Three recipes for that Super Bowl party

Get recipes for a Smokehouse burger, pork sliders and French onion dip.

Posted 1:00 p.m. Jan 31, 2015 — Updated 3:00 p.m. Jan 31, 2015

Kathy Hanrahan

RALEIGH, N.C. — The big game is almost here and that means you will probably need to bring something good to that Super Bowl party. Whether you are hosting or just a guest, these recipes will have you cheering.

First up, this Local Dish from WRAL's Brian Shrader and Lisa Prince, with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services:

Caramelized Pork Sliders

(NC Ingredients: Pork, Apples - Category: Appetizer/Entree)

For the pork:

2 1-lb pork tenderloins, silver skin removed
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c country Dijon mustard
4 cloves garlic, minced
2T olive oil
1 T apple cider vinegar
Salt & pepper

For the topping:

2 T butter
3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 Serrano peppers, seeded & chopped
1/2 c brown sugar
2T apple cider vinegar
1t salt

You will also need:

18 Dinner Rolls, split
2 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced

In a gallon sized zip lock bag, mix 1/4 c brown sugar, mustard, garlic, olive oil and 1T vinegar. Season the pork tenderloins with salt & pepper and add to bag. Seal the bag and shake so that the pork is coated in the marinade. Refrigerate and let marinate at least 2 hours. Remove from refrigerator about 20 minutes before you are ready to cook.

Preheat oven to 450. Place the pork tenderloins on a rack placed on top of a cookie sheet and roast for 25 - 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 140. Transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the onions and peppers. Allow to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep them from burning. Add the remaining 1/2 c brown sugar, vinegar and salt. Cook until the liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes, stirring often.

To assemble the sliders, slice the pork into 1 inch thick slices. Stuff each roll with a slice of pork, a slice of apple and a spoonful of caramelized onions & peppers. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Lisa's Notes: Julia Truelove from Raleigh earned the blue ribbon with these delicious pork sliders. You can't eat just one! Thank you to The NC Pork Council for sponsoring the Tar Heel Pork Challenge at the NC State Fair each year.

Paul Inserra, the owner and chef of the American Meltdown food truck, knows his food. So we asked him to provide a great Super Bowl party recipe! Here's what I hooked us up with!

Homemade French onion dip

Time: 1 hour plus chill time.

Yield: enough for 6-8 if there are other appetizers around

What you'll need:

1 purple onion,diced
2 sweet yellow onions, diced or 4 cups of diced onion**
1 tbls dijon mustard
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 stick of butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Teaspoons Worstechire sauce
Salt/Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
2 cups Greek Yogurt

Directions:

1) Melt the butter and olive oil in a sauce pan.

2) Add the onions, garlic and sweat them in the covered pan for 15 minutes on medium heat.

3) Remove the cover, add 1 heavy pinch of salt plus the lemon juice and continue cooking for another 25 minutes on mid-low heat. Stirring consistently. the onions should become golden in color.

4) Add the mustard, cumin and worstechire and stir in completely, the onions should be soft and have a pasty consistency. If there is still alot of liquid, raise the heat and stir until it evaporates.

5) Pull the onions off the heat and let cool for 10 minutes at room temp. Stir in the the yogurt. Taste and adjust the salt to your preference. Let cool.

**If you despise chopping, or simply are not knife savvy, you can drop the onions and garlic into a food processor. This will cut down on prep time but affect the texture of the dip. But it will still taste great.

Bad Daddy's executive chef Tim Kast came up with this tasty Super Bowl inspired burger. It will be available at the burger joint's two Triangle restaurants - Seaboard Station in Raleigh and Park West Village in Morrisville.

But if you want to try to make it yourself, here is the recipe:

Super Bowl Smokehouse Burger

For the burgers:

Yield: 6 Burgers

6ea- Beef Burger Patties
2 teaspoon- Seasoned Salt
6 slices- Pepper-Jack Cheese
2 cups- Pulled Pork (either your favorite recipe or store brought brand)
1 ½ cups- Jalapeno BBQ Sauce (recipe below).
6ea- Brioche Burger Bun
3 tablespoon- Butter, Softened
6 slices- Lettuce
6 slices- Tomato

1. Preheat grill or skillet.

2. Season burgers with Seasoned Salt.

3. Cook burgers to desired temperature and top with cheese. Allow to melt.

4. Meanwhile, heat pulled pork and BBQ sauce (recipe below).

5. Brush cut side of burger buns with soft butter and toast.

6. Assemble each burger with lettuce and tomato on the bottom bun. Next, top with the burger with melted cheese. Divide the pulled pork on top of each burger patty and top with a generous portion of BBQ sauce.

7. Enjoy!

For the Jalapeno BBQ Sauce:

Yield: 2 ½ Cups