Football fans across the U.S. of A. are anxiously awaiting Super Bowl LVII (aka 57). Kickoff is at 6:30 PM (EST). Living rooms, fan jerseys and disposable party supplies are bedecked in the colors of the opposing teams–red and gold for the Kansas City Chiefs and midnight green, silver and black for the Philadelphia Eagles. Tonight’s championship game is also a family first. Jason and Travis Kelce, brothers from Ohio and offensive players, are squaring up head-to-head on opposite ends of the field. Tonight’s match up is taking place at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
We won’t be watching…well, except for tuning in for Chris Stapleton’s National Anthem performance and checking out some of the overpriced, epic commercials.
Don’t get me wrong, we enjoy watching football. The Hubby was an eager Carolina Panthers back in the day. In 2015, we all wore Carolina blue and black jerseys when it wasn’t cool in navy blue and orange Denver Bronco country (aka Wyoming). Too bad the final score was 24-10 in favor of the Broncos. When NFL players began kneeling during the National Anthem the following year, we found other channels to watch on Sunday afternoons.
So it’s somewhat ironic we ran into the Cleatus Robot from Fox Sports in Arizona last summer. Truth be told, The Hubby, Minions and I were kinda clueless. It was a rainy afternoon in Tombstone. We thought we’d wander along the historic downtown to tour the historic and haunted Bird Cage Theater and visit Wyatt Earp’s infamous gunfight at the OK Corral. Tourist traps schlepping out kitschy cowboy wear was a given.
In between downpours, four scruffy-looking cowboys (aka actors from the OK Corral gunfight show) strutted up and then quickly ran down East Allen Street. An occasional director or producer told so and so to pause this way or that. Turn and run like this. A camera man knelt down in the middle of the muddy street to get a better camera angle. Crowds of gawking tourists and souvenir shop workers gathered under store-front awnings, vying for a closer look and trying to stay dry. (We intentionally crossed the street for a better look see.) A navy, silver and blue robot seemed completely out of place.
When it was all said and done, we figured out Fox Sports was filming an 11-part weekly video series, showcasing all of Arizona’s iconic landmarks, featuring Cleatus their futuristic football mascot, all in preparation for tonight’s Super Bowl game. The Minions snagged a photo op with Cleatus, and we went on our merry way. You can watch the final cut of the Tombstone video below. (All AZ inspired Cleatus videos are here.)
Tonight we’ll be munching on this Cherry Crumble Cheesecake Dip as we flip through the channels. The original inspiration comes from a caramel apple dip I stumbled across. The Hubby is a team cherry fan, so I opted for tart canned cherries cooked up in a homemade pie filling. (Use a can of store-bought cherry pie filling if you’re short on time.) Sour cream, sugar and cream cheese beat into the base for this delectable dessert dip. Layer on the cherry filling, crumble on buttery brown sugar bits, and bake to a gooey consistency. Graham crackers, vanilla wafers, or pretzels make delicious dippers. Go Team!
Cherry Crumble Cheesecake Dip
Kinda sweet, kinda tart, ooey and definitely gooey! This Cherry Crumble Cheesecake Dip has layers of smooth cheesecake, sweet-tart cherries, and a brown sugar crumble topping. Serve as a dessert dip with Nilla Wafers, pretzels, cookies or graham crackers.
Ingredients
For Cheesecake Layer:
2–8 oz. packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
For Cherry Layer:*
2–14.5 oz. cans tart cherries in water, drained but keep juice from 1 can
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. almond extract
For Crumble Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla together until smooth, Spread evenly into the bottom of a deep-dish 9-1/2 inch pie pan. Set aside.
Over medium heat in a saucepan, whisk together juice from 1 can of cherries, granulated sugar and cornstarch. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook until thickened. Fold in drained cherries and almond extract. Return saucepan to stovetop and cook on medium-low until mixture is thickened. Let cool slightly before pouring over the cheesecake layer.
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar and melted butter until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the cherry layer. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving with Nilla Wafer, graham crackers, pretzels, or your favorite sweet dipper.
Notes
*If you want to save time, a can of cherry pie filling can be used in place of the homemade tart cherry layered ingredients.
IMNPB
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