Tailgate party recipes for the big game from chef Jeff Mauro

“The Kitchen” co-host and chef dishes up sandwiches for "The View" co-hosts.

By
ABC News
February 10, 2023, 10:56 AM ET
1 min read

Since everyone will be putting their diets on the sidelines while they watch the big game, get the recipes that the “The Kitchen” co-host and chef Jeff Mauro dished up for “The View” co-hosts’ tailgate party! Find more in his cookbook, “Come On Over”.

Jeff’s Famous Chicken Salad Croissant

Ingredients:

  • 4 boneless 6-8 ounce skinless chicken breast
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 6 cups cold water
  • 1 cup mayo
  • 2 scallions, sliced thin up to the pale green part
  • 2 celery ribs, diced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ cup toasted walnuts
  • ¼ cup dried cherries
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 fresh croissants, sliced and lightly toasted, cut side up in the broiler
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Roma tomatoes
  • Hot giardiniera
  • Balsamic glaze
  • In a large Dutch oven or pot, dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt in 6 cups of cold water. Submerge the chicken and heat over medium heat until the water hits an internal temp of 170° F. Take off the heat, cover and let the chicken sit in warm water for about 15 minutes or until the interior temp hits 165° F. Remove and let dry on paper towels.
  • Meanwhile, Mix scallions, celery, walnuts and cranberries with sugar, salt, pepper and Dijon. Let this mixture sit for at least 10 minutes, to extract all that flavor before adding mayo.
  • Add in mayo and mix until incorporated. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
  • Pull apart chicken with your hands or forks until shredded but still chunky. Fold in chicken, walnuts and dried cherries into the mayo mixture. Let it sit in the fridge for at least one hour before serving, overnight preferred.
  • Sandwich Build: Place lettuce on the bottom slice of croissant, then a scoop of chicken salad, then top with tomato, a spoonful of giardiniera and a little drizzle of balsamic glaze. Close the top of the bread, cut it in half and eat!

    • Deconstructed Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich with Pistachio Pesto

    Ingredients:

  • 1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced into ½ inch rounds
  • Kosher salt
  • All-purpose flour for dredging
  • 6 large eggs, beaten
  • 4 cups panko bread crumbs
  • Fresh cracked pepper
  • 1 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes, drained and seeds removed
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • Oil for frying
  • 8 oz. of burrata cheese
  • 4 brioche rolls
  • Preheat oven to 400° F.
  • Sprinkle kosher salt on each side of the eggplant and place on a triple layer of paper towels on a sheet tray. Place another triple layer of paper towel and repeat if necessary. Let the salt do the work for 30-45 minutes. Firmly press on the eggplant to remove as much liquid as possible, then wipe off any excess salt. Then pepper each side of the eggplant.
  • In a bowl, toss tomatoes with brown sugar, olive oil, balsamic and some salt. On a parchment-lined sheet tray, evenly place whole tomatoes. Place in the oven until slightly caramelized and dried out a bit, about 20 minutes. Set aside
  • Set up a standard breading station with flour, egg and panko breadcrumbs. Dredge each eggplant slice in flour, shake off excess, dip in egg, let excess drip and then coat in panko. Set aside on a wire rack and repeat.
  • Heat ½-inch of oil in 2 large straight-sided saute pans over medium heat the oil. Working in small batches, fry a few of the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes a side. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant. Keep eggplant warm in the oven on a wired sheet pan at 175°.
  • Sandwich Build: Butter and griddle both sides of the bread until golden and crispy. Lay burrata on the bottom bun, then hot eggplant, 4 to 5 roasted tomatoes and then a schmear of pesto on top. Close the bun, cut it in half and serve it with applause!

    • Pistachio Pesto

  • ¼ cup shelled pistachios, very lightly toasted
  • ½ cup fresh packed basil
  • 1 garlic clove, lightly poached in water (to cut bite)
  • 1 pepperoncini, minced
  • ½-⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

    • 5-Minute Chicago Cheesesteak

    Ingredients:

  • 2 - 1 pound shaved ribeye
  • 1 tablespoon giardiniera oil
  • Black powder rub
  • BBQ Chip Dust
  • 6 turano philly rolls
  • 1 tub Taylor St. Cheese Sauce
  • Mauro Provisions craft giardiniera
  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • Set a medium saucepan to low heat. Add Taylor St. Cheese Sauce and gently heat while stirring frequently until warmed through and silky smooth.
  • Brush the inside and outside of bread rolls with oil from giardiniera, then sprinkle with BBQ Chip Dust. Place in oven for 3-5 minutes until lightly crusted.
  • Open 1 package of shaved ribeye. (We are going to make only one pound at a time so we don’t overcrowd the pan!)
  • Heat a large (at least 12-inch) cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium/high heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of giardiniera oil and then an even, thin layer of the shaved ribeye. Season with a couple of dashes of Black Powder Rub. Don’t move the meat for about 2-3 minutes — you want to caramelize the bottom layer until golden brown while the top portion of the shaved remains slightly pink. Give the meat a little stir and start chopping it up with a metal spatula to create tiny little beefy morsels. The more chopping, the smaller the morsels!
  • Here comes the fun part! Immediately after cooking your shaved ribeye to the desired temp, ladle the warm cheese sauce directly on the meat that’s in the pan. Let it slowly melt into the meat, moving it around so each morsel of ribeye gets coated in gooey cheese, for about 2 minutes. (Use half of the cheese sauce and reserve the other half for the second portion of beef).
  • Once the beef and cheese are properly married, place in the bun and top with a couple spoonfuls of craft Giardiniera and more warm Taylor St. Cheese Sauce. Repeat with the remaining 1-pound pack of shaved ribeye.

    • Slow Cooker Crispy Carnita Tortas

    Ingredients:

  • 4 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 2 cubes, with fat cap scored
  • 1 tablespoon chipotle powder
  • kosher salt
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
  • juice and zest from 1 large orange, about ¼ cup
  • 4 telera or bolillo rolls, buttered and griddled
  • Avocado crema
  • Pickled fresno chiles
  • Set the slow cooker to high. Place pork chunks in crock and season all over with salt and chipotle powder. Place any chunks with fat cap upright. Nestle in onion, garlic and cinnamon sticks. Pour orange juice and zest over the pork. Close lid and cook on high for 4 hours or until super tender. Set cooker to warm and remove top. Let the liquid settle so the fat is on the surface. Reserve about ¼ cup of the fat.
  • Shred the meat, discarding any funky fatty bits. Season with salt and pepper if necessary
  • Heat a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and add some pork fat to the pan. Add the shredded pork and press down to crisp up, without disturbing for about 5-6 minutes, or until the bottom side is golden.
  • Take off the heat and quickly in one swift motion turn it out on a large platter.
  • Sandwich build: Place a good amount of the carnitas on the bottom bun of the roll, spread the crema on the top bun and layer with the pickled fresno chiles.
  • ½ cup Mexican crema
  • 2 ripe avocados, chopped
  • 2-3 limes, zested and juiced
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, some reserved for garnish
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

    • Chocolate Cake Shake

    Ingredients:

  • 4 cups vanilla ice cream
  • ½ to 1 cup of whole milk
  • One 8-ounce piece of leftover chocolate cake
  • 2 shots espresso
  • Add the ice cream, milk and espresso into a blender and puree. Add in the cake and blend. Serve the shake with a spoon and a straw in a pint glass.