Los Angeles, CA – Rustic Bread Bowls are a delicious and fun way to serve your game day fare and La Brea Bakery’s Italian Round is the perfect bread for the occasion! No matter who you’re rooting for this football season, La Brea Bakery, the nation’s most preferred artisan bread brand, offers a game plan for a memorable “Bowl” party food inspired by America’s top football teams.
With over half of American households hosting football parties this year, getting in the team spirit is easy when someone isn’t left wondering what to make from the typical party playbook of pizza, wings and deli platters. The La Brea Bakery bread bowl provides an excellent solution for the home chef who wants to run an option against the same old game day choices. Not only a unique way to serve party snacks, bread bowls are easy to prepare, and add an extra element of “bowl” party flair.
“Sports-themed parties, with their casual and cheerful vibe, allow for serving simple and quick-to-prepare appetizers that are easy to eat,” says Chef Nancy Silverton, founder of La Brea Bakery. “Our bread bowl recipes can be prepared in advance and easily served with no dishes to clean up. Once the filling has been eaten, the guests will enjoy eating the bowl too! It’s a great toast to your favorite team, even if they didn’t make it to the championship.”
How to make a bread bowl: Cut about ½ an inch off the top of the Italian Round. Using a spoon, gently hollow out the bread from the center leaving about 3/4 of an inch in tact to create a bowl. Place the bread bowl on your serving platter. Spoon your filling carefully into the bread bowl. Serve with bread pieces removed from the round loaf, slices of a French Baguette, and fresh vegetables. For the filling, choose a recipe based on your favorite team!
Green Bay Beer Cheese Dip – Cheese is the pride of America’s Dairyland! Put on your Cheesehead and enjoy this festive dip! 1 8 oz. package cream cheese softened, 1 cup coarsely grated Wisconsin cheddar cheese, ½ cup light beer, 1 tsp. minced onions, 1 garlic clove finely minced, 1 tsp. prepared horseradish, paprika and cayenne pepper to garnish. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese and beer. Add onions and garlic and stir well to combine. Transfer to bread bowl. Sprinkle paprika and cayenne pepper (optional) to garnish. Serve with pretzels and kielbasa sausage in addition to bread and veggies.
Pittsburgh Deviled Ham Spread – Inspired by the famous chipped ham, this spread is a new take on the traditional Pittsburgh favorite. 3 cups minced cooked ham (about 12 oz), ½ small jalapeno pepper seeded and minced, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 4-6 Tbsp. mayonnaise, 3 tsp. wholegrain mustard, capers to garnish. In a bowl, combine ham, jalapeno, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise and mustard. Add kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Cover, and chill overnight. Transfer to bread bowl and top with capers. Serve with cornichons and celery sticks in addition to bread and other veggies.
“Hotlanta” Spicy Pimento Cheese Spread – Spice up your party with this traditional Atlanta favorite! ½ pound each cheddar and pepper jack cheeses grated, ¼ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sour cream, 2 Tbsp diced pimentos, to taste: hot sauce, onion and garlic powder. In a large bowl, add all ingredients and stir to combine. Scoop mixture into bread bowl. Serve with red bell pepper spears in addition to bread pieces.
Baltimore Hot Crab Dip – For centuries, people have been traveling to the city known for crab. Why not bring it to your home? 8 oz. brick cream cheese, ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion, 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, ½ tsp. hot pepper sauce, 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, 12 oz. fresh or canned lump crabmeat, drained. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a bowl, combine all ingredients except for the crab. When ingredients are well blended, stir in the crab. Bake in a casserole dish for 30 minutes or until heated through. Transfer to bread bowl and serve warm.
Chicago “Pizza” Dip – Chicago-style pizza is in a class of its own! Try a new twist with this pizza-inspired dip. 2 cups tomato sauce, 1 cup ricotta cheese, 2 Tbsp olive oil, ¼ cup fresh basil coarsely chopped, ¾ cup diced mozzarella cheese, pepperoni or sausage diced. Simmer tomato sauce in a small skillet. Add ricotta in spoonfuls until warmed through. Drizzle in olive oil and stir in basil. Place bread bowl on baking sheet. To create several layers, spoon tomato mixture into bowl and top with mozzarella and diced meat, repeat to use all ingredients. Bake at 350° until bubbling. Serve with bread pieces and Focaccia bread.
Dallas’s Classic Texas Chili – Hearty and traditional Texas chili is perfect for game day! 2 lbs lean ground beef, 1 large onion diced, 1 large bell pepper minced, 3 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, 2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, 4 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce, 3 jalapeno peppers minced (optional), ½ cup chili powder, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp salt, 1/4 tsp garlic powder. Cook beef, onion, and bell pepper in a large pot over medium heat until beef is brown and onion and pepper are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Stir in beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, jalapenos, chili powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, salt, and garlic powder. Bring mixture to a slow boil; cover and reduce heat. Simmer at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with shredded cheese and diced onions.
New England Clam Chowder – Warm up to your hometown team with this classic New England favorite: 3 8 oz. bottles clam juice, 1 lb. russet potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes, 2 Tbsp. butter, 3 slices bacon finely chopped, 2 cups chopped onion, 1 ¼ cups chopped celery with leaves, 2 garlic cloves minced, 1 bay leaf, ¼ cup all purpose flour, 6 6½-ounce cans chopped clams drained (reserve juice), 1 ¼ cups half and half, 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce. Boil potatoes in clam juice in a large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat. Melt butter in a large pot. Brown bacon in the butter. Add onions, celery, garlic and bay leaf and sauté until soft. Stir in flour. Whisk in juice reserved from clams. Add potatoes, clams, half and half and hot pepper sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes to blend, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bread bowl. Provide ladle and small cups for guests to serve.
New York Big Apple Cheese Dip – With some big apple inspiration, ordinary cheese dip becomes extraordinary! ½ lb jack cheese grated, 12 oz cream cheese softened, 1 pint sour cream, 4 green onions chopped, 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 5 oz cooked diced bacon. In a large bowl, add all ingredients and stir to combine. Place bread bowl on baking sheet. Scoop mixture into bread bowl, place top piece of bread to cover, then wrap entire bowl in foil. Bake at 350° for 1 ½ hours, removing the foil to bake uncovered for the last 10 minutes. Serve with sliced green apples, bread pieces and pretzels.
San Francisco Spinach Dip – The original bread bowl filling was create in the city by the bay! 1 lb. fresh spinach (about 1 bunch) washed and drained with stems removed, 1 clove garlic sliced, ¼ lb watercress coarsely chopped, 8 oz sour cream, 2 scallions sliced, 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, ½ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper. In a large saucepan, sauté garlic and scallions in olive oil. Add spinach and watercress and cover. Reduce heat to low and cook greens are wilted, about 2 mins. Remove greens from pan and drain in a colander. Finely chop the greens. In a bowl, combine the greens with sour cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Transfer to bread bowl and serve with crudités in addition to bread pieces and sliced French and Sourdough Baguette.
Seattle Smoked Salmon Spread – From the city famous for fish markets, guests will love the Seattle flavor in this savory spread. 6-8 oz. smoked salmon coarsely chopped (any variety but Nova), 8 oz. cream cheese softened, 1 small red onion finely chopped, 2 Tbsp milk, 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 Tbsp fresh dill chopped, Louisiana pepper sauce to taste. In a large bowl, add cream cheese, milk, lemon juice, hot sauce, and dill together and stir to combine. Fold in the onion and smoked salmon. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours (or overnight) to let flavors combine. Bring to room temperature and transfer to bread bowl.
For information on where La Brea Bakery artisan breads are available in your area, please visit the Store Locator at http://www.labreabakery.com. To reproduce recipes or publish photos, please contact kbrucker@labreabakery.com.
Founded in 1989, La Brea Bakery, Inc. is the leading US producer of artisan breads distributed to foodservice and grocery retail outlets. The company maintains ownership of its original flagship storefront in Los Angeles, CA, in addition to a growing profile of branded cafes throughout the country. Recognized for its commitment to offering only high-quality and authentic culinary experiences to consumers, La Brea Bakery is continually ranked as the No. 1 artisan bread brand in the country. La Brea Bakery is owned by Aryzta, AG, a global leader in specialty bakery brands. For more information, visit http://www.labreabakery.com.
Source: La Brea Bakery, Inc.