Super Bowl Recipes: Jackfruit Pizza & Eggplant Parm Sliders

CALIFORNIA — Super Bowl LV is set Sunday, Feb. 7, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL, as the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

To help elevate your at-home, Game Day menu this year, Gelson's Markets has shared two recipes — one for ooey-gooey, cheesy eggplant-parm sliders and another for a vegan-friendly, tangy, barbecue pizza with exotic jackfruit and jalapeño ranch.

These dishes from the Southern Cal supermarket chain are simple, yet delicious, and total halftime wins. Take a look ...

And Happy Super Bowl Sunday, from Patch!

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Eggplant Parm Slider

Servings: 6
Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more for eggplant
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
• ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 6 slider buns
• ¾ cup marinara sauce, divided, plus more for dipping
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into ¼”-thick rounds, divided
• ¼ cup loosely packed basil leaves, torn, divided

Directions:

1. Trim, peel, and slice the eggplant into 12 round slices, about ½” thick. Generously season both sides of each slice with salt, and place them between paper towels. Press the paper towels against the eggplant and let rest for 45 minutes to absorb excess water.
2. Prepare a breading station: Fill one shallow dish with the flour; a second dish with the eggs; and a third with the panko, Parmesan, dried oregano, garlic powder, and kosher salt, combined.
3. Brush any excess salt off the eggplant slices. Dredge each slice through the flour, and then the egg, allowing any excess to drain off. Then coat all sides in a thick layer of panko.
4. In a large skillet, heat ⅛” vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the eggplant slices in two batches until golden brown, about 2 ½ minutes on each side, changing the oil between batches. Transfer the fried slices to a cooling rack.
5. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, layer the bottom half of each slider bun with 1 fried eggplant slice, 1 Tbsp marinara sauce, another eggplant slice, 1 Tbsp marinara, and a slice of mozzarella. Broil the open-faced sliders in the oven until the mozzarella begins to brown.
6. Scatter fresh torn fresh basil leaves over the sliders, and add the top of the buns. Serve with warmed marinara sauce, and enjoy!

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Barbecue Jackfruit Pizza & Jalapeño Ranch (Vegan)

Yields: 2 small pizzas
Ingredients for the Barbecue Jackfruit Pizza (Vegan)

• 1 pizza dough recipe, divided
• 12 oz shredded jackfruit, divided
• 14 Tbsp vegan barbecue sauce, divided
• 8 oz Miyoko’s vegan mozzarella, divided
• ¼ cup pineapple, diced small, divided
• ¼ cup red onion, julienned, divided
• 1 Tbsp roasted red pepper, diced small, divided
• Fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions for the Barbecue Jackfruit Pizza (Vegan)

• Preheat the oven to 500º and slide your pizza stone in the oven.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough into 2 8-inch circles about ¼-inch thick.
• Perforate the dough all over with a fork. The holes will help the steam escape, so you won’t get big bubbles in the crust, and it will bake more evenly.
• Slide the first crust onto the preheated pizza stone, and cook it for 2 minutes, or until just firm.
• Remove the crust from the oven — leaving the pizza stone in place — and allow it to cool slightly.
• While it’s cooling, toss the shredded jackfruit with 3 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce and set it aside.
• Working from the center of the crust, spoon the remaining 4 tablespoons of barbecue sauce onto the pizza, and spread it towards the edge of the crust.
• Distribute the jackfruit evenly over the pizza, and then add the other toppings in this order: 3 ounces of cheese, pineapple, onion, roasted red pepper and remaining cheese.
• Slide the pizza back into the oven, and bake it for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
• Remove it from oven and garnish with fresh cilantro and vegan jalapeño ranch (recipe below).
• Slice and serve, while the second pizza cooks.

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Jalapeño Ranch (Vegan)

Yields: about 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp non-dairy milk
• 1 ½ tsp red wine vinegar
• 4 tsp jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1 Tbsp parsley, minced
• 1 Tbsp dill, minced
• 1 Tbsp cilantro, minced
• 1 tsp chive, minced
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• ¼ tsp sweet paprika
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl until incorporated. Serve immediately.
• Store in the refrigerator for up to one week. Gelson's tip: You can store the ranch sauce in a jar or, as we have done here, in a squeeze bottle. If you want to use a squeeze bottle, make sure you mince the ingredients very small.

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ALSO SEE: Super Bowl To-Go Food, Freebies & Deals 2021: CA Restaurants