HKS NBA Finals Cookoff
HKS Team Holds Cook-off for the NBA Finals
Get Ideas for Game day Appetizers That'll Wow Your Friends and Family!
Do you think the cook-off winner will be an indicator of the NBA Finals winner? Guess we'll have to stay tuned!
Check out Jessy and Dana's recipes for easy game day appetizers.
Menu
Golden Nuggets and Waffles
Dana's idea for chicken and waffles comes from her love for chicken and waffles, and her desire to do something with nuggets, for obvious reasons! Also, fun fact: Dana has chickens at home and used their eggs to make the batter for the fried chicken.
The Big Three
Jessy made a trio of empanadas to represent The Big Three from the Miami Heat championship days with Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosh. During that time she was still living in her hometown of Miami and had the opportunity to watch The Big Three play in person!
The three empanada flavors are: cheese, guava, and ground turkey.
Judging
Presentation
The way you plate and present your appetizer can be just as important as the taste. After all, most people tend to judge based on first impressions!
Taste
We all love tasty foods, right?
Enough said!
Winner Winner...
The Big Three - Guava Empanada
Amy, our retail specialist, gladly volunteered to judge the competition. She had a great impromptu lunch at work and loved it all! In the end, she chose the guava empanada with the Terrapin Ridge Farms Hot Pepper Bacon Jam for both presentation and taste.
Golden Nuggets and Waffles Recipe
- Approx. 1 lb. chicken tenderloins cut into 2 in. pieces that are 1/2 inch thick
- 1 jar dill pickle juice
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (plus 1 teaspoon for seasoning chicken)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon black pepper (plus 1/8 teaspoon for seasoning chicken)
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- Your preferred waffle mix (or make your own)
- Guenther Apiary Hot Honey
- Brine chicken in dill pickle juice for a few hours or overnight if you have the time.
- Pat the chicken dry and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
- Combine the flour, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper in a dish, whisking to combine. Pour onto a plate. 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
- Add 4 large eggs to a shallow dish.
- Working in batches, coat the chicken egg, then dip it in the flour mixture. Repeat, putting it in the egg mixture and again in the flour mixture. Let the chicken sit for five minutes.
- While the chicken is resting, heat 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in a large skillet. Dana likes to use the Staub Cocotte. Bring the temperature of the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the chicken in batches (read here about overcrowding) for 6 to 7 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees and is golden brown.
