MAK Snaks: Super Bowl Recipes

This weekend is one of America’s favorite unofficial holidays: The Super Bowl! It’ll be an event you don’t want to miss! These Super Bowl recipes are perfect for your party.

It’s time to call up your buddies, pick up some beer and plan for a copious amount of snacks. Whether you’re hosting a Super Bowl viewing party of your own, going to someone else’s party or simply camping out on your couch with your dog, food is a must-have.

That being said, we’ve put together a few Super Bowl snack recipes you can whip up on your MAK. These Super Bowl favorites are sure to satisfy everyone’s munchies and are super easy to prepare.

MOINK Balls Ala MAK

The term “moink” comes from combining the words MOO+OINK, denoting a marriage of pork and beef. You can quickly cook up these round nuggets of deliciousness to help liven up your viewing party.

Ingredients

• 1 bag of frozen meatballs (approximately 36 meatballs)
• 1 lb. bacon
• 1 jar of your favorite MAK BBQ Rub
• 1 bottle of MAK Grilling Sauce
• Toothpicks

Preparation

1. Allow meatballs to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
2. The next day, remove from the fridge. On a baking pan large enough, arrange the meatballs and lightly sprinkle each of the meatballs with the barbecue rub.
3. Slice bacon strips in half, then take each half strip and wrap around each meatball. Once secured with a toothpick, your MOINK balls are ready for the grill!

Cooking

1. Start your MAK and leave setpoint on SMOKE.
2. Allow the grill to come to temperature and then place the MOINK balls on the cooking grate and smoke for approximately 1 hour.
3. Raise the grill temperature to 275°F and continue cooking them until the bacon crisps up.
4. Baste the MOINK balls with your favorite barbecue sauce and allow the sauce to glaze, approximately 15 minutes.
5. Remove and serve while yelling “touchdown!”

Salmon Nuggets

When you think of “nuggets”, most think “chicken”. Montana MAK owner Bob Julian has put a uniquely tasty spin on nuggets by using fresh salmon. This recipe yields about 60-70 pieces making it the perfect Super Bowl treat.

Ingredients

• 1-3lb. salmon fillet, cut into one-inch square pieces
• 2 gallon-sized resealable bags

Dry Brine Mixture

• 4 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup sea salt
• Optional:
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix the salt and sugar together.
2. Add optional ingredients if you’d like.
3. Divide the dry brine mixture in half.
4. Pour each half of the mixture into the gallon bags.
5. Cut the fillet into one-inch square pieces and place half of those squares in one of the resealable bags, the remaining in the second resealable bag.
6. Roll the salmon around in each bag to coat with the dry brine mixture.
7. Place in the refrigerator for 5 hours.
8. After brining, remove the salmon from the bags and rinse under cool running water.
9. Place the salmon squares on a baking rack and allow to air dry-approximately one hour.
10. There should be a sticky film (peticle) on the outside of the salmon pieces.

Cooking

1. Start your MAK and leave setpoint on SMOKE.
2. Allow the grill to come to temperature and then place the salmon pieces on the baking rack(s) into the grill and allow to smoke for approximately 2.5 hours.
3. Optional: while smoking, lightly brush each piece of salmon with maple syrup or Sriracha sauce.
4. After smoking, remove the salmon nuggets and allow them to cool. You can place them into resealable bags or vacuum seal them and freeze the nuggets for up to two months.

Atomic Buffalo Turds

This is our all-time favorite Super Bowl recipe! Jalapeño peppers stuffed with cream cheese and topped with Lit’l Smokies sausages are affectionately known as Atomic Buffalo Turds. Every bite treats you to a symphony of flavor layers. If you’re not a fan of jalapeños, rest assured, they do get milder as you cook them. If you’re still doubtful of your abilities to take the heat, you can always use bell peppers as a substitute.

Ingredients

• 10 medium jalapeño peppers
• 10 ounces of regular cream cheese at room temperature
• 3/4 cup of shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese blend (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)
• 20 Lit’l Smokies sausages
• 10 thinly cut bacon strips, cut in half

Preparation

1. Wash and slice the jalapeño peppers lengthwise.
2. Using a spoon or pairing knife, carefully remove the seeds and veins.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, shredded cheese, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes.
4. Fill the hollowed jalapeño halves with the cream cheese mixture.
5. Place a Lit’l Smokies sausage in the cream cheese in each jalapeño half.
6. Wrap half a slice of bacon around each jalapeño half.
7. Use a toothpick to secure the bacon to the sausage, making sure not to pierce the pepper and then place them all on a grilling pan.

Cooking

1. Configure your MAK for indirect cooking and preheat to 250°F using hickory pellets or a blend.
2. Smoke the jalapeño peppers at 250°F for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the bacon is cooked and crispy.
3. Remove the jalapeño peppers from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

General Tip: “We recommend wearing food service latex-free nitrile gloves when handling the jalapeño peppers and seeds to keep the juices from soaking into your skin.”

Enjoy these Super Bowl recipes for your snacks this year and for many Super Bowls to follow!