Whipping up a Super Bowl feast

If you're planning to cook for a crowd on Super Bowl Sunday, but don't have much time to spare, this week's Chef on a Shoestring is right up your alley.

Robin Miller is a cookbook author and host of the Food Network's "Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller."

The Saturday Early Show gave her a special budget of $60 to create a crowd-pleasing football feast for six.

Her menu is also designed for busy cooks. All of the recipes involve easy-to-find ingredients, and she avoids any complicated techniques. Best of all, the dishes are sure to appeal to adults and kids alike.

RECIPES

Roasted red pepper dip
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chopped roasted red peppers (from jar)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method:
1. In a blender, combine roasted red peppers, basil, oil, vinegar, salt, and ground pepper. Puree until smooth.
Serve with crackers, chips and vegetables.

Cook's note: Add sour cream or white beans for a thicker dip (1/2 cup of either).

Spicy mixed nuts
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups mixed, unsalted roasted nuts
Coarse or kosher salt

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Set pan over medium-low heat and cook until butter is melted and spices are fragrant. Add nuts and toss to coat.

3. Transfer nuts to a large baking sheet and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until toasted, shaking the pan occasionally. Remove from oven and sprinkle nuts with coarse salt.Mexican lasagna

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
12 oz. leftover cooked chicken, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 cup sour cream (regular or lowfat)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (regular or lowfat)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (regular or lowfat)
1/2 cup mild, medium or hot salsa
4-ounce can chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon ground chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 2-inch pieces

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 11-by 7-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, sour cream, 3/4 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese, 3/4 cup of the cheddar cheese, salsa, chilies, cilantro, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix well and set aside.

3. Arrange half of the tortilla pieces in the bottom of prepared pan, overlapping pieces slightly to cover the surface. Top with half of the chicken mixture and smooth over with the back of a spoon to even the top. Layer remaining tortillas over top, and spoon over remaining chicken mixture. Top with remaining 1/4 cup each of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses.

4. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 more minutes, until top is golden and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Sloppy Joe sandwiches
A Sloppy Joe is a sandwich composed of a split hamburger bun, traditionally topped with a mixture of cooked ground beef, onions, green peppers and spicy tomato sauce. Its name is based on the fact that it's so messy to eat.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups leftover lasagna filling (recipe follows)
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 Kaiser rolls, halved

Method:
1. Spoon lasagna filling into a large saucepan. Add corn, green pepper, ketchup, Dijon, chili powder, basil, and cayenne pepper and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, until green pepper is soft and mixture is heated through.

2. Spoon mixture onto rolls and serve hot.

Lasagna Filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce

Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute 3 minutes, until soft. Add, beef and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until browned all over, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Stir in basil, oregano and red pepper flakes.

Broccoli-ranch slaw
Ingredients:
10-ounce bag shredded broccoli slaw mix
1 cup Ranch dressing (regular or reduced-fat)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Method:
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.

Chocolate cake
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup boiling water
Confectioners' sugar

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and slowly whisk in wet ingredients. Pour into greased 9-by 12-inch baking pan and bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool.

3. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.