I'm SOOO happy football season is here!! It always gives me hope that this Phoenix summer will eventually END !!

We are serious about our Arizona Cardinals at home. So, this year I'm taking our love of football to Good Morning Arizona! As the self-proclaimed "Family Game Day Grub Guru," I'll be doing a dish for the Cardinals each week and a dish for the opposing team. We'll put them head to head against each other and see who wins. Rest assured, the Cards will ALWAYS have an advantage!

This is week 1, the Hall of Fame Game against the Dallas Cowboys. They'll be getting SEARED in a traditional Cowboy Beef Stew, and I'm letting our birds get ANGRY in a Buffalo Chicken Meatball Sub!

Seared Cowboy Beef Stew

Prep Time: 20 minutes / Cook Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes / Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. cubed beef (stew cubes)

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 1/4 yellow onion, chopped

• 2 medium carrots, chopped

• 2 medium celery stalks, chopped

• 2 medium yellow or gold potatoes, cubed

• 2 cans ranch style beans (15 oz. cans)

• 8 oz. freshly brewed coffee

• 2 fresh bay leaves

• 1 large clove garlic, minced or pressed

• 1 cup frozen corn

• 32 oz. beef stock

• salt and pepper

Steps:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on high heat. Add the meat and sear it for about 2 minutes on each side, until well browned. Transfer the meat to a crock pot or dutch oven.

2. Add some of the beef stock to the hot pan and deglaze the pan. Add the drippings to the crock pot.

3. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery and potatoes. Stir in the beans, garlic, corn, coffee and the remaining beef stock until everything is combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the bay leaves, set the crock pot to high heat, cover and allow it to cook for 4 hours.

4. Spoon into large serving bowls and serve with fresh bread.

Angry Bird Meatball Subs

Prep Time: 20 minutes / Cook Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes / Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground chicken

• 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped

• 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped

• 1 clove garlic

• 1/4 cup chopped onion

• 1 egg

• 1 tbsp. ranch dressing

• 1/2 cup ground croutons

• 12 oz. bottle hot wing sauce

• 12 oz. marinara sauce

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1 cup chicken broth

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 6 pretzel sub rolls

• 1 avocado, thinly sliced

• 18 slices provolone cheese

• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

• 1/4 cup chopped chives

• salt and pepper

Steps:

1. In a food processor combine the celery, carrot, garlic and onion. Pulse until combined and very finely chopped. Add the ground chicken, egg, ranch dressing, ground croutons and 1 tbsp. of the hot wing sauce. Season with 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Continue to mix with your hands until all ingredients are combined.

2. Form the mixture into small meatballs and place them in the bottom of a crock pot.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining hot wing sauce, brown sugar, chicken broth and marinara. Whisk until combined and pour the sauce mixture over the meatballs. Seal the crock pot and cook on high for three hours.

4. Unseal the crock pot and stir in the heavy cream and shredded parmesan cheese. Stir until combined, reseal the crock pot and continue to cook for another 30 minutes, until cheese is completely melted.

5. Cut the pretzel sub rolls down the center and place 2-3 slices of cheese inside the bun. Place 3-4 meatballs on top of the cheese and spoon a bit of the buffalo marinara sauce on top of the meatballs. Place a few slices of avocado on top and finish with the chopped chives. Serve immediately.