Kick Off Your Super Bowl Party with these Crowd Pleasers

Super Bowl Sunday is the No. 1 party event of the year.  As the second largest food consumption day of the year, $55 million will be spent on Super Bowl food in the days leading up to February 6^th.  So isn’t any wonder why the food is the showcase of any Super Bowl party?  Although some football fans go all out for this annual event, the majority stick to the tried and true foods such as wings, nachos, pizza, chips and of course, lots of beer to accompany them.

So, what are you planning to serve in celebration of this year’s Super Bowl? Not a football fan?  That’s ok too.  Check these out and make them when you want to serve something really good and easy. You don’t have to spend a lot of time and money either to serve satisfying food that you and your guests will love. 

I’ve been making this sausage bread for every Super Bowl for the past 10 years, maybe more.  Jam packed with sausage, hamburger, grated pepperoni and three cheeses, this is sure to be a crowd pleaser. In fact, it’s so good that my sister Charisa makes and sells it in her store in Bethel, ME, Gourmet in a Pinch.  It’s also the perfect tailgate food!  The recipe makes 3 breads, so you can have enough to eat and some left over to trade with other tailgaters.

Ultimate Stuffed Super Bowl Bread

3 (9oz.) Pizza Dough

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, browned

1 lb. hamburger, browned

1 stick pepperoni, grated

1/4 lb. grated Swiss cheese

8 oz. grated mozzarella

4 T. grated parmesan cheese

1 pkg. fozen chopped broccoli

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 T. olive oil

crushed red pepper to taste

Mix cooked meat, with pepperoni, garlic, olive oil and pepper. Add broccoli and onion. Mix cheeses in a medium bowl.  Roll out dough into rectangle.  Put 1/3 filling in middle of dough Sprinkle with cheese mixture. Brush edges of dough with egg wash, fold over and seal.  Slit top of bread.  Proof 1/2 in warm oven and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

This chili is probably the easiest to make because it’s cooked in a crock pot.  Of course, feel free to adjust the seasoning to your taste or add your own secret ingredient.  Left over chili can also be used to make some amazing nachos.

Crock Pot Chili

1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans, drained

2 (14 oz.) cans chopped tomatoes

2 lbs. hamburger, browned and drained

2 onions, coarsely chopped

1 green pepper, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 T. chili powder

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. cumin

salt to taste

Put all ingredients in crock pot in order listed. Stir once. Cover and cook on low 10 - 12 hours (high 5 - 6 hours).

And if you like wings, you’re going to love these! The recipe originated from my sister Lisa when she worked at the 224 Boston Street café. This interesting combination of ingredients can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for a couple days until ready to use.  I prefer to pre-cook wings in the oven ahead of time, and then fry them in oil just before serving.  Don’t forget to include bleu cheese or sour cream dip and lots of celery sticks.

Better than Buffalo Wings

1/4 c. dijon mustard

1/4 c. vinegar

juice of 2 limes  

stir together and whisk in:

3/4 c. olive oil

3/4 c. Tabasco sauce

1/4 c. Asian chili garlic sauce

4 T chopped garlic

2 scallions, finely sliced

1 lg. pkg. chicken wings

Pre-cook wings in oven.  Fry in oil, drain and toss in a large bowl with sauce.