(Family Features) When planning a get-together with friends, finding the right playlist and inviting your favorite people over is easy, but planning the perfect menu can be daunting.

Whether it’s game day, the season premiere of your favorite show or just a casual night in, if you’re craving something satisfying and delicious, one simple solution is Mrs. T’s Pierogies.

You can easily add a creative twist to your menu by serving up bite-sized Bacon-Wrapped Pierogies, featuring Classic Cheddar Mini Pierogies, which are perfect for sharing. Or try adding some flare to your nachos by substituting chips with pierogies. Available in 15 tasty varieties, these potato-filled pasta shells are loaded with flavor and are the perfect canvas for all your favorite ingredients and spices.

Find more recipes to enjoy with your friends at MrsTsPierogies.com.

Bacon-Wrapped Pierogies

Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 32 minutes
Servings: 4

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 box (12.84 ounces) Mrs. T’s Mini Cheddar Seasoned with Bacon or Mini Classic Cheddar Pierogies
• 14 slices bacon, sliced in half
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (optional)

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Defrost pierogies by placing in boiling water for 2 minutes or refrigerating overnight.
3. Wrap half slices of bacon around each pierogy. Arrange pierogies on baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar, if desired. Bake 16-18 minutes, or until golden brown, turning once.
4. Optional: Saute wrapped pierogies 8 minutes, or grill 5 minutes until browned.

Pierogy Nachos

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Nachos:

• 2 boxes (16 ounces each) Mrs. T’s Classic Cheddar Pierogies
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Pico de Gallo (recipe below)
• guacamole (recipe below)
• sour cream (optional)
• pickled jalapeno peppers (optional)

Pico de Gallo:

• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 small, diced red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Guacamole:

• 1 small, ripe avocado
• 1 seeded and minced jalapeno
• 1/2 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

1. To make nachos: Saute pierogies in butter over medium heat, approximately 8 minutes on both sides.
2. Preheat broiler. On large, oven-safe plate, arrange hot pierogies; sprinkle with black beans and Monterey Jack cheese.
3. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with Pico de Gallo and guacamole, and sour cream or pickled jalapeno peppers, if desired.
4. To make Pico de Gallo: Mix together all ingredients and set aside. Serve on top of pierogies.
5. To make guacamole: Cut avocado in half and remove seed. With spoon, scoop out inside; place in bowl.
6. Mash avocado with fork until slightly chunky.
7. Mix in jalapeno, tomato, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Serve on top of pierogies.

Source: Mrs. T's Pierogies

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Apps and starters perfect for game day

(Family Features) Rules may vary from one event to the next, but whether your favorite team kicks it, runs it or dunks it, sports fans and food always provide a winning combo. Gather your friends for the next big game with a menu that gets everyone revved up for a win.

A lineup filled with starters is just the ticket for a game day watch party or tailgate. Offering a series of finger foods and lighter fare lets your fellow fans grab a quick bite before the game or during a commercial break and continue snacking through the game.

Make no mistake, serving up a lighter menu doesn’t mean you need to skimp on quality – just the opposite, in fact. Make every bite count by using exceptional ingredients and introducing unexpected flavors such as the distinctive taste of Jarlsberg Brand Cheese, which has a rich, 60-year Norwegian heritage. Best known as a classic wedge, this mild, mellow and nutty cheese can also be served sliced, shredded and cubed.

Quesadillas are always a hit, and this version combines the best of gooey, melted cheese with bacon and a deliciously tangy salsa for a lively burst of fresh flavor. Then keep the mouthwatering cheese and bacon combos coming with a whole new take on grilled kebabs.

No game day is complete without pizza, and this one scores big with its unexpected blend of flavors for a pie that is smoky and tangy, sweet and savory, and briny and creamy all at once. Then round out your menu with these easy sliders that are big on flavor and small on prep time.

Find more ideas to liven up your game day menu at jarlsberg.com.

Hawaiian Sliders with Cheese, Ham and Pork

Servings: 3

• 3 Hawaiian bread slider buns
• 1 cup pulled pork
• 3 slices ham
• 3 slices Jarlsberg cheese
• sliced pickles
• Dijon mustard, to taste

1. Heat oven to 350° F.
2. Separate buns and layer pulled pork, sliced ham and cheese. Place sliders on oven-safe tray and bake about 10 minutes, or until cheese melts. Remove from oven and gently remove top bun. Add pickles and mustard before serving.

Cheese and Bacon Kebabs

Servings: 4

• 18 slices bacon
• 2 1/2 cups Jarlsberg cheese, cubed
• 18 pearl onions
• 12 long skewers

Relish:

• 1/4 cup roasted bell peppers
• 1 1/3 tablespoons capers
• 2 2/3 tablespoons olives
• 1/4 cup cucumber
• 3 1/3 ounces olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice and grated zest
• salt
• pepper

1. Cut bacon slices in half and wrap around cheese cubes. Place cheese cubes and pearl onions on each skewer, alternating ingredients. Roast in pan or on grill 2-3 minutes on each side.
2. To make relish, chop peppers, capers, olives and cucumber, and mix with olive oil, lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper.

Grilled Pizza with Cheese, Prosciutto and Figs

Servings: 4

• 2 cups pizza or tomato sauce
• 4 1/2 cups pizza dough
• flour, for rolling
• 3 1/2 cups Jarlsberg cheese, coarsely grated
• 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced prosciutto
• 8 dried figs, each cut into six wedges
• dried red pepper flakes
• black pepper

1. Heat grill and warm pizza sauce.
2. Divide dough into desired number of pizzas. On floured surface, roll dough into long, thin ovals and spread with sauce. Sprinkle light layer of cheese over sauce. Add layer of prosciutto and a second layer of cheese. Dot with fig pieces then season with red pepper flakes and pepper.
3. Reduce grill heat, slide pizzas onto grill and close lid. Cook 3-5 minutes, or until crust is lightly charred and cheese is melted.

Cheese Quesadillas

Servings: 4

• 4 slices thick slab bacon
• 1 small chili pepper
• 4 medium tomatoes
• 1 small shallot
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon coriander or cumin
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 1 small lime (juice and zest)
• 6 slices Jarlsberg Original or Hickory Smoked cheese
• 2 large tortillas

1. Fry bacon, drain and chop.
2. To make salsa, remove seeds from chili pepper and finely dice. Chop tomatoes then dice shallot and garlic clove. Combine pepper, tomatoes, shallot and garlic with lime juice, coriander, salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Divide cheese slices and bacon on one half of each tortilla, top with 1/4 cup salsa and fold tortilla over, pressing down to close. In medium-hot, lightly oiled pan, toast tortillas about 1 minute on each side.
4. Cut each tortilla in half and serve with remaining salsa on the side, or combine salsa with black beans and fresh chopped cilantro to make a side salad.

Source: Jarlsberg Cheese

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(Family Features) For millions of football fans, the grill is as important as the gridiron when enjoying a weekend of games. There’s nothing like team spirit, the anticipation of kickoff and the smell of a delicious pregame tailgate wafting through the stadium parking lot.

National barbecue expert Rocky Stubblefield of Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q offers tips and recipes for game day grilling that will have the whole crowd cheering.

Keep it simple

Stubblefield says anything that cooks fast on the grill is great for tailgating – burgers, hotdogs, chicken – and to bring on the flavor without having to pack a carload of ingredients, use sauces, rubs and marinades. Prepare as much food as you can ahead of time and have a checklist for the things you always need but are easy to forget, like napkins and tin foil.

Grilling tips

For perfectly shaped, evenly cooked burgers, make a thumbprint in the middle of each patty before grilling. Amp up the flavor by rubbing your burgers with Stubb’s Bar-B-Q rub before putting them on the grill – just like you would a brisket or ribs. No matter what you’re making, wait to put the sauce on until the very end of grilling to avoid charring and burning.

For dozens of easy, delicious tailgating recipes, visit stubbsbbq.com.

Toasted Pecan Burgers

• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons Stubb’s Original Bar-B-Q Sauce
• 2 tablespoons Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Spice Rub

1. Mix together chuck, onion, pecans, bell pepper, sauce and rub. Shape into 4 patties.
2. Prepare grill for direct cooking. When coals are ashed over in charcoal grill, spread them in bottom of grill so food can cook directly over coals.
3. Grill burgers over direct, medium heat, first on one side then the other, 7-10 minutes, until they reach desired doneness. Medium burgers register an internal temperature of 160° F.
4. Serve with your favorite burger toppings on toasted buns.

Smokey Stuffed Jalapenos with Bacon

• 1/2 pound uncooked chorizo
• 16 ounces cream cheese
• 24 fresh jalapenos, halved and seeded
• 24 slices bacon (about 2 pounds), halved
• 1 cup Stubb’s Smokey Mesquite Bar-B-Q Sauce

1. Heat skillet to medium heat and prepare grill for direct cooking.
2. Remove chorizo casing and cook in skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Transfer cooked chorizo to paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool.
3. Mix cream cheese and chorizo.
4. Stuff each jalapeno half with cream cheese mixture. Wrap with half strip of bacon and secure with toothpick.
5. Place peppers on grill and cook 8-10 minutes, turning frequently. Baste peppers with sauce during last 2 minutes of cooking.

Source: Stubb's Legendary Bar-B-Q

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