Grilled Game Day Appetizer: The Croix Valley Football

When game day rolls around, the tailgating parties get into full swing.  Burgers, wings, beer and appetizers are certainly a staple at many a Sunday spread, and the art of grilling is just as synonymous with football parties as are the pork rinds and the armchair quarterback’s end-zone analysis.  Inspired by the old pigskin itself, we’ve got you covered with an appetizer so delicious, you won’t be able to invite your friends over for the next Super Bowl party without the requests to ensure you’ve got some of these fantastic morsels on hand.

Here in the St. Croix Valley, like many areas of the country, the football season is veiled in snow and can be accompanied by cold weather.  We won’t pretend that all football fanatics are truly hard-core brutes, so if the idea of grilling outdoors in January scares you, you can easily make these appetizers in a 350°F oven.  However, if you want to take the skirt off and enjoy the added dimensions of the smoky flavors of the grill, be sure to check out my recent post, , for tips on how to effortlessly keep your grill hot during the cold weather.

To make what I call Croix Valley Footballs, you will need the following:

• 1 Pound Ground Beef
• 1 Pound Ground Pork
• 1 Medium Onion, diced
• 8 Strips of Bacon, sliced into thirds
• 8oz. Velveeta cheese
• 1 Cup Italian-style bread crumbs
• 1 Egg

To prepare, in a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, onion, bread crumbs and egg.  Mix by hand until thoroughly blended.  Next, roll the meat mixture into portions, roughly the size of a golf ball.  Dice the cheese into approximate ½” cubes and wrap in sliced bacon pieces.  Flatten the meatballs in the palm of your hand, place bacon-wrapped cheese in the center and fold the meat around the cheese, pinching all sides together to form the shape of a football (recipe makes about 24 portions).  Feel free to add a nice barbecue rub to the outside, or mix a little of your favorite steak or barbecue sauce to the mixture.  Croix Valley Footballs are fantastic on their own, but  you can certainly add some extra ingredients for an additional kick of flavor.

Prepare your grill to a medium-high heat of 350-400°F.   Cook over indirect heat (banking coals to one side of the grill and placing footballs away from the flames), using lump charcoal and a piece of hardwood for added smoke and flavor for about 15 minutes.  If using a gas grill, turn the burners directly under the appetizers off to avoid flare-ups.  Try adding a smoker box or foil pouch with wood chips to the flame-side of your gas grill to attain the best possible flavors from your grill.  If cooked properly and away from direct flames, you should be able to set it and forget it, there is no need to turn the appetizers over or rotate while cooking.  Be sure to place the footballs with the seam side up (where you pinched it together), as some cheese may melt out during cooking.  If inclined, brush your footballs with some barbecue sauce during the last 5 minutes of grilling to allow the sauce to caramelize and set nicely.

Croix Valley Footballs are an easy, amazing snack that you and your guests will love.  With easy preparation, they can be made ahead of time and tossed on the grill (or in the oven) during half-time.  If not into the game day spread, prepare these any time of the year for any occasion (shape them into elephants and donkeys for election night snacking?).  You will be amazed at how quickly the platter becomes empty!

Keep on grillin’!