In honor of the upcoming Super Bowl I thought I would share some recipes to help with all of those super bowl parties out there. I’ll share one every day this week. To get things kicked off,  for those of you that like spicy food, I wanted to share this recipe for Crispy Jalapeno Bites. Spicy fresh jalapenos are coated with panko bread crumbs, fried until golden brown and then served with a zesty cheese dip.

Makes about 20 bites

You will need:

• 3 fresh jalapenos, sliced 1/4 inch
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (I like Johnny’s)
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 cup canola oil for frying
• Kosher salt

1. Preheat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. You will need 3 bowls for this. In one bowl mix the flour and the seasoning salt. In another bowl beat the egg. Place the panko bread crumbs in the third bowl.
3. First dip the jalapenos into the flour, be sure to shake any excess off. Next, dip it in the egg. Finally dip it in the panko. Repeat until all the jalapeno slices are coated.
4. When the oil is hot (Note: To test this I usually just sprinkle a couple of the panko bread crumbs into the oil) fry the jalapenos until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes). Remove and transfer to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle immediately with salt.  Serve with cheese dip if desired.

Cheese Dip

Makes: about 2 cups

You will need:

• 1/4 onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons of your favorite salsa (Mine is Mrs. Renfro’s Habanero)

1. In a sauce pan, melt butter. When melted, add onion and cook until onion becomes soft about 3-4 minutes.
2. When onion is soft add flour, cook 2 minutes.
3. Add cheddar cheese, milk and salsa.  Serve.

If you’ve got spicy food lovers coming to your party, these will be gone in a flash, but fear not, it is really easy to double up on this recipe. However, the cheese dip will probably make enough that if you double the jalapenos you won’t have to double up on the cheese dip.   Enjoy!