Football's Sideline Chef

Weekends are filled with football and good eating in our household. College gameday Saturdays and Steelers Sunday. Every weekend is treated like a holiday and gives good reason to throw an impromptu BBQ with the neighbors. We invite everyone we know starting in the A's in our phonebook on our cell phones and working our way down. The more the merrier. It's always an incentive when someone pitches in and brings a side dish or gives cash before we head to the store.

No BBQ is complete in our household until potato salad and baked beans are added to the lineup. Normally someone will bring a veggie tray that doesn't get touched, a meat and cheese tray that melts from the heat and becomes a paradise for the flies, bags of chips, and drinks. Everyone stands around the grill drooling while Mr. Pretend Chef flips burgers and turns hot dogs. The potato salad doesn't stand a chance for becoming leftovers and the baked beans are hit or miss. I still have yet to find a baked bean recipe deemed worthy of making the starting lineup.

After making a trip to the store I couldn't wait to get in the kitchen and begin making the potato salad and forming the green chile cheeseburgers. The potato salad needed to be made first. "I won't touch it if it's warm." Arms folded and standing his ground on the issue like Mr. Pretend Chef does. After tasting a bite of the finished product he'll throw in his two cents, with permission given to do so, and throws out his take on how to better it. "This recipe is a keeper but make a note about cutting the celery thinner next time or cutting the amount in half." I'll admit it, I roll my eyes as I turn around and walk back to the kitchen. "Okay hunny."

Next was making the green chile cheeseburger patties. Roasting poblano peppers? What? How? Wiping sweat from my forehead. Washing hands after of course. Ugh! Here's where my cooking anxiety kicks in. After searching YAHOO! for how do do this I was put at ease with how easy it was. I'll never buy green chiles again. That statement is struck from the records. I'm sure when it's time to put together green chile chicken enchiladas on a weeknight the canned ones will be bought. Slaps hand.

Forming burger patties, let alone 1/4 lb burger patties, is tough for a petite woman with hands about the same size as a five year old. I know it's Steelers Sunday but the use of those large manly hands would have been much appreciated when forming the patties. He just couldn't be bothered and left it up to me. I put on my big girl pants this morning and accepted the challenge. I was a little butt hurt with his lack of help and couldn't help but get frustrated when he kept telling me to make sure they were packed firm to prevent them from breaking apart. I had visions of the meat falling between the grates of the grill and our guests having to puzzle piece together their burgers. My heart was racing and panic was setting in. "How about you show me how to do it since you are so good at it?" Ego stroking didn't work this time. "I could really use your help." Eyelash batting. Damn. Nothing worked.

He lost his title of Mr. Pretend Chef to Mr. Sideline Chef until he deems himself worthy again and lends a hand in the kitchen. He'll get his payback when I need him to stand for 20 minutes and stir a risotto.

Luckily the patties held together on the grill. This was my first attempt at making my own hamburger patties and not buying them frozen. What a difference! These burgers were so juicy and flavorful. The green chiles add a minute bit of heat. "Maybe next time we should try it with jalapeno peppers for more heat." All I'm thinking is next time "we'll" do that just how today "we" made the potato salad and burgers.

I'm holding off on giving y'all the recipe for the green chile cheeseburgers until tomorrow to up the anticipation factor because these babies were that delicious and drool worthy. They were filling enough to fill up a grown man after one but left everyone craving a second.

Here is the potato salad recipe that has won the seal of approval by Mr. Sideline Chef. It earned a spot in the household BBQ rotational until another recipe comes along to take it's place. Well played taters, you've got yourself a spot in the starting lineup.

1-2-3 Savory Potato Salad with Real Mayonnaise

Adapted from Hellmann's® recipe

Stars of the Show:

• 2 lb red potatoes, scrubbed clean, and cut into 3/4" chunks
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1 cup mayonnaise (I use Kraft Mayo with olive oil. Heart healthy and delicious.)
• Our taste buds like potato salad with celery, hard boiled eggs, relish, onion powder, parsley, and black pepper. Make it your own and add the ingredients your family likes.

And Action:

1. Cover the potatoes and bouillon cube with water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Keep uncovered and boil until the potatoes are tender. About 10 minutes. Drain.
2. Combine the cooled potatoes with the remainder of the ingredients. Serve chilled. Per orders from Mr. Sideline Chef or at room temperature. Enjoy.