Bacon & Chive Beer Bread

Since moving out on my own, the little holiday traditions I would share with my family or friends have changed. The rituals I enjoyed are evolving and taking on new forms. I am learning to rediscover these holidays, to make them my own in a small way. When I was younger, I imagined how the holidays would change as I grew older with my own family, but this middle ground, where I am neither a child nor a grown adult, has proven an adventure. A good adventure, but an adventure all the same.

Usually these little holidays make for a good excuse to raid the candy aisle, I've found.

The Super Bowl was one of those small celebrations my family shared together. Even though none of us cared much for football (we were lucky to catch a single game in a year's time), we made a big deal out of it just the same, turning an ordinary Sunday into something a little special. My mother would make mini sausages and a large pot of chili, leaving them to simmer on the stove until the smell drove us to the kitchen brandishing bowls and spoons. The game would be on in the background, secondary to the time we spent with one another. It was a simple tradition we shared together, but it was one I looked forward to as each new year approached.

In trying to find my own way to celebrate the Super Bowl this year, I've already stashed half a loaf of this Bacon & Chive Beer Bread into the freezer to emerge on game day. Paired with a hearty chili, I believe this will make for a good start for my own tradition. I may not know who is playing, or who will entertain at the half-time show, but there is no way that chili-soaked beer bread could ever be a let-down.

If you are looking for more Super Bowl party dishes for the big day, check these out:

• Beer Bread
• Sweet & Spicy Peanut Chili Chicken Wings
• Black Bean Salsa
• BBQ Mini Sausages
• BBQ Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Bacon & Chive Beer Bread is exceptionally simple to make, requiring only a bowl, spoon, and five minutes of your time. The bread is infused with bacon and chives, which elevates the classic beer bread to a new level. Melted butter is poured over the loaf before baking, which soaks deep into the bread and gives it a wonderfully buttery crust. I suggest using your favorite beer for the loaf because the flavor will be quite pronounced; that said, I would shy away from sweet or fruity beers because it would fight the saltiness of the rest of ingredients.

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BBQ Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

In honor of simplicity and upcoming Super Bowl parties, I've decided to forgo the weekly tip and share a three-ingredient recipe with you instead. These small, bite-sized appetizers are virtually impossible to mess up. Even if you somehow manage to do so (a feat that would leave me baffled), you will still be left with barbecue sauce, bacon, and water chestnuts.

You can never go wrong with barbecue sauce and bacon. Remember that.

They say that bacon is the way to a person's heart. I, however, am part of the rare breed who doesn't love bacon (popcorn, oddly enough, is the way to my heart). I avoid bacon during Sunday brunch and ignore the bacon enhanced pasta dishes on the Italian restaurant menu's offerings. So when my mother reminisced over her favorite Super Bowl appetizers, I was hesitant to give this one a try. Bacon and water chestnuts? Would that really taste good?

As it so happens with me, when I grow skeptical over a particular dish or dessert, I suddenly have to give it a try. Usually, I'm happy with the result. With these toothpick appetizers, I was blown away. The crispy water chestnuts provide a great texture contrast against the chewy bacon slices. With the barbecue sauce baked into every crevice, you might find yourself eating more than your fair share.

If you are looking for more Super Bowl party dishes, check these out:

• Sweet & Spicy Peanut Chili Chicken Wings
• Black Bean Salsa
• BBQ Mini Sausages
• Cornmeal Parmesan & Poppy Seed Crackers (perfect with a cheese plate!)

BBQ Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts are unique appetizers for Super Bowl get-togethers, dinner parties, and Tuesday evenings (just because). Water chestnuts are wrapped in bacon slices and secured with toothpicks before roasting the in oven. The bacon wrapped water chestnuts are then coated heavily with barbecue sauce before heading back into the oven to bake in the barbecue flavor. These are best served hot (and will disappear quickly).

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