All snacks are special in their own way, but for a treat to be worthy of your man cave, it’s got to be something exceptional. And easy. And definitely not frou frou. Put away the streamers and seating charts and prepare yourself for a culinary spread you and your buddies can truly appreciate. From fun twists on bar food to bacon-wrapped delights, we’ve got a little something for the inner dude in everyone. Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers There’s something about chowing down on whole jalapeno peppers that just screams “man cave” – or, depending on the heat of the pepper, maybe it’s an entirely different kind of scream. In any case, these snacks are spicy, creamy, and salty, a combination that promises quite the taste sensation: • Slice jalapeno peppers in half and remove the seeds and white inner membrane. The inside of the pepper is actually the hottest, so by ditching these pieces you’re ensuring you can enjoy your food and live to tell about it, too. • Fill the inside of the jalapeno with cream cheese. If you’re a fruit fan, you can stir in some crushed pineapple for a sweet/salty result similar to a Hawaiian pizza. • Wrap each jalapeno with a slice of bacon (or a half slice for smaller peppers), securing the ends as needed using toothpicks. • Grill or broil until the bacon is crispy and serve! Kicked Up Chips and Salsa
Tortilla chips and salsa aren’t exactly revolutionary snack selections, but by adding queso dip to salsa, you can elevate things to delicious new levels. There are literally thousands of recipes on the web so you should have no problem finding a few that tickle your fancy. Happy Trails, Popcorn Style Baking is a special skill, and let’s face it, not everyone has it. Save time and satisfy your sweet tooth by creating a tasty sweet-meets-salty trail mix that doubles as a snack and a simple dessert. The exact combination of ingredients is completely up to you – and this could be a great way to use up the bottom-of-the-bag stuff you have floating around your kitchen pantry – but we’re big fans of
popcorn-based mixes studded with dried fruit, chocolate candies, coconut, and butterscotch chips. You’re welcome. Satay Skewers No party of any size, shape, or celebration is complete without something off the grill. Steaks are usually guy-friendly slam dunk, but when you’re settled in around the poker table for the next few hours you might want something a little more portable. Satay skewers to the rescue! The sauce is a sweet, savory, spiced-up concoction that’s interesting without being too over-the-top-exotic (meaning you won’t scare away picky eaters) and you can dip and deal to your heart’s content without worrying about sticky fingers. Cheese-Crusted Chicken Fingers All finger food is innately cool and manly – you’re eating with your hands, after all – but chicken fingers are especially worth of man cave stardom. Kick up the dude factor even further by switching out traditional breading for a coating made of crushed up
Cheez Doodles. The crunch factor will impress even the most jaded junk food connoisseurs, and the pumped up cheese flavor speaks for itself. Sweet and Sour Mini Sausages If your cooking style is more “set it and forget it” than Next Food Network Star, a crock pot will soon become your very best friend. Start mastering the slow cooker with this simple three-ingredient recipe: • Combine a jar of grape jelly and one bottle of chili sauce in your crock pot and add 2 packages of miniature smoked sausage links. • Cook on medium to medium-high heat until the sausages are completely heated through and the sauce is slightly reduced. • Devour. Chili Corn Chip Pie Nachos get a make-under with this ingenious recipe. Open up a bag of
corn chips, spoon in ground beef seasoned with taco spices, and garnish with toppings of your choice such as lettuce, tomato, onion, sour cream, guacamole, and/or salsa. Each big of corn chips is both a serving and a serving vessel and clean-up is as easy as crumpling the bag and tossing it in the general direction of the garbage can. Stuffed Pizza Rolls They’re handheld, they’re cheesy, and they taste a heck of a lot better than those bulk-buy frozen abominations hiding in the back of your freezer. These
stuffed pizza rolls taste better than delivery and you can have them on the table in 30 minutes or less. What more can you ask for – except maybe some ranch dressing?
