Tailgating Menu Week 4 – Bears vs Packers

Tackle this cheesesteak created by Food Network’s Jeff Mauro when watching the Bears trample those Cheeseheads.

Main: Steak joint Chicago cheesesteak

Jeff Mauro has mastered a sandwich again; this time incorporating three cheeses with a bone-in rib eye steak. This is quite the masterpiece! After searing the rib eyes, could be on the grill or by using a cast-iron skillet, and after allowing them to rest, slice the meat into thin strips. These are then placed on a submarine roll, and topped with the ricotta, cheddar and provolone cheese mixture. To add even more flavor, golden, cooked onions are added and then that it topped with hot, or mild, giardiniera.

Wine pairings: Zinfandel or Viognier
Beer pairings: Classic Pilsner or a Pale Ale

Top off the cheese menu with a classic dessert with a twist created by Food Network’s Anne Burrell

Dessert: Goat cheese cheesecake

Now there are two versions of Anne Burrell’s cheesecake at Food Network.com; this is the one that uses vanilla wafers for the crust and not gingersnaps. Personally, I think gingersnaps may overpower the soft, subtleness of goat cheese. Even in this recipe, you may want to reduce the ginger and nutmeg even more so the vanilla wafer flavor comes out even more. All that Chef Burrell does is add a log of goat cheese to the cream cheese and sour cream mixture. With the addition of eggs, sugar and vanilla extract, the filling is complete. I would suggest serving this cheesecake with fresh fruit, like berries, or even an apple filling topping, since it’s fall.

Wine pairings: Moscato or Gewurztramier
Beer pairings: Hefeweizen

I can only hope that this week’s game-day menu has brought you pleasant experience; filled with tasty food and beverage served at the perfect Goldilocks temperature. I don’t want any of you to taste something too hot or too cold. You don’t want to dine like a Packer. You want to eat like a Bear.