Super Bowl Recipes: What Should Be Your Go-To Snack On Game Day?

It’s time for Super Bowl recipes because the one thing almost everybody watching the big game is going to be doing is snacking away. Most stores will use the event to promote the sales of Tostitos and soda pop, but if you want to get creative and add a little more flavor, there are ways to make your own snacks.

You can still feel free to spend about $100 on pizza or wing delivery, but keep in mind that the drivers are often over-worked on Super Bowl Sunday and will likely show up late. You’re essentially paying someone else to prepare the food, and it might not taste the way you want.

Pizza

The key to the perfect pizza is getting a good crust. To make it, you will need active yeast, which is more a chemical than an ingredient, and some time to let it do its thing. Combined with olive oil and lukewarm water, it creates a reaction which causes the dough to rise. The New York Times suggests that you plan ahead, so if you want the pizza done by Sunday, you should start on Saturday. Also, buy a food scale to help measure what you need and a good non-porous surface to prepare the dough. For full instructions to prepare the crust, click here.

Put whatever you like on top of it, and remember that the fresher the toppings are, the better they’ll taste. You might even take a cue from Pizza Hut and substitute your standard jarred pizza sauce for a large can of crushed tomatoes and minced garlic for that extra robust kick.

Guacamole

An old favorite for dipping those tortilla chips is a South American classic. USA Today says that making your own guacamole almost always tastes better than the stuff you find pre-made at the store. You will need two avocados, half a lime, a quarter cup of diced onion, up to three tablespoons of chopped cilantro, one jalapeno, and your standard salt and pepper. You can vary the amounts depending on your personal tastes, but if you want a real spicy kick, try buying your jalapeno fresh from a Latin foods market. South American-imported peppers are generally hotter. You might also substitute two or three Serrano peppers for a guaranteed kick.

Whatever pepper you use, remember to prepare it with rubber or latex gloves to keep the juices from coating your hands, especially if you wear glasses or contacts. Peel and pit the avocados, and then mash them into a paste in a medium bowl. Add the onion, cilantro, and lime juice, and the desired amount of your pepper of choice. Add as much salt and pepper as you see fit, and mix everything together.

Spinach Dip

If you want a more dairy-style dip, Tostitos spinach dip is a delicious favorite, but it will likely taste better and cost less making your own. If you’re lactose-intolerant, don’t worry. There is a way to bypass the need for sour cream. It will require either a lot of patience or a food processor because there will be a lot of sauteing involved.

Today suggests throwing about a quarter of a sweet onion, three cloves of garlic, fresh spinach, and artichoke hearts in the food processor. Mix it all into a creamy cashew sauce with lemon juice and as much cayenne pepper as you want. Bake it until it bubbles, and you’re done.

This dip goes best with Wavy Lays for maximum dipping.

Buffalo Wings

A regular party favorite is the Buffalo wing. It may be small and lacking in meat, but what it offers is a tasty punch while you’re rooting for your favorite team. This will require a deep fryer, which you can probably pick up at your local Kroger, Fry’s, Fred Meyer, etc. (all the same company, varies by state) for less than $50. You can also buy it online if you wish, but game day is almost upon us and shipping could mean you don’t get it until next week at the earliest.

Buy a package of 12 or so frozen or fresh chicken wings. Frozen ones won’t taste as good, and you will probably want the bone in, as the marrow adds flavor while it cooks. Put the suggested amount of canola oil in the deep fryer and give it time to heat up. The cheap but effective Fry Daddy brand automatically heats the oil as soon as you plug it in and suggests waiting 15 minutes. Use a fry basket to lower the chicken into the oil and fry it for 12 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the wings. Make sure you don’t overfill the basket, as too many wings at once can ruin the end result.

While you’re frying the chicken, prepare a half cup of Frank’s Red Hot sauce and a half cup of butter. Add celery salt if you want, and mix it together. When the chicken is done, use tongs to place it on a plate with paper towel to drain off the excess oil. Then coat them in the mixture and serve with blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Slow Roasted Chuck Steak

When you think of steak, you often picture the infamous rib-eye or tenderloin. However, those can be pricey compared to a good three pounds of beef chuck. Choose your cut with minimal marbling to get the maximum number of decent-sized steaks out of it. You want to start prepping the beef as early as possible, as cutting the steaks and trimming the fat can take an hour or so. To prepare the beef, the first thing you want to do is use a large sharp knife and separate the muscles. Simply follow the lines of fat and trim it as you go with a slow slicing motion. You will likely end up with some smaller pieces, which you can save in a Ziploc and store in the freezer for future skillet meals or stews.

Take the steaks you have from the slab of chuck and lay them out on a stable surface to pound with a tenderizer. This helps separate the fibers and make it easier to chew. While the steaks are at room temperature, season with salt, pepper, and minced garlic if you wish (mince it yourself for the best flavor). Top the seasonings with lime juice and olive oil, and massage everything into the meat, mopping up whatever spills off into the bottom of the steak.

Let the steaks sit for half an hour and prepare a large covered skillet on medium heat with a small amount of olive oil. Take the steaks, up to two at a time, and lay them in the pan away from you to eliminate oil splattering on you. After five to six minutes, flip them with tongs. Never use a fork, because that will cause the juices to escape. The resulting steak should be at medium doneness. Adjust the cooking time according to how you like yours done.

Freeze everything you don’t plan on using in the next two days to minimize spoilage.

These Super Bowl recipes should give you a good head start on getting together with your sports-loving friends and tasting victory even if your team doesn’t win.

[Featured Image by Hans Geel/Shutterstock]