It's the final pre-season game, so it's time to start getting serious. Get the starters ready. Fire up the grills. Get the jerseys out.

This week the Cardinals take on the Denver Broncos. And while I'm quite confident the Cardinals will dominate once again after watching last weeks crushing victory against the Atlanta Falcons, the foodie battle will be quite different.

When I think of food and Denver, Colorado, I immediately think of the Denver omelette. Ham, onions, peppers and LOTS of cheddar cheese. So I decided to stick THAT on a dog with an egg bun!

But the Cardinals are no joke. So for Big Red's Poblano Bacon Brat, I upgraded EVERYTHING! Pretzel rolls, Johnsonville brats, and a pepper jack cheese sauce that could stop an NFL O-line!

All ingredients are available at your local Safeway...have an awesome weekend and GO CARDINALS !!!

Denver Dogs

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 15 minutes / Servings: 4 dogs

Ingredients:

• 4 Vienna Beef hot dogs

• 4 large egg or brioche hot dog buns

• 1 green bell pepper, diced

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

• 8 oz. Smithfield diced ham

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• 2 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil

Steps:

1. Add the oil to a large skillet and heat on high heat. Add the ham, peppers and onions and cook on high heat for 3-4 minutes until slightly browned and softened. Keep warm until ready to serve.

2. Heat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Add the hot dogs and cook on high heat for 7-10 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes until browned and heated through.

3. Open the buns lengthwise and place them on the grill, face down for about 1 minute to toast them. Place a hot dog in each of the buns, then top each of them with the ham/peppers/onions mixture. Sprinkle the cheese on top, allow it to melt for just a minute and serve.

Big Red's Poblano Bacon Brats

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 30 minutes / Servings: 4 Brats

Ingredients:

• 4 pretzel sub or hot dog rolls

• 4 Johnsonville original bratwurst links

• 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

• 3/4 cup heavy cream

• 1 large poblano pepper

• 6-8 slices thick cut bacon, chopped

Steps:

1. Heat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Add the brats and the poblano pepper. Cook the poblano pepper for about 2 minutes, until partially blackened and blistered. Turn over and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly give it a rough chop. Set aside until ready to use.

2. Cook the bratwurst links on the grill for about 10 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes, until cooked through and browned.

3. Heat a large skillet to high heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook on high heat for 7-10 minutes until the bacon is browned and crispy, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat with a slotted spoon and transfer the bacon to a bowl that's lined with a paper towel. Set aside until ready to serve.

4. In a small saucepan, add the cheese and cream. Stir on medium heat until it becomes a thick, stringy cheese sauce. OH YEAH! Keep warm until ready to use.

5. To build the brats: open the pretzel rolls lengthwise and place a brat into each roll. Spoon the cheese sauce on top of the brats, and top the cheese sauce with the roasted poblano and the bacon. Serve immediately!

#hotdogs #bratwurst #gamedayfood #football #bacon #Southwest #cheese