The best part of Super Bowl Sunday isn't the teams, the half-time show, or the commercials. It’s the food, of course. From dips, chilis and ribs to hot dogs, burgers and brownies, mix and match the recipes here to give your food fans something to really cheer about.
Buffalo Chicken Strips with Blue Cheese Dip
Beer-Brined Butterflied Chicken
Warm Black Bean and Chipotle Dip
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Shortbread Bars
Buffalo Chicken Strips with Blue Cheese Dip
by Aliza Green
Instead of the traditional and now rather expensive chicken wings, I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs in my version of this popular snack. It’s best to use natural, high-quality chicken. The dip can be made up to four days ahead, but definitely start this dish at least a day ahead of time to let the chicken marinate. Serves four as a main dish or eight to twelve as an appetizer.
Yields 2 pounds.
For the chicken:
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
For the dip:
1/4 lb. Maytag Blue, crumbled
1/2 cup mayonnaise (homemade or prepared)
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh dill
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
For the sauce:
1/4 cup Crystal Hot Sauce (or another brand of cayenne hot sauce such as Frank’s or Durkee, but not a fiery sauce like Tabasco)
4 Tbs. melted unsalted butter
3/4 tsp. coarse salt
1 Tbs. cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water
For finishing the dish:
About 1 qt. vegetable oil for frying
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 colored bell peppers (orange, red, or yellow), cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch wide strips
1 seedless cucumber, unpeeled, cut into spears
1 celery heart, washed and drained, cut into sticks
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Beer-Brined Butterflied Chicken
by Elizabeth Karmel
Butterflying is the secret to this juicy, flavorful, and quick-cooking chicken dish.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 3-1/2- to 4-lb. chicken (I prefer organic)
3/4 cup plus 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 cup plus 1/2 tsp. packed dark brown sugar
1 Tbs. plus 1/4 tsp. freshly ground coarse black pepper
6 bay leaves, crumbled
2 12-oz. cans or bottles cold lager beer (like Budweiser)
1 tsp. smoked sweet Spanish paprika (pimentón)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. chili powder
Large pinch dried oregano, crushed
Pinch cayenne
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
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Warm Black Bean & Chipotle Dip
by Tony Rosenfeld
This is a great party dip that can be fully assembled up to two days ahead. Keep covered and refrigerated until ready to bake.
Serves ten to twelve.
Ingredients
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more for the baking dish
2 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into medium dice
2 tsp. kosher salt; more as needed
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. chili powder
2 15-1/2 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained well
2 canned chipotles en adobo, minced (about 1 Tbs.), plus 3 Tbs. adobo sauce
3 Tbs. cider vinegar
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (if frozen, thaw first)
1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) grated sharp cheddar cheese
1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) grated Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
Tortilla chips for serving
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Peanut Butter & Chocolate Shortbread Bars
by Nicole Rees
Upgrade the classic bar cookie with the buttery tenderness of a shortbread crust. These crowd-pleasing bars are covered with a creamy peanut butter spread and bittersweet chocolate ganache.
Yields 4 dozen 1-1/2-inch-square bars.
Ingredients
For the crust:
7 oz. (14 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to just warm
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. table salt
9-1/2 oz. (2 cups plus 2 Tbs.) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, finely chopped
Tip: For the best results, measure your flour by weight instead of volume. (1 cup of all-purpose flour equals 4-1/2 oz.) If you don’t have a scale, be sure to use the proper technique when filling your measuring cups.
For the peanut butter filling:
1 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural but an emulsified variety such as Jif)
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 oz. (1-1/2 cups) confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
For the ganache:
5 oz. good-quality bittersweet chocolate, such as Lindt Excellence, chopped (about 1 heaping cup)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. heavy cream
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