Here it is, the last recipe in our five-week series of game day goodies, and this one brings the football theme to life in a very literal way. It’s the football cake. Actually, it’s not really a cake (good news for those who don’t want to bake). It’s more of a watermelon sculpture. A very simple, yet very cool sculpture.

FOOTBALL CAKE

INGREDIENTS

Large seedless oblong shaped watermelon
2 cups cream cheese frosting
Licorice strips

DIRECTIONS

Slice two of the sides lengthwise down the watermelon to expose a large watermelon surface on both sides. Cut a football shaped marquis out of the watermelon. Place the watermelon cut into a football shape on a platter. Slice into thin slices but leave assembled as a football. Decorate with the frosting and licorice ties to look like a football with stitches. Serves 18 to 24.

So you’re snacking on chips and fire and ice salsa, chowing down on a few dozen watermelon glazed mini barbeque meatballs and you’ve just polished off your second pulled pork and watermelon barbeque sandwich. Chances are, you’re getting thirsty. That’s where this recipe
comes in.

It should be noted that this recipe is very flexible. You can add lots of things to it to give it some extra “punch”… if you know what I mean.

WATERMELON PUNCH

INGREDIENTS

1 large watermelon
6 cups watermelon juice (see directions)
2 cups pineapple juice
1 can (12 ounces) frozen raspberry juice blend
1 small can (6 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 lemon (sliced) (optional)

DIRECTIONS

First, cut a hole in the top of your watermelon, similar to the photo above. Scoop out all the watermelon (you’ll use it to make the juice) and set the watermelon aside to be used as the punch bowl. If you can’t find a whole watermelon, don’t worry. You can use sliced watermelon to make the juice and put the punch in regular (i.e. boring) punch bowl.

To make watermelon juice, process small chunks of watermelon, with seeds removed, in a blender or food processor until they turn to liquid. Make more than you need for this punch, freeze the extra in ice-cube trays, and use the watermelon cubes to chill the punch. Combine all ingredients in a large jar or pitcher and chill. Add watermelon ice cubes immediately prior to serving. Yields 12 to 14 servings.

Here’s another four ingredient recipe that would make a good addition to a football party buffet line. Did I mention this recipe includes two cans of beer? I don’t think I need to say any more.

PULLED PORK AND WATERMELON BARBEQUE SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1 4-to-5 pound pork butt
24 ounces dark beer
2 cups BBQ sauce
2 cups minced seedless watermelon

DIRECTIONS

Pressure cook or slow cook the pork butt in the beer until the meat is pull-apart tender (in a covered roaster all night in a 275 degree oven, or under pressure about 45-50 minutes or according to manufacturer’s directions). Cool, trim and discard the fat from the meat. Chop the meat and re-heat. Warm the barbecue sauce and, just before serving, stir in the watermelon. Serves 8 to 12.

There’s really nothing you can’t love about the name of this recipe. Watermelon? (Awesome.) Glazed? (Bring it!) Mini? (Okay, bigger is usually better when it comes to food, but let’s move on.) Barbeque? (Keep talkin’.) Meatballs? (Are you kidding? You had me at “watermelon.”)

Since the crock pot full of meatballs is a staple at just about any football gathering, this dish should fit right in. I can almost guarantee these meatballs would be great as part of a meatball sub. Or maybe just consumed by the bowlful while being dipped in bleu cheese dressing.

I should also mention that this recipe has only four ingredients. FOUR! And that’s including the meatballs!

WATERMELON GLAZED MINI BARBEQUE MEATBALLS

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
24-36 frozen prepared mini meatballs
1 cup prepared barbecue sauce
1 cup watermelon puree

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a large heavy sauté pan over medium high heat or electric skillet set on 325°. Sauté the mini meatballs until browned and hot. Reduce heat to low. Mix together the barbecue sauce and watermelon puree. Pour over the meatballs and simmer for a few minutes. Serve hot. Serves 6 to 8.

I know I said I’d post these recipes every Sunday in January, but I couldn’t resist posting this one early. Don’t miss this Sunday’s recipe for watermelon glazed mini barbeque meatballs!

What’s a Super Sunday football party without a great salsa? And I’m not talking about the salsa you open and then pour into a bowl five minutes before everyone shows up. No, I’m talking a real, homemade salsa. Seriously, if you’ve never made homemade salsa, now’s the time and this is the recipe. Enjoy!

FIRE AND ICE SALSA

INGREDIENTS

3 cups seeded and chopped watermelon
1/2 cup green peppers
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon green onion
1-2 tablespoons jalapenõ peppers

DIRECTIONS

Combine ingredients; mix well and cover. Refrigerate 1 hour or more. Makes 3 cups.

Like the website says, the name says it all. I actually tried this recipe and it’s outstanding. The good part is you can experiment with it and try all sorts of different things, like topping it with chocolate shavings or just about any other sweet treat you can think of.

WATERMELON HEAVEN

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup toasted almond slices
7 cups watermelon puree
6 slices angel food cake

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir in the toasted almonds. Place a one-cup pool of watermelon puree on each of 6 serving plates. Place a slice of cake on each pool. Drizzle the remaining watermelon puree over the top of the cake slices and then put a dollop of the sweetened sour cream with almonds on each serving as a garnish.

For me, a good recipe is one that; A) tastes great; B) looks cool when completed; and C) is easy to prepare. And I emphasize easy to prepare. Not that I can’t prepare things that require a little more forethought and effort, it’s just that I don’t always have that kind of patience and time. Some people do, though, and I envy them.

The following recipe fits my criteria for a “good recipe.” Throw in the fact that it’s seasonally appropriate and it’s pretty much perfect. By the way, my criteria for recipes is also a good test for choosing kid-friendly recipes. I realize that doesn’t say much for my culinary abilities, but I made my peace with that long ago.

SNOW CAPPED MOUNTAINS

INGREDIENTS

12 3-to-4 inch tall seedless watermelon pyramid shapes
Sweetened whipped cream
8 to 12 ounces white chocolate, shaved
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut         

DIRECTIONS

Arrange three watermelon pyramids on each of four serving plates. Top with whipped cream. Decorate with the white chocolate and shredded coconut and serve

This is it. Two days until Thanksgiving. Crunch time, as they call it. I chose this last recipe because I need to chose a dessert recipe and because it’s easy. Because if you’re going to squeeze something into your Thanksgiving menu two days before the big day, it better be easy, right?

By the way, I couldn’t find a picture of this pie, so I drew a picture of what I think it would look like (below). As always, please don’t make fun of my artistic skills.

QUICK AND EASY WATERMELON PIE

INGREDIENTS

1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 ounce container refrigerated non-dairy topping, thawed
¼ cup lime juice
2 cups watermelon balls
9-inch graham cracker crust

INSTRUCTIONS

Fold together milk and topping. Add lime juice. Fold in watermelon balls, reserving about 5 balls for garnish. Pour into graham cracker crust. Place remaining watermelon balls on pie to garnish. Chill for 2 more hours before serving.

I’m not normally a salad kind of a guy at Thanksgiving because I prefer to save precious room for turkey and dessert, but other members of my family do like salad, so I think I’ll mention this recipe to my mother. Actually, though, this isn’t a “salad” in the traditional sense… it’s more of a mixture of a bunch of great ingredients. Sort of like potato salad or taco salad.

SWEET AND SOUR WATERMELON AND CUCUMBER SALAD

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar or to taste
1 tablespoon poppy seed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped
3 cups seedless watermelon balls or small chunks
2 English cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced into small slices

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix together the vinegar, water, sugar (adjusting as desired) and poppy seeds in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the chopped scallions. Place the watermelon and cucumber in a serving bowl and pour the marinade over the top. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate a couple of hours before serving. Toss gently before serving.

Less than two weeks to go until Thanksgiving! Hopefully those of you who are cooking have started planning your menu by now or at least have a good idea of what you’re going to make. If you need some ideas, you can always rely on the recipes here on What About Watermelon, including this one, which sounds like a nice, light dish (even if the “casserole” name implies otherwise).

MY FAVORITE VEGETABLE CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS

About 6 ounces baby spinach leaves, cut into strips
3 cups shredded carrots, blanched and cooled
3 cups small cubes of seedless watermelon
1 cup Japanese-style ginger dressing
1 cup toasted sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS

In an 8 x 11 inch serving dish, layer the spinach on the bottom, then the carrots and the watermelon on top.  Pour the dressing over the top and sprinkle with almonds.  Serve immediately.