BY PEOPLE STAFF   –   PEOPLE FOOD

This football season, we’ve partnered with Taste of the NFL and their favorite tailgating experts to share great game-day recipes for an even greater cause.  Join these chefs in raising awareness and funds for hunger relief across the country by taking the Kick Hunger Challenge with your favorite football team and making a donation to their local food bank. And be sure to check PEOPLE.com every Thursday for a new game day recipe from your favorite celebrity chefs. Here, John Seymour, CEO/Co-Founder/Creative Director of Sweet Chick New York City shares a recipe for his white chicken chili.

To me, nothing says game day like a great bowl of chili. I love making this white chicken chili for the big game because it’s great for sharing with friends and will definitely keep you warm if you are tailgating outside.  

This chili is so versatile: You can pour it on top of nachos, grilled hot dogs or just eat it with a spoon. The best part of this recipe, though, is it’s actually easy to make—and you can prep most of it the day before the game.

White Chicken Chili
Serves 6

¼ cup canola oil

3 cups chopped poblano peppers
4 cups chopped onions
¼ cup minced jalapeños
¼ cup minced garlic cloves
1 cup chopped tomatillos
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. coriander
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. ancho chili powder
½ tsp. cayenne
½ cup cornmeal
1 cup chicken stock blended with 1 cup cooked white beans
1 ½ cup heavy cream
1 cup chili base
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 cooked chicken thighs, shredded
2 cups cooked white beans
3 cups roasted pumpkin

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat the canola oil over medium high heat. Add the poblano peppers, onions, jalapeños, garlic and tomatillos; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the salt, cumin, coriander, oregano, chili powder and cayenne; and cook an additional 2 minutes.

3. Add cornmeal to mixture and stir until combined. Add blended chicken stock, heavy cream, chili base and Worcestershire, and stir until combined. Add shredded chicken and roasted pumpkin, and  simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt.

4. Serve chili with sour cream, hot sauce and jalapeños. Serve with tortilla chips.

By THRILLIST VIDEO

Fried chicken is inarguably one of mankind’s greatest culinary achievements. With the exception of KFC’s fried chicken-scented sunscreen, we’d argue that there’s no wrong way to consume the ol’ battered bird — which is why we’re drooling over Food Steez’s jalapeño fried chicken BLT. Spice? Check. Moist, crispy chicken? Check. Bacon? Obviously. Here’s how to make it.

JALAPEÑO FRIED CHICKEN BLT

Yield: 1 sandwich

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 jalapeño, sliced, to garnish
• 2 tablespoons honey mustard
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons Sriracha
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons finely fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• 4 large eggs
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenders
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• Canola oil, for frying
• 2-3 slices of French bread
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked
• Butter lettuce, to garnish
• 1 large heirloom or beefsteak tomato, sliced
• 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
• Honey mustard, to garnish
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat the canola oil to 350°F in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot. Do not fill the pot more than halfway full with oil.
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the flour to a shallow bowl. In another bowl, beat 3 of the eggs and 1 tablespoon of Sriracha sauce together. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg mixture, and then coat well in the flour. Set floured pieces aside.
• Place the chicken in the pot and fry until brown, crispy, and cooked through (approximately 6-8 minutes). Remove and set it on a baking rack. Let cool for 3-4 minutes.
• Toast 2 slices of bread lightly in the toaster.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, fry the egg(s). Remove and set aside.
• In the same pot, cook off the bacon until crispy.
• To make the Sriracha mayo, mix together the mayo, Sriracha, smoked paprika, and basil. Stir well.
• Spread the Sriracha mayo over one slice of bread. Follow with lettuce, tomato, avocado, fried chicken, honey mustard, bacon, sliced jalapeños, the fried egg, and the remaining slice of bread. Serve.

BY DENNIS PRESCOTT   –   Food & Wine

Slowly braised in a delicious cocktail of sweet and tangy, this pulled pork is serious comfort food business. Top that with crispy fried pickles, serve it up on buttery brioche, and you’ve got yourself a knockout sandwich. The best part? There’s a very good chance you’ll have leftover pork for nacho-ing, taco-ing, ramen-ing, and a million other happy-inducing options.

Saucy Pulled Pork & Panko-Crusted Dill Pickle Sandwiches

Pork

• 1 x 6-pound bone-in pork shoulder
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup BBQ Sauce
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more for the pork
• 1 tablespoon chile powder
• 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Fried Pickles

• 2 cups sliced dill pickles
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• Zest of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Sea salt & fresh black pepper

To serve

• 1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce
• Brioche burger buns
• Mayonnaise
• Crisp sandwich-sized lettuce leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Remove the pork from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking, to help warm it to room temp.

3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-heat. Rub the pork all over with the oil, then season liberally with sea salt. Sear the pork on all sides until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the pork, reserving the juices in the pan, and set aside on a plate.

4. In the Dutch oven (still over medium-heat), add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, until translucent, then remove from the heat. Stir in all of the remain sauce ingredients, spices, and salt. Add the pork and any plate juices back to the Dutch oven and then transfer to the preheated oven. Cook for 5 to 6 hours, until the meat easily shreds with a fork, falls away from the bone, and your house smells like heaven.

5. Remove the pork (discard the bone), and shred with 2 forks. Transfer the pork to a bowl, and then pour over all of those juices from the Dutch oven. Stir and set aside.

6. Preheat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pot (or deep fryer) to 350 degrees F.

7. Prepare 3 bowls; 1 with the flour, 1 with the eggs, and 1 with the panko, lemon zest, remaining spices and a pinch of sea salt. Working 1 or 2 pickle slices at a time, dredge the pickles in the flour, then the eggs, and lastly the panko, making sure that they’re nicely coating. Place the breaded pickles on a plate.

8. Working in batches, fry the pickles for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy all over. Drain on paper towel to remove any excess grease. Season with another pinch of salt and pepper.

9. Serve up the pork and pickles with toasty brioche buns, BBQ sauce, mayo, crisp lettuce, and slaw, if that suits your fancy.

by Rebekah Ditchfield, KUSA

FIX THIS – Who doesn’t like a delicious treat that you can also turn into a festive holiday appetizer? I’ve got 2 versions of these Halloween jalapeño poppers to share with you!

So let’s start with what you need:

• 10 jalapeños
• 1 scallion (diced)
• 2 garlic cloves (diced)
• 1 cup colby jack cheese
• 8 ounces of cream cheese
• candy eyes
• crescent roll dough
• red food dye

Directions:

 

1.  Color the candy eye balls. This is for our spicy jalapeño poppers. Place about 20 eyes into a small bowl, then add a couple of drops of red food coloring. Mix them together, then place them on a piece of wax paper to dry.

 

2. Chop the peppers. Slice each pepper in half length wise, then scrape out the seeds and membrane. However, if you want the peppers to be spicy, leave as much of the white membrane as you can! Since I’m making both spicy and mild jalapeño poppers, I’m going to do both.

 

An inside tip… Use a melon-baller as a fast and easy way to scrape out the insides of jalapeños.

 

Also, if you’ve never cut up jalapeño peppers before, there’s a couple of things you should know. If you don’t use rubber gloves, or you are not super vigilant about the part of the jalapeño you’re touching, let’s just say that “I just set my mouth on fire” feeling you have after eating one, will be on your hands… and anything else you touch before washing your hands. So, wear gloves, or be super vigilant and thoroughly wash your hands before touching anything else while working with jalapeños.

 

3. Mix together the filling. To make the mild, combine the cream cheese, colby-jack, scallion and garlic in your stand mixer. Want it hot? Have some extra membrane left over? Put that in there too. Mix it until well combined.

 

4. Fill each jalapeño half with filling.

 

5. Wrap these up mummy style! Take your crescent roll dough, pinch together the diagonal seams and cut 5 strips with a pizza cutter.

 

6. Use one strip to wrap around each jalapeño popper, leaving room for the eyes.

 

7. Cover your baking sheet with parchment paper so the poppers don’t stick to the pan as they cook.

 

8. When you’re done wrapping, place the jalapeño poppers in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.

 

9. Once they’re done, take them out and add the eyes!

 

Enjoy and happy Halloween!!