Alex Guarnaschelli makes chicken cutlet sandwiches and steak tacos for game day

On this weeks installment of our TODAY Food Loves Football series, celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli is dropping by to share a couple of her favorite game-day recipes from her and her daughter Ava’s new cookbook, “Cook It Up: Bold Moves for Family Food.” She shows us how to make crispy chicken cutlet sandwiches with spicy mayo and seared steak tacos with a vinegary cabbage slaw.

Fried Chicken Cutlet Sandwich with Sriracha Mayo by Alex Guarnaschelli

This recipe is so Ava. The secret is to make sure the chicken is pounded really thinly so the sandwich is all about an even layer of each flavor from the bread to the spread. The chicken isn’t preseasoned — instead, it’s salted after it comes out of the pan — a real statement. Salt has a bigger impact when sprinkled over the crispy-hot breading, which, by the way, is made from two types of breadcrumbs, so it has that mix of more textured crispy shards from the panko and pleasantly sandy fine breadcrumbs on the exterior.

Steak Tacos with Cabbage by Alex Guarnaschelli

I love this dish because, like my dad, I love steak. My mom loves to eat fish and vegetables mostly, but she can get on board when there are vegetables around the steak … and, well, we all love a taco (plus tacos are a great way to stretch a more expensive cut of meat like steak!). Be sure to use good-quality tortillas, made from pure corn or flour with no additives — you should be able to smell the corn or flour through the packaging, imho! A couple of tips about steak for tacos: Look at the meat; you will see all cuts have a natural grain, like wood. Once the steak is cooked and rested, slice against those lines for the tenderest bite. Resting the meat is annoying because it’s hot and you want to eat it right away, but the truth is that the juices in the meat have to flow back through the meat once it’s cooked to make it juicy throughout. It’s worth the wait — if you slice the steak too soon, the juices will end up all over your cutting board instead (steak fail). Imagine the cabbage is like coleslaw on a deli sandwich or pickles on a burger. It’s the juicy, vinegary factor that connects the meat and the tortilla.

If you like those flavor-packed recipes from Alex Guarnaschelli, you should also try these:

Ricotta-Stuffed Shells by Alex Guarnaschelli

Spicy Sloppy Joes with Frozen Iceberg Salad by Alex Guarnaschelli

This article was originally published on TODAY.com