ cup Jeff’s Garden Sun-ripened Dried Tomatoes drained and roughly chopped
• ½ cup Jeff’s Garden Organic Pitted Whole Greek Kalamata Olives drained and roughly chopped
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• Serve with toasted baguette slices or crackers for dipping

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the ricotta, parsley and garlic and combine well. Season with salt and pepper.  Gently mix in the tomatoes and olives, until just incorporated.

Spread the ricotta in a shallow medium baking dish in a 3/4-inch-thick layer.   Bake about 12 minutes or until slightly browned along the edges and hot.

Remove from oven, let rest a few minutes and serve warm.

photo credit: kickoff close via photopin (license)