Football season is well under way so that means it’s tailgate time! Well, by tailgate time I mean time to hang out at home in my yoga pants, watching football on my big TV, and stuffing my face with lots of yummy food. Let’s call that “home-gating”!  Sure beats dealing with the crowds, traffic, and rain!

As you know I’m from Ohio and in Ohio we take our Buckeyes football very seriously.  You can yell “O-H” walking down any street in Ohio (and a lot of times here in Nashville) and be heartily greeted with a reply of “I-O!”.  We Ohioans are everywhere!!  🙂

Other things taken very seriously in my family include pimento cheese and brownies.  These two things show up at every one of my family’s gatherings.  Our pimento cheese is the best (although by saying that I will lose a LOT of friends here in the south).  I didn’t realize how fanatical I was about that until I moved down here and no one makes it like my Mom!  However, on one trip to Asheville I was converted to the southern way of enjoying it.  Let’s give a hearty welcome to: Warm Pimento Cheese.  *applause*

Warm Pimento Cheese

8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup mayonaise

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon stone ground mustard

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup diced roasted red bell peppers

Tortilla chips, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350.  Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  Bake for 15-20 minutes in a casserole dish.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Source: Tupelo Honey Cafe Cookbook by Chef Brian Sonoskus

Another staple at our family gatherings has always been brownies.  My mom has a great recipe for cream cheese brownies that I’ll share sometime but today is not that day.  What could possibly make a brownie better you ask?  Marrying it with another Ohio favorite, the Buckeye.  Seriously, where have these brownies been all my life?!  They are soooo easy it’s ridiculous.  Let’s give a round of applause, standing ovation, and do the wave for: Buckeye Brownies.  Prepare to have your world rocked.

Buckeye Brownies

1 box fudge brownie mix

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Make the brownies according to the package directions for a 9×13 pan.  Let cool.

In a bowl mix powdered sugar, 1/2 cup butter and peanut butter together.  Mix with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.  Spread over the cooled brownies.

Melt the chocolate chips with the remaining butter in the microwave, mixing after 30 second intervals until completely melted.  Stirring between each interval.  Spread the chocolate over the peanut butter layer.

If you can stand to wait, let the chocolate set up a little bit and then cut into squares and devour!

Source: http://lilluna.com/buckeye-brownies/

I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to have a plain old brownie again.  Go Bucks!  O-H!!