Why spend hours simmering chili before the Big Game when you can let Ukrop’s do the work for you? We’ve cooked our chili to perfection so you can spend time taking care of your other party priorities. Take our chili up a notch when you serve it at your Big Game party by creating a buffet of toppings so every guest can make it their own. Some of our favorite chili accompaniments and toppers include:

Ukrop’s Cornbread
Frito’s
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
A selection of hot sauces
Scallions
Sour Cream
Bacon Bits
Jalapeno Peppers
Saltines

Get a selection of your favorites for a super meal none of your party guests will forget! Click here to order chili from Ukrop’s Catering.

These little treats are easy to put together and utterly addictive. The creaminess of mascarpone combines perfectly with tart dried cherries, tangy blue cheese and spice-filled cinnamon pecans.

Sweet and Tangy Phyllo Cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 24 cups

1 package pre-cooked phyllo cups
1 tub mascarpone cheese, softened
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
½ cup dried cherries, chopped
¼ cup Joe’s Market Cinnamon Frosted Pecans, chopped or crushed

Pipe or spoon a small dollop of mascarpone into the bottom of each cup. Sprinkle each with a little blue cheese, a few pieces of dried cherry and a few pecan pieces. Serve immediately.

We’ve taken a traditional picnic dish, added a few unique toppings and created an indulgent appetizer that’s perfect for serving at your New Year’s Eve party. Just visit our Catering page, order some deviled eggs and pick up the extra toppings when you stop in the store to get your order. This dish is quick, easy and irresistible.

Dressed Up Deviled Eggs
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 24 egg halves

24 Deviled Eggs from Ukrop’s Kitchen
1 tub Ukrop’s Pimento Cheese
4 cornichons
4 thin slices country ham
Fresh chives, finely chopped, for garnish (optional)

Finely chop cornichons and stir them into pimento cheese. Julienne country ham. Top each deviled egg with a small spoonful pimento cheese and a few slices of country ham. Garnish with fresh chives, if desired. Place on a platter and serve immediately.

A few weeks ago the Ukrop’s team headed to Smithfield, Va., to learn about the world-class hams that are cured just beyond our doorstep. With the exception of a few technological advances, Genuine Smithfield hams have been made the same way since the colonists settled in Smithfield in the 1700’s and cured meat to ensure it would last a long time and be safe to eat. Today, Smithfield hams are sent all over the world and are praised as one of the best types of pork in the world.

As we toured the facility, the people at Smithfield mentioned a favorite way to prepare a pre-cooked country ham that utilized Coke to sweeten and tenderize the meat. We created the following recipe based on their suggestions. It’s the perfect way to try a country ham if you haven’t before, as pre-cooked spiral-sliced country hams tend to be less salty than a traditional country or Smithfield ham. Also, because they’re smoked, they only need to be heated until they are warm, making for a shorter cooking time than your average Christmas main course.

Coke-Cured and Glazed Country Ham

1 half spiral-sliced, smoked country ham (we used a Williamsburg ham, which is also made in Smithfield)
2 16.9-ounce bottles of Coca-Cola Classic
2 Tbsps. mustard
 1 tsp. ground cloves
¼ cup brown sugar
2 Tbsps. cornstarch

The night before you plan to make your ham, unwrap it and place it in large bowl or pan. Gently slide a table knife into ham between every few slices to separate slices and make slits that will allow liquid to get between layers of meat. Pour 1 bottle of Coke over meat, then fill empty bottle with water and pour over meat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When you are ready to cook ham, preheat oven to 350 degrees. While oven is heating, whisk together remaining coke and other ingredients. Place ham in a roasting pan. Pour glaze over top. Cover with foil and bake for 8-10 minutes per pound, just until ham is heated, basting with liquid about every 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. About 15 minutes before ham is finished, remove foil to allow top of ham to get brown and crispy. Once hot, remove from oven. Remove ham to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch with 2 Tbsps. water until smooth. Pour liquid from the bottom of the pan into a saucepan, scraping any brown bits off roasting pan and into liquid. Heat over medium-high heat and whisk in cornstarch mixture. Cook until liquid is blended and has thickened into a sauce. Serve alongside ham.

Add style to our indulgent dips at your holiday feast by serving them in bread boules. It’s an easy and elegant preparation. You can use any combination of dips and boules you’d like, but we placed our creamy-with-a-hint-spice Buffalo Chicken Dip inside a Ukrop’s Bakery Sourdough Bread Boule, and we put our one-bite-isn’t-enough Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Pepper Jack Cheese inside a Ukrop’s Bakery Asiago Boule.

When you’re ready to make your dish, heat your choice of dip according to the package instructions. Buy 2 containers of dip per boule (you may have some dip leftover, but you can reheat it and refill the boule throughout the night). While dip is heating, carve a circular piece off the top of the bread boule as if you were carving a boule. Set it aside. Then, carefully scrape all the insides from the crust of the boule (If desired you can toast the innards in the oven to make croutons for a later use). Once the dip is hot, scoop it into the boule. Remove excess bread from the top of the boule you cut off earlier and place it on top of the boule, slightly to the side of the opening. Place the boule on a platter and surround it with crackers, pita chips, crudités or your choice of accompaniment. As the dip gets eaten, encourage guests to break off parts of the bread boule and to eat as well.