One upcoming event that will tempt you to break some of your New Year's resolutions is Super Bowl Sunday, especially those regarding your diet. I'm not helping, considering what I’m about to share. When you finish reading this article, you will know how to make pigs in a blanket, pizza pockets and peanut butter balls.

Pigs in a blanket

Homemade pigs in a blanket must sound better than those that have been sitting in the glass case at the donut shop. This recipe will take about 35 minutes to prepare and cook. It will make four to six servings.

Ingredients
 

1 can original crescent dough
¼ cup Dijon mustard,
20 mini hot dogs or cocktail franks
1 egg (lightly beaten for egg wash)
Poppy seeds or sesame seeds
Tangy dipping sauce (recipe below).

Preparation

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut each triangle of crescent roll dough into thirds, lengthwise, making three small strips from each roll. Brush the dough strips with dijon mustard, put the mini hot dogs on one end of the dough and roll them up. Arrange them with the seam side down on a greased cookie sheet. Brush them with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds. Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm with the dipping sauce.

Dipping sauce


Mix all of the following ingredients in a bowl: ½ cup sour cream, ½ cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving. This sauce can be prepared one day ahead.

Pizza pockets

This recipe takes about 30 minutes and will make four to six servings or 16 pieces.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 oz. Italian turkey sausage
1 cup tightly-packed arugula (about 1 ounce)
4 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan (plus ¼ cup)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (13.5-ounce) package of store-bought pizza crust (Pillsbury is recommended)
All-purpose flour (for rolling out pizza dough)
1 egg (beaten for egg wash)
1 ½ cups marinara sauce

Preparation

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium-sized, heavy skillet. Add the sausage and cook until crumbled and golden, about five minutes. Add the arugula and cook until it is wilted. Turn off the heat and let it cool about 10 minutes. Add the cream cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Set it aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to a thin 20 by 12-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise and cut each half into eight equal rectangles. Spoon topping onto one side of each of the rectangles and use a pastry brush to brush the edges of the rectangle with egg wash. Close the rectangle of pizza dough over the topping, and then use a fork to seal and crimp the edges. Place the pizza pockets onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the top of each pizza pocket with egg wash. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes.

Peanut butter balls


This last recipe is a sweet one. I have such a sweet tooth that I can never pass up a sweet treat, especially for the Super Bowl. This recipe takes a little longer than the others, about an hour to prepare, but only three minutes to cook.

Ingredients

Peanut butter,
1 (16 oz.) box confectioners’ sugar
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter (softened)
12 ounces milk chocolate (melted)

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, confectioners sugar, graham cracker crumbs and butter. Mash it all together until combined and then form the mixture into balls. Transfer to the refrigerator until hardened, about 30 minutes. Dip the peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate and set inside mini paper cupcake forms. Before serving, make sure the chocolate is set.

I hope these recipes make your Super Bowl Sunday better, especially if the results of the game don’t end up in your favor.