TIP OF THE DAY: Taco & Wing Bar For Easy Entertaining

February 1, 2017 at 8:58 am · Filed under Entertaining, International Foods, Super Bowl, Tip Of The Day

DIY Taco Bar

Just walking up to a spread like this is exciting! [1] DIY taco and wing bar from Burlap + Blue. [2] Taco bar fixings from Ebay.

The weeks prior to the Super Bowl, we get dozens of pitches from PR firms presenting their clients’ products and recipes: for platters of wings, tacos and other crowd-pleasing game foods.

So we decided to combine the ideas into what morphed from the help-yourself buffet into the DIY food bar.

All the food can be easily prepared in advance and served at room temperature. Proteins, rice and beans can be kept on a warming tray, in a slow cooker, or whatever you have (or can borrow).

FOR DIETARY PREFERENCES

If your group includes vegetarians or vegans, include Morningstar MorningStar Farms Grillers Crumbles for the tacos, and MorningStar Farms Buffalo Wings for the wings. These vegetarian products are delicious, and after you’ve included all the toppings it’s tough to tell the difference. (Can you tell that the sofritas at Chipotle aren’t meat?)

Provide a large bowl of lettuce and have refills available, so those who prefer a big salad can make one, with plenty of choice of toppings). Add oil and vinegar to the table.

To drink:

Beer

Bloody Marys

Micheladas (beer, lime juice and hot sauce in a salt-rimmed glass

Selter with lime and jalapeños (alas, Polar Seltzer’s Jalapeno Grapefruit Margarita Seltzer was a limited edition)

INGREDIENTS FOR A TACO BAR

Make a selection from these ingredients. If we’ve left out any of your favorites, please let us know!

Tortillas: corn tortillas, flour tortillas, taco shells, tostadas

Fillings: ground cooked beef*, sliced chicken, fish fillets

Toppings: chopped tomato, guacamole, shredded iceberg lettuce or romaine, sour cream, salsa

Garnishes: salsa, shredded cheese (cotija, cheddar, Mexican blend, pepperjack

Extras: cilantro, corn and bean salad, diced avocado, diced onions, hot sauce, lime wedges, sliced jalapeños, sliced olives

Plus: rice and beans.

Check out this recipe for Cilantro Lime Rice.

If you have enough guests, serve both black beans and pinto beans.

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*If you’ve never made taco beef, it couldn’t be easier. Just cook and crumble the ground beef over medium high heat, sprinkling with taco seasoning as it cooks. Drain the grease; that’s it.

INGREDIENTS FOR A WING BAR

This is a lot simpler, since wings are a DIY dish in the first place: a platter of wings, celery sticks, hot sauce and blue cheese dressing†.

There are many ways to make wings. By varying the seasonings on the wings and the types of sauces, Food Network came up with 50 wing recipe variations.

You’re probably not up for making two, much less 50, variations; but here’s what you can do to make your wings special:

Homemade dressings. Make your own blue cheese and ranch dressings, check out the recipes from Burlap + Blue.

Different dressings/sauces. In addition to the traditional blue cheese and ranch: aïoli: (garlic mayonnaise—or other flavored mayo)Asian chili sauce, horseradish sauce, mole sauce, peanut sauce, pesto, marinara, steak sauce, teriyaki or ponzu sauce, whatever you have.

Different hot sauces: Sriracha, Tabasco, Garlic Tabasco, etc.

Spices: Set out black pepper, cayenne or red chili flakes, celery salt, chipotle, cumin, curry, Italian seasoning, jerk seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, whatever you have that makes sense

Something sweet: barbecue sauce, honey, maple syrup, peach preserves, pineapple slices/chunks, sliced mango, etc.

More veggies: In addition to celery sticks†: bell pepper strips, carrot sticks, fennel sticks, kimchi, pickles, scallions, sliced radishes, sugar snap peas.

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†Buffalo wings were invented in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, as an impromptu, thrown-together midnight snack. Co-owner Teressa Bellissimo fried the wings, covered them in hot sauce and served them with a side of blue cheese and celery—because that’s what she had available. Here’s a longer history of buffalo wings.

MORE DIY FOOD BARS

Cocktails, Hors D’Oeuvre & Appetizers

Antipasto Bar

Apple Cider Party Bar

Bacon Party Bar

Bloody Mary Bar

Bruschetta Bar

Flavored Shots Party Bar

Main Meals

Breakfast Or Brunch Bar

Coconut Bowl Bar

Lunch Or Dinner Bar

Tapas Bar

Temaki Bar (Sushi Hand Rolls)

Desserts & Snacks

Assorted Desserts Bar

Buffalo Wings

Buffalo Wings With Chiles

Thai Buffalo Wings

[1] Classic, casual Buffalo wings became such a favorite—rolling out across America—that chefs at all types of restaurants created their own versions of wings. Previously, plates of wings had not been a restaurant menu item. Here’s a classic take from Bon Appetit. [2] An elegant take from Distilled NY. [3] Italian spices and hot chiles (photo courtesy Carrabba’s Italian Grill). [4] Thai-spiced wings with fresh mango (photo courtesy Spice Market | NYC).

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