It's bittersweet. It's the day the entire football season is leading up to, but it's also the LAST day of NFL football for MONTHS!!!! What are we going to do?! What will we eat on Sunday?! Let's not think about it. Let's just be present, enjoy the day and enjoy the food.

Now, of course we've got a recipe for each team, but we've also got a BONUS RECIPE! For the Patriots, we've got a CHOWDAH! For the Eagles we've got a CHEESESTEAK! And for the rest of us, we've got a STUFFED GARLIC BREAD!

New England Patriots Tailgate Clam CHOWDAH!

Prep Time: 15 minutes / Cook Time: 30 minutes / Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. package Applewood Smoked bacon, chopped

• 1 cup diced fresh fennel

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

• 1/2 medium onion, diced (Maui onion or other sweet variety)

• 1 large Russet Potato, cut into 1" cubes

• 4 cans smoked clams in oil (3.75 oz. each)

• 5 tbsp. Flour

• 2 cups Heavy Cream

• 2 cups chicken stock (plus more for thinning)

• 2 large Bay Leaves

• 3 fresh thyme sprigs

• Salt/Pepper

Steps:

• Heat a large pot or dutch oven to high heat. Add the bacon and cook on high heat for about 7 minutes until crispy. Drain from the drippings with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl that's been lined with a paper towel.

• Add the fennel, carrots, onions and potatoes to the bacon drippings. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium and sauté the vegetables on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften.

• Add one of the cans of clams with the oil into the pot. Stir to combine it with the bacon drippings and veggies. Add in the flour and continue to stir until a thick roux is formed with the oil and flour.

• Add in the heavy cream, chicken stock, thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Re-season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork. If the chowder gets too thick while simmering, add another 1/4 cup at a time of chicken stock.

• Stir in the remaining clams and their oil. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs before serving. Serve with crackers or in Sourdough bread bowls.

Philadelphia Eagles Philly Cheesesteak Sliders

Prep Time: 15 minutes / Cook Time: 10 minutes / Servings: 12 sliders

Ingredients:

• 12 King's Hawaiian Rolls

• 12 oz. Open Nature Australian Grass-Fed NY Strip Steak, thinly sliced

• 2 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil

• 1 medium Green Pepper, sliced into 1/2" slices

• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced into 1/2" slices

• 5 oz. sliced white mushrooms

• 6 slices Provolone cheese

• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

• salt/pepper

Steps:

1. Slice the Hawaiian rolls horizontally with a large knife, separating the tops and bottoms, but keeping the individual rolls attached. Set the bottom half on a large serving dish.

2. Heat the oil in a very large skillet, griddle or wok. Add the peppers, onions an mushrooms. Season with the garlic powder, and salt/pepper to taste. Stir and cook on high heat for 3-4 minutes until the onions are translucent and the other veggies are soft. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

3. Add the thinly sliced steak to the heated skillet. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the Worcestershire sauce and cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes, until steak is browned. Add the vegetables back in, stir to combine.

4. Turn off the heat and cover the mixture with the slices of cheese. As the cheese melts, mix it in the with the steak and veggies. Once the cheese is melted and combined, place the mixture on top of the rolls. Place the tops of the rolls on top of the steak mixture. Serve immediately.

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Garlic Bread

Prep Time: 15 minutes / Cook Time: 25 minutes / Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

For the Bread:

• 3-4 frozen, pre-cooked, boneless, breaded chicken tenders, thawed

• 1 large baguette

• 10 slices mozzarella cheese

• 1 cup marinara sauce

For the Garlic Butter

• ⅓ cup melted butter

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Slice the thawed chicken breast tenders into ½ inch thick strips.

3. Slice the baguette into thirds or fourths (each baguette piece should be roughly the same length of the fried chicken strips).

4. Hollow out the insides of the baguette pieces with a knife.

5. Lay 2 slices of mozzarella on top of each other with a 1 inch overlap. Place a chicken strip on the overlapping region, then fold the mozzarella tightly around the chicken.

6. Push the rolled chicken strips into a baguette piece.

7. Slice the stuffed baguette pieces into 1 inch slices, then place them tightly side-by-side on a baking sheet lined with foil.

8. In a small bowl, mix together ingredients for garlic butter.

9. Brush the garlic butter evenly over the baguette slices, making sure some drips in between the slices.

10. Wrap the foil over the re-assembled baguette and bake at 350 degrees for 20–25 minutes, until cheese is melted and the top is starting to brown.

11. Remove the foil and serve with marinara