New Year's Day appetizers for beef-loving football fans

FALLBROOK – Football fans often spend New Year's Day on the couch watching a slew of college bowl games. Viewing all those games requires some nourishment, and what goes better with football than some tasty beef appetizers and a nice cold beverage.

The following recipes for spicy meatballs, flavorful stuffed jalapeno peppers, and tasty stuffed baby bell peppers are courtesy of The Beef Checkoff http://www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.

Spicy Buffalo-Style Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

1 large egg, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon honey

Blue cheese dressing

Celery sticks

Cooking:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly.

Shape beef mixture into 32 1-inch meatballs; place on rack in broiler pan. Bake in 350°F oven 18 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine hot pepper sauce, butter and honey in large bowl; mix well. Stir meatballs into sauce mixture, stirring to coat well.

Serve meatballs with dressing and celery.

Picadillo-stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

Ingredients:

8 ounces ground beef

1/2 cup finely chopped white onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup drained canned diced tomatoes

1/3 cup finely chopped carrots

1/3 cup raisins

1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted blanched almonds

1 cup shredded Chihuahua cheese

24 large jalapeno peppers (1 to 1-1/2 ounces each)

Dairy sour cream (optional)

Lime wedges (optional)

Cooking:

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add ground beef and onion; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking beef into small crumbles and stirring occasionally. Pour off drippings; season with salt.

Stir in tomatoes, carrots, raisins and almonds. Cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Set aside.

Heat oven to 350°F. Cut slit lengthwise down 1 side of each jalapeño to create pocket, leaving stem and tip intact. Make another small crosswise cut just below the stem to form T-shaped opening. Remove and discard seeds and membranes, if desired, being careful to keep peppers intact.

Spoon generous 1 tablespoon beef mixture into pocket of each jalapeño. Place on metal baking sheet. Top each evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

Bake in 350°F oven 30 to 35 minutes or until peppers are tender and cheese begins to brown. Garnish with sour cream and lime wedges, if desired.

Beef and Couscous Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

15 baby sweet bell peppers (about 2-1/2 to 3 inches long, about 1-1/4 pounds)

2/3 cup regular or spicy 100 percent vegetable juice

1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

1/4 cup uncooked whole wheat or regular couscous

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded Parmesan, Monterey Jack, white Cheddar or Italian-blend cheese

Cooking:

Heat oven to 400°F. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; remove seeds and membranes, but not stem. Place peppers, cut-sides up, on two rimmed baking sheets.

Cook's Tip: Two broiler pans may be substituted for baking sheets.

Combine Ground Beef, vegetable juice, spinach, couscous, garlic, oregano, salt and black pepper in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Spoon beef mixture evenly into peppers. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake, uncovered, in 400°F oven 25 to 30 minutes or until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pepper registers 160°F and peppers begin to brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Cook's Tip for all three recipes: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed ground beef. Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160ºF. Color is not a reliable indicator of ground beef doneness.