Is it your turn to host the party for the big game this year? Skip the chips and store-bought dip this year, and try some of our recipes for food that will make your party the hottest ticket on the block.

We’ll start off with a tutorial for a recipe we posted on the Drew Cooks! food blog several months ago, and in my opinion this is the mecca of party food. The ultimate crowd pleaser: Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos, Smoked and Stuffed.

If you choose to make only one recipe from this article, make that one.

Next up, nachos gets a facelift:

Proscuitto and Smoked Cheddar Nachos

Serves 6

Ingredients:

- 300 grams proscuitto, thinly sliced and roughly chopped
- 3 cups grated smoked cheddar (smoked gouda also works)
- 1 small jar roasted red peppers, or 1 cup home roasted red peppers
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup large green olives, pitted and sliced (optional)
- 1 cup chopped green onions
- 4-5 cups tortilla chips
- sour cream
- salt and fresh cracked pepper

Method:

In a large heavy bottomed pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat and add the onions, stir until soft and then cover, turning the heat down to medium-low. Cook for 20 minutes until the onions are caramelized. Slice the roasted red peppers into thin strips and add them to the onions, cook for an additional 5 mins. Remove from heat and set aside. Arrange half the chips on a large serving platter, and cover with half the grated cheese. Set the oven on broil and place the platter under for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from heat and add the remaining chips and cheese. Broil again for 2-3 minutes until 2nd layer of cheese is melted. Evenly place proscuitto, olives, red peppers, onions, and green onions around the platter of nachos and finish with dollops of sour cream, salt and fresh cracked pepper. Serve immediately.

Seared Tequila Lime Flank Steak Sandwiches

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For steaks and marinade:

- 3-4 lbs beef flank steak
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
-  1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
- 1/3 cup tequila
- juice from 1 lime
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp sri racha chili sauce (Frank’s or Tabasco works)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper

Combine all ingredients into a large ziploc freezer bag or tupperware container and mix well, add in steaks and marinade for 6-8 hours in the fridge. Do not marinade longer than 24 hours with this marinade as the lime juice will begin to cook the meat.

Sandwich and Spread Ingredients

For horseradish and chive mayonnaise:

- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp hot horseradish
- 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
- salt and fresh cracker pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Set aside in fridge.

Other ingredients:

- 1 dozen crusty sandwich rolls
- lettuce
- sliced tomatoes
- sauteed onions
- Monterery Jack cheese, sliced

Method:

Preheat a hot grill for 10-15 mins until searing hot. Remove the steaks from the marinade and sear for 3-4 minutes per side, until just med-rare. Remove from grill and cover plate with aluminum foil, set aside. Lightly grill the sandwich rolls until slightly charred, and spread both sides of the sandwich with horseradish chive mayonnaise. Place the rested steaks on a cutting board and cut into slices about 1/4 thick. Pile sliced steak, cheese and other condiments on the crusty roll, slice in half, and serve on a large serving platter.

Dig in!

Boom.

Most of you have probably seen these, but for anyone who likes to cook (and especially for those who love kitchen gadgets), an immersion blender is a must-have tool. I own the cuisinart one pictured above, which comes with awesome attachments that I find I use all the time, like a mini food processor and a perfectly shaped measuring cup for making home made mayonnaise and other spreads.

Puree soups and sauces in a few seconds, whip up some salsa in the mini processor, there are endless possibilities for these things. Here are a couple of my favorite things to do with them:

Homemade Mayonnaise (kicks the crap out of the store bought stuff)

2 large egg yolks
2 champagne vinegar (lemon juice works)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dry english mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pinch cayenne
1 cup vegetable oil

Add all of the ingredients except the oil into the mixing cup for the blender. Turn the immersion blender on and slowly drizzle in the oil while the blender is running. Let it run for 30 seconds or so and you’ll have the best mayo ever. Kick it up with some roasted garlic or some roasted red peppers and it’s great on roast beef sandwiches.

Tomato Beurre Blanc (great on fish)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 shallots, finely diced
1 tsp fresh chopped tarragon
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 butter, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp white pepper

Method:

In a small saucepan, combined the white wine, shallots, tarragon and champagne vinegar. Simmer on medium heat until the mixture has reduced by half. Add in the heavy cream and tomato paste. Turn on the immersion blender and begin to blend while slowly adding in chunks of the butter until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This is a very classic French sauce and it’s great on eggs, vegetables, fish and chicken. You can also replace the white wine with red wine to create a beurre rouge that is delicious on lamb.

By far, the single most important kitchen tool you can own is a good, sharp knife.

Nothing will see more use, help you prepare food faster and safer, and help you create a better final product than good knives.

Have you ever been chopping something with a dull knife, and have the blade slip off the food, possibly even cutting you in the process? (Bell peppers are the worst for these types of slips)

Did you know that some sushi masters can even taste if types of sashimi have been sliced or prepared with a knife that isn’t sharp enough? While most of us aren’t exactly sushi masters, we can all still benefit from a few tips on how to select and buy a good knife, and which types of knives you’ll actually need to own.

Let’s start with what NOT to buy:

• Stay far, far away from any types of knives advertising to “Never need sharpening!” The truth is, there is no such thing. All quality knives benefit from having their edge honed and re-sharpened periodically.
• Do not be lured into buying a knife set with something like 74 different types of knives. Sets that are marketed in this way are generally a sign of poor quality. In other words they are selling quantity over quality. As I’ll explain later, 3 to 4 good knives can handle any kitchen task.
• Don’t buy a knife until you’ve had a chance to hold it. Everyone’s hands and grip are different, so you want to find a knife that feels good for you. My hands are fairly large, so a knife that feels good to me might not feel good to someone else, etc.

People have asked me what type of knives I use before. I have 3 knives that I use every day, which can handle virtually any task. The brand of knives I use is Shun, and while they are fairly pricy, I have never owned a better knife, and can’t recommend them enough.

The workhorse of any knife set is the Chef’s Knife. 8″ is the standard size I own:

The second most used knife is my 6″ boning knife, which I use for meats and fish.

Lastly, a pairing knife for small tasks and detail work:

These three knives account for 95% of the prep work I do every day. I do also own a bread knife that sees a little face time when needed.

Some good brands to get you started on your search:

• Shun
• Wustof
• Global
• J.A. Henckels

While there are other quality knife makers, you really can’t go wrong with any of the brands listed above.

Try a couple out and see which feels best for you!