Superbowl Spread

I tried all new recipes for our Superbowl party this year and lo and behold - they all turned out!! Except for the fact that I was cooking an hour into the game - I was surprised the new recipes were so successful. Also I had to start over on almost every recipe, but I kept at it :). So here are a few that I tried and my suggestions on them...

The Cheesecake Factory Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

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Top Secret Recipes
Version Of By Todd Wilbur

Ingredients :
Salsa Verde :

• 2 tomatillos, chopped (remove papery skin)
• 1 4 oz can mild green chilies
• 1 green onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
• 1 1/4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pinch ground black pepper

Southwestern Sauce :

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon water
• 3/4 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• pinch cayenne pepper
• pinch onion powder
• dash salt
• dash garlic powder

Tomato Salsa :

• 1 medium tomato
• 1 tablespoon minced Spanish onion
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/2 small fresh jalapeño, minced
• dash salt
• dash ground black pepper

for Cakes :

• 1 1/2 cups frozen sweet corn
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup corn masa (corn flour)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

for Garnish :

• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 avocado, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Preparation & Cooking Instructions
Prepare salsa verde by combining all ingredients (tomatillos, green chilies, green onion, cilantro, sugar, cumin, salt, and pepper) in a food processor on high speed. Cover and chill.

Prepare tomato salsa by combining all ingredients (diced tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeño, salt, and pepper) in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

Prepare southwestern sauce by combining all ingredients (mayonnaise, vinegar, water, sugar, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, onion powder, salt, and garlic powder) in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Prepare the tamale cakes by chopping 1 cup of the frozen corn in a food processor until it's coarsely pureed. Combine pureed corn with softened butter, sugar, and salt. Blend well with electric mixer until smooth.

Add masa and flour and blend well. Mix in the remaining ½ cup of frozen corn kernels by hand.
Measure 1/2 cup portions of the mixture and form it into 3" wide patties with your hands. Arrange the patties on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cakes are browned on the bottom. Carefully flip all cakes with a spatula and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until other side is browned.

While the cakes are baking, spoon a portion of the salsa verde onto a plate or platter (you may want to heat up your plate in the oven for a bit to help warm the sauce). You'll need to use enough salsa verde to coat the entire plate -- it should be about 1/4" deep. Arrange the tamale cakes side-by-side on the salsa verde. Spoon a dollop of sour cream onto each tamale cake. Drizzle the southwestern sauce over the cakes in a crisscross patter (use a squirt bottle if you've got one). Spoon some tomato salsa over the cakes, followed by the chopped avocado. Finish off the plate by sprinkling the coarsely chopped cilantro leaves over the top.

Suggestions: DEFINITELY DOUBLE THIS RECIPE. It isn't much more difficult to double and you'll want leftovers. Mine didn't even take up a whole cookie sheet. doubled. Also...you don't need all the sauces. If you want to go without, I would suggest skipping the tomato salsa and no need to double the salsa verde. The salsa and sauce can be prepared ahead, which is what I did and it cuts down on the work. I will definitely make these again!