Belated game food porn

Seems like just a few minutes ago that the Packers laid a major ass-whipping on the Eagles, but it's been two days now and I really need to post the food porn. Sorry, I've been busy. Anyway, we had a good lineup Sunday. Because it was a 4:30 game, the food had to at least resemble dinner. So naturally, we started with a veggie tray:

That quickly turned into this, even with some celery added and other reloads:

Of course we had stuffed potato skins:

We also had onion straws with horseradish sauce:

Because Marrying Into Wolves' parents came to watch the game, we had squadoosh on the leftover action. I think the game food was appreciated. But those things aren't all we had. Oh no.

Sunday I served, for the first time in nearly two years, the Bacon Explosion. What, you might ask, is the Bacon Explosion? It is not my own creation, but I love it. It starts with two pounds of thick cut bacon:

You will take one pound of that bacon and weave a mat out of it:

Should look like this when you're done:

Cook the other pound of bacon. You'll need it soon. But first, you will take two pounds of mild Italian sausage:

On a separate surface, you will spread that sausage into a square of even thickness the same size as the bacon mat. You will then crumble the second pound of bacon over the top of the sausage:

Toss a bunch of shredded cheddar cheese over that:

Roll that sucker up, keeping the cheese and bacon inside the roll, and place it on the bacon mat:

By all means, make sure the ends are sealed so nothing leaks out:

 Then roll the sausage roll up in the bacon mat:

You should season this concoction with a barbecue rub. You can sauce it, as well, if you like. For a rub, I used Bad Byron's Butt Rub. You may use your own favorite:

Byron's is good, though. So rub it up:

Ideally, you would now toss this sucker into a smoker and cook it for one hour per inch of thickness at 225 degrees. But that takes constant attention, and you might have other things to do, as I did, so you can toss it in the oven at 225 for the requisite time, about three hours. Better smoked, but sacrifices must be made. Comes out looking pretty damn good, though:

And it served up nicely, too:

A good time was had by all, the food was good, and the Packers kicked ass. Who could ask for more?

Big doings on Sunday for game food

It's been awhile, but Sunday will mark the return of Bacon Explosion to the game day menu. Not since Dec. 2, 2012 has this bundle of pork-products goodness made an appearance on the game food menu. Naturally, it is because Sunday is a special occasion. Marrying Into Wolves is bringing the parental units to the game so we can discuss details of the impending wedding. And watch the Eagles get shot down, we hope. Not sure what else will be on the menu, but I am consulting with Marrying Into Wolves, who suggested the Explosion, thereby getting me off the hook. I can hardly wait.

Now they tell me

Two of the attendees at the Chez Wolves Super Bowl party Sunday expressed disappointment that the Bacon Explosion did not make an appearance in this year's game food. Now they tell me. I didn't fix the dish because Mrs. Wolves was so opposed -- it is a heart attack waiting to happen -- and no one voiced a desire to see it on the menu. File that under information that would have been useful earlier. Perhaps I can fix the Bacon Explosion for an NFL draft party. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Game food explosion!

Yeah, it's tough to put up a blog post when you're three-quarters reclined in the chair, trying to reach around your seriously stuffed stomach. Got a Packers win despite Adrian Peterson having an epic game -- he had about 2/3s of the ViQueens total offense. Almost as important, we had magnificent game food. In response to the poll results, we did indeed do the Bacon Explosion, and it was just as good as I remembered. Even the woman who lives with me to whom I am related by marriage was forced to agree that, despite the fact that she was pissed off that I was making such an unhealthy dish, the Bacon Explosion was a taste sensation. We served slices on buns. But I taunt. Here it is:

Naturally, you can't get the full impact from that. Please note that I include cheese in the inside:

To complement the explosion of flavor, we trotted out some baked beans:

Throw in some roasted corn:

Then top it off with the ever-present stuffed potato skins:

Excuse me now while I go have a heart attack. If it kills me, I'll die happy.