Gridiron goodies: Kick off football season with snacks

Football is back on TV, and that means many Saturday (college) and Sunday (professional) afternoons will be spent in front of the big screen watching with friends and family.

For your next football viewing party, step up the food fare from chips and dips to

something with a little more sophistication.

Scottsdale chef Michelle Peña shares her recipe for Mushroom Tartlets , an easy-to-make appetizer that will appeal to many palates with its blend of pastry dough, cream cheese and garlicky mushrooms.

“This recipe is so easy and everyone devours them,” says Peña. “They are my most requested appetizer.”

Mesa cooking school teacher Judy Toth, a Chicago native, says that when she thinks of football she thinks of greasy food.

“If I were to make some upscale football food, I’d probably make pizzas, but not any pizzas,” she says. “I’d probably do basil pesto with goat cheese, prosciutto, artichokes . Or maybe a caramelized onion and steak pizza. Something like that would satisfy both my 'greasy food’ thought and 'upscale.’ ”

Mushroom Tartlets

Yield: 2 dozen

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Ingredients

2 cans croissant dough (Peña prefers Pillsbury)

1 (12-ounce) tub cream cheese, softened

3 (6-ounce) cans mushrooms (sliced)

1/2 stick butter

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Procedure:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Drain mushrooms of juice and saute in butter.

3. Whisk the mushroom sauce and garlic salt until moisture is evaporated (about 15 minutes on medium heat)

4. Unroll the cans of dough onto a greased pan, closing any gaps so the pan is covered.

5. Top dough with cream cheese, then top with mushroom mixture.

6. Top with Parmesan cheese.

7. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes or until edges of dough are brown.

Source: Michelle Peña

Pesto Pizza With Prosciutto, Goat Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Artichokes

Yield: one 10-inch pizza

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Ingredients

Pizza dough — enough for a 10-inch pizza OR use a premade crust, such as Boboli

3 to 4 tablespoons pesto

1/2 heaping cup artichokes in oil, well-drained

1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes in oil, well-drained, or 4 dried sun-dried tomatoes

1/3 cup goat cheese

4 slices prosciutto

1/4 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped (optional)

6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 teaspoon cornmeal

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees (or 400 degrees if using a pizza stone). Be sure to have the pizza stone in the oven before you turn it on.

2. If using dried sun-dried tomatoes, reconstitute by pouring boiling water over them and allowing to soak for about 15 minutes.

3. Lightly dust a wooden peel with flour and place dough on the peel. Make a disc shape by pressing dough with the heel of your hands, rotating the dough between presses. Continue to press and stretch dough into a 10-inch circle, or as large as your peel and pan or stone will allow. Keep the dough about 1/8 inch thick. Lift up the dough and place a small sprinkling of cornmeal under it. This will help the dough slide off easily onto whatever you are using to bake the pizza.

4. Prick the crust with a fork to keep it from creating bubbles. Spread a little of the olive oil from the pesto on the pizza crust to help it brown. Next, spread the pesto on the pizza in a thin, even layer, making sure to leave a 1/4 inch border around the edges of the pizza.

5. If using reconstituted sun-dried tomatoes, cut them into thin strips. Roughly chop the artichokes so they are in medium-sized pieces. Sprinkle artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and kalamata olives (if using) over top of pizza. Sprinkle goat cheese evenly on top.

6. Place in oven for about 8 to 10 minutes or until crust just begins to brown. Carefully sprinkle mozzarella on top of pizza and place prosciutto on top of mozzarella. Place back in oven for 3 to 4 minutes or until crust is browned and mozzarella is melted.

7. Carefully remove from oven and let stand for about 2 minutes before slicing.

Source: Judy Toth