Recipes to kick off baseball season

I found a fun collection of recipes that I think will be a great way to kick off the start of baseball season. Taste of Home had 45 Ballpark Copycat Recipes in a collection that I just could not pass up. I think the author said it perfectly in introducing the recipe collection, “Take a crack at these grand-slam recipes inspired by your favorite ballpark snacks and treats. You've always got home-field advantage when whipping up these nachos, pretzels, popcorn, hot dogs, nuts and more, right in your own kitchen.”

Of the 45 recipes Taste of Home featured, I pulled out only a few to share. I hope you have fun trying these recipes while watching your favorite team. Play ball!

The follow recipes can be found at www.tasteofhome.com.

Soft Giant Pretzels

Once you make this recipe, you’ll love these soft, chewy pretzels. Let the bread machine mix the dough, then all you have to do is shape and bake these fun snacks.

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water (70 to 80 degrees), divided
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 quarts water
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• Coarse salt

In a bread machine pan, place 1 cup water and next three ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting. Check dough after five minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons water or flour if needed.

When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into eight balls. Roll each into a 20-inch rope; form into pretzel shape.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts water and the baking soda to a boil. Drop pretzels into boiling water, two at a time; boil for 10 to 15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.

Place pretzels on greased baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, eight to 10 minutes. Spritz or lightly brush with remaining 2 tablespoons water. Sprinkle with salt.

Old-Fashioned Coney Hot Dog Sauce

This recipe is geared for campfire cooking but can easily be cooked on the stovetop with the same delicious results.

• 1-pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Prepare campfire or grill for medium-high heat. In a Dutch oven, cook beef over campfire eight to 10 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Move Dutch oven to indirect heat. Cook, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Walking Tacos

These Walking Tacos are perfect for an on-the-go dinner or an easy game-night supper. The ingredients go right into the chip bags!

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 envelope reduced-sodium chili seasoning mix
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 1 can (15 ounces) Ranch Style beans (pinto beans in seasoned tomato sauce)
• 5 packages (1 ounce each) corn chips
• Toppings: Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and sliced green onions

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles, six to eight minutes, drain. Stir in chili seasoning mix, pepper, tomatoes, and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Just before serving, cut open corn chip bags. Add beef mixture and toppings.

Cheese Fries

If you want to add more ingredients to make dirty fries, try adding chili or coney dog sauce along with the chili for a hearty meal while watching the game.

• 1 package (28 ounces) frozen steak fries
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
• 1/4 cup 2% milk
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• Paprika

Arrange the steak fries in a single layer in two greased 15-inch-by-10-inch-by-1-inch baking pans. Bake at 450° for 15 to 18 minutes or until tender and golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the soup, milk, garlic powder and onion powder; heat through. Drizzle over fries; sprinkle with paprika.

Soft Beer Pretzel Nuggets

• 1 bottle (12 ounces) amber beer or nonalcoholic beer
• 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda

Topping:

• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water
• Coarse salt, optional

In a small saucepan, heat beer to 110 to 115 degrees; remove from heat. Stir in yeast until dissolved. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, salt, yeast mixture and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).

Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, six to eight minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about one hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide and shape into eight balls. Roll each into a 12-inch rope. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces.

In a Dutch oven, bring 10 cups water and baking soda to a boil. Drop nuggets, 12 at a time, into boiling water. Cook for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain well on paper towels.

Place on greased baking sheets. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water; brush over pretzels. Sprinkle with coarse salt if desired. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to a wire rack to cool.

Favorite Corn Dogs

Bring the ballpark right into your home and to your kitchen with these corn dogs. A tip for dipping: Pour the batter into a tall Mason jar and dunk your dogs for an even all-over coating.

• 1 package (8-1/2 ounces) cornbread/muffin mix
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1 large egg
• 10 wooden skewers
• 10 hot dogs
• Oil for deep-fat frying

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, whisk milk and egg; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Let stand for 15 minutes. Insert skewers into hot dogs; dip into batter. A tip for dipping: Pour the batter into a tall Mason jar and dunk your dogs for an even all-over coating.

In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry corn dogs, a few at a time, until golden brown, two to three minutes, turning occasionally. Drain on paper towels.

Ice Cream Wafflewiches

A wafflewich is a masterpiece of textures with chewy waffles, smooth ice cream, gooey caramel syrup and crunchy pecans. This is cold storage comfort food. Perfect for seventh inning stretch!

• 24 frozen mini waffles, unseparated
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup caramel sundae syrup
• 1-1/2 cups dulce de leche or vanilla ice cream

Toast waffles according to package directions; separate into mini waffles and cool completely.

In a large skillet, melt butter over low heat; stir in pecans, brown sugar, chili powder and vanilla. Cook and stir four to six minutes or until nuts are toasted. Transfer to a shallow bowl; cool completely.

To assemble, spread 1 teaspoon caramel syrup over a mini waffle; top with 2 tablespoons ice cream. Top with a second waffle, pressing to spread ice cream to edges. Roll sides into spiced pecans; place on a plate. Freeze, covered, until firm.

Honey Buffalo Meatball Sliders

These little sliders deliver big Buffalo chicken flavor without the messiness of wings. The spicy-sweet meatballs are a hit on game day with kids and adults alike.

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 package (24 ounces) frozen fully cooked Italian turkey meatballs, thawed
• Additional hot sauce, optional
• Bibb lettuce leaves
• 12 mini buns
• Crumbled blue cheese
• Ranch salad dressing, optional

In a 3- or 4-quart slow cooker, mix the first 6 ingredients until smooth. Stir in meatballs until coated. Cook, covered, on low two to three hours, until meatballs are heated through.

If desired, stir in additional hot sauce. Serve meatballs on lettuce-lined buns; top with cheese and, if desired, dressing.

Grilled Seasoned Bratwurst

Whether you're hosting a picnic at home or at a park, cook these bratwurst on the stovetop first. Then you can quickly brown them on the grill.

• 8 uncooked bratwurst links
• 3 cans (12 ounces each) beer or nonalcoholic beer
• 1 large onion, halved and sliced
• 2 tablespoons fennel seed
• 8 bratwurst sandwich buns, split

Place bratwurst in a Dutch oven; add the beer, onion and fennel. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for eight to 10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Drain and discard beer mixture.

Grill bratwurst, covered, over indirect medium heat for seven to eight minutes or until browned, turning occasionally. Serve on buns.

Mini Mac & Cheese Dogs

Pile on the extra cheese, relish and even bacon for a grand slam mini hot dog experience.

• 1 package (16 ounces) frozen bread dough dinner rolls (12 count), thawed but still cold
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 12 bun-length beef hot dogs
• 1 package (7-1/4 ounces) macaroni and cheese dinner mix

Let dough stand at room temperature until soft enough to shape, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut each roll in half; shape each half into a 3-inch-long mini hot dog bun. Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.

Cover with greased plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake buns until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

In a 15-inch-by-10-inch-by-1-inch baking pan, toss bread crumbs with onion, oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, stirring once, five to seven minutes.

Cook hot dogs and macaroni and cheese according to package directions. To serve, cut hot dogs crosswise in half. Split buns; fill with hot dogs and macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle with toasted crumbs.

Caramel Corn

The delectable syrup for this caramel corn coats the popcorn well but isn't sticky. The perfect snack for game watching.

• 6 quarts popped popcorn
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Place popcorn in a large bowl and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla and baking soda; mix well. Pour over popcorn and stir until well coated. Pour into 2 greased 13-inch-by-9-inch baking pans.

Bake, uncovered, at 250 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely. Store in airtight containers.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at news@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.