It’s only a few days until the Super Bowl and the media can’t stop talking about balls. Guess it’s pretty appropriate that this recipe hops on the (meat)ball wagon.

Seeing that this is my blog that hardly no one reads, it’s my turn to throw my two cents unrelated to food into the ring on #deflategate with hopes that my infrequently visited corner of the internet won’t stir up a social media sh*tstorm in the process.

Let’s all gather round the television and watch that game again. Any football game, really. See that part before EVERY play where the REFEREE spots the ball, and not the players? If there was something truly wrong with the game balls’ air pressure, don’t you think the refs would have taken note prior to each play?

Let’s also remember that sitting on the couch tooling around with a fantasy team does not qualify every Joe Sportsfan at home with the same football knowledge as an NFL head coach. Joe’s not a coordinator on anyone’s coaching staff anywhere. Joe’s definitely not a referee. Referees… who are also known as OFFICIALS. The ones who have the proven knowledge and have been OFFICIALLY entrusted by the NFL to enforce the rules and preserve the integrity of the game.

If the OFFICIALS HIRED BY THE NFL who touched the ball before EVERY SNAP didn’t think there was an issue with the balls during the game… then there you have it. Lay the fck off Brady, Belichick and the rest of New England. This isn’t on the players, this isn’t on anyone’s coaching staff. The officials were right in the thick of it and didn’t have a problem during those 60 football minutes of the AFC Championship. If the ref says no foul, then there is no foul. Clock has expired, score is final. I got 99 problems but a deflated football ain’t one.

Oh right… those weren’t the balls you came here looking for. These are:

Bacon Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Prep Time: 10min | Cook Time: 22min | Yields: 24

• 1lb Ground Chicken
• 4 Slices Uncured Bacon
• 1 Egg
• 3 tbsp Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, plus a small amount more for dipping
• 3 tbsp Coconut Flour
• 1 tbsp Flavor God Everything Spicy Seasoning
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Optional Faileo Mix-in: 1/4c Goat Cheese or Bleu Cheese crumbles.

1) Preheat oven to 400F.

2) In a skillet, precook the bacon. When it’s done, chop into small pieces.

3) In a mixing bowl, measure out and mix all ingredients by hand.

4) Portion out and roll into individual meatballs. Somehow my robot measuring skills were on point and I managed to get 24 in the first shot.

5) Bake for 20-25 minutes. (I baked them in a mini muffin tin, worked like a charm)

6) Dip in another coat of warmed hot sauce and enjoy!