Creamy Clam and Smoky Sausage Dip

Even though I had no real loyalties to either the Ravens or the 49ers, I looked forward to the Super Bowl.  Not because I'm a diehard football fan.  Not because I enjoy watching bikini-clad women eat cheeseburgers topless (aka, the ridiculous commercials, granted I loved the heartfelt ones!).  But because I love good food, and Super Bowl Sunday means Super Bowl parties, means lots of yummy appetizers and snacks!

Our host friends asked guests to come with appetizers, so we were able to munch on southwestern eggrolls, chicken wings, brownies, veggie platters, pulled pork sliders, buffalo chicken, and chips.  When I was deciding what to bring, I found an untested dip recipe in my recipe box: Chef Guy Fieri's Creamy Clam and Smoky Sausage Dip.  Shaun and I decided that sounded plenty delicious enough to us, so it was one of the appetizers we brought!  (The focaccia was kind of a flop... and that's all I will say about that!  :)   We ended up loving the dip, and ate all the leftovers that didn't fit in the dish before we even left the house!

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Creamy Clam and Smoky Sausage Dip 
Makes 16-18 servings
(adapted from Guy Fieri's recipe for Wheat Thins)

• 3 strips of bacon
• 6-8 oz. of andouille sausage links, casings removed, and chopped into small bites
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 12 Wheat Thins Big Snacks, finely crushed (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 cup small diced potatoes, cooked
• 2  6.5 oz. cans of minced clams, drained
• 2-3 tbsp lemon juice

1. Brown the bacon strips in a large skillet for 5 minutes, until crispy.  Once cooked, remove strips and set aside to cool on a plate lined with paper towels.  Using the same skillet with drippings, brown the sausage pieces and minced garlic for about 5 minutes.  Remove and set aside the sausage.
2. Crumble the cooled bacon slices into a small bowl.  Add crushed crackers, chives, and 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese to bacon, and set aside.  This is going to be the crispy topper at the end.
3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, adding flour to make a paste (roux), whisking constantly.  Add the cream and milk one at a time, whisking between additions to keep lumps from forming.  Continue whisking until the mixture thickens, add a little salt and pepper, and let simmer on low for another 5 minutes.  (But make sure to stir often!  You don't want it to burn!)
4. Mix in the sausage, potatoes, clams, lemon juice, and the rest of the parmesan to the cream sauce.  Continue to stir over low heat for another 5 minutes to let the ingredients warm up and the flavors meld.  If desired, add a little more salt and pepper.
5. Transfer dip to a serving dish and crumble the bacon mixture over the dip.  Serve with Wheat Thins (since you have half a box left over!) or any desired crackers you have on hand.  Enjoy, and cheer on, football fans!

Cheesy Zucchini and Red Onion Flatbread

In case you were wondering why I was so dressed up as I wished my parents 'bon voyage' in the last post, it was because I had my ladies small group that night. After dropping my parents off at the airport, we drove to the small group and Shaun waited patiently reading in the car while I spent two hours socializing. (I mentioned the small group briefly in the post here about my bad day.)

The small group is interest-focused, so it is all young women who enjoy cooking. Each of the five weeks is themed, and the first week happened to be "Cocktail Night," so each woman was to bring an hors d'œuvre to share and dress up in a little black dress and heels. The themes have all been really cute and fun.

What hors d'œuvre did I bring, you ask? Well, I found this recipe for cheesy zucchini and red onion flatbread from the magazine Bon Appetit, and altered it a little. While my parents were here, I actually made it with a salad for a light dinner one night. You can substitute different cheeses or even use summer squash or sweet onions if you prefer. Let me know if you give it a try!

Cheesy Zucchini and Red Onion Flatbread

• 1 10-oz pkg Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough
• 1 red onion, sliced thinly crosswise
• 2 zucchini, sliced thinly crosswise
• ¾ cup garlic and herb goat cheese spread
• ¾ cup blend of shredded asiago, parmesan, and romano cheeses
• 2 Tbsp dried parsley
• Olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Roll out the pizza dough and cover one half of the dough (lengthwise) with half of the goat cheese spread. Make sure to leave about a half-inch border along the edges, so it doesn’t ooze out. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese and 1 tbsp of parsley evenly on top of the spread.
2. Using the parchment paper as an aid, fold the plain half of dough on top of the filled half. Make sure not to pinch the edges together. Then spread the remaining goat cheese on top, followed by the rest of the shredded cheese and parsley.
3. Line the red onion slices along the center of the bread lengthwise, and line the zucchini slices up along both sides of the onion line. Brush the vegetables with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake in the oven for about 24 minutes, until the bread is golden brown.