While it can be a lot of fun to go to a busy restaurant or bar to watch the game in a lively atmosphere, there’s nothing wrong with staying home, either. That said, this is the Super Bowl, so it deserves a little more pomp and circumstance than your typical run-of-the-mill Sunday evening.
If there’s one thing any big game demands, it’s food. Specifically, we’re talking about game-day food, the kind of stuff your mom wouldn’t let you have as a kid unless you ate all your vegetables first.
For this, I turned to the entire Monitor newsroom and ad department asking for everyone’s favorite game-day recipes, and the response was overwhelming – two people actually responded! That’s a big deal around here. Since I was hoping (but not expecting) for more than that, I decided to also include one of my own favorite recipes that is shockingly easy and staggeringly good.
Finally, for those of you who aren’t so skilled in the kitchen, we found some deals Constantly Pizza is offering for Super Bowl Sunday, so there’s something here for everyone.
Buffalo chicken dip
This recipe came from Monitor page designer and copy editor (and foodie) Hannah Sampadian. She may or may not have found the recipe on a bottle of Frank’s RedHot.
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 (8 oz. pkg.) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce or Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce
- ½ cup Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dressing
- ½ cup crumbled bleu cheese or your favorite shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon into shallow 1-quart baking dish.
Bake 20 minutes or until mixture is heated through; stir. Sprinkle with green onions, if desired, and serve with chips, crackers and/or veggies.
Deep-fried spicy sausage nuggets
These are my own custom creation, inspired by Scotch eggs (pictured). I always just wing it, so the measurements are approximate – feel free to experiment with your own proportions.
- 1 package ground spicy sausage
- Small bowl of flour
- Small bowl of panko bread crumbs
- 2 eggs, beaten in a bowl
- Chunk of cheddar
- Cayenne and/or paprika powder (optional)
- Plenty of oil for frying (I prefer peanut oil)
Start with a meatball-sized wad of ground sausage and smush a chunk of cheddar cheese into the middle, making sure the cheese is fully enveloped in the sausage. Next, roll the ball in the flour – if you want extra spicy nuggets, add cayenne and paprika to the flour before rolling.
Remove from the flour and submerge in the egg wash, making sure to fully coat the entire nugget. Let the excess egg drip off, then dip and roll nugget in panko crumbs.
Once nuggets are fully coated, fry in oil at about 360 degrees for about 6 or 7 minutes or until a dark golden color. Cooking time will vary slightly depending on the size of the nuggets, how many there are, the size of the fryer and the type of oil you use.
Seven-layer dip
These next three recipes are from Monitor and Insider ad representative Maria Adolphson.
- 1 can bean dip or refried beans
- 3/4 cup guacamole
- small bag of chopped lettuce
- 1 small can sliced chopped olives
- 1 bunch green onions, chopped
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 bag shredded cheese
Cover round dish, platter or pizza pan with bean dip/refried beans then a thick layer of guacamole. Spread thin layer of lettuce, top with olives, green onions and shredded cheese. Place chopped tomatoes on top. Can put a dollop of sour cream in the middle. Serve with tortilla chips.
Party Time Cheese Dip
- 1 lb of Velveeta
- 1 lb Ground beef
- 1 Can original Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chillies
Brown ground beef and drain. Drain tomatoes, cut Velveeta into cubes. Place ingredients in crock-pot and cook on low for about an hour. Stir occasionally. For a large group, double the recipe. Serve with tortilla chips.
Nachos
- 1 bag of thick nacho chips
- 1 lb ground meat, beef, chicken or turkey
- 1 pkg taco seasoning
- 1/2 lb shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheese
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped finely
- 1 bunch green onions, chopped finely
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 8oz can of black olives slices
- Your favorite salsa
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
Cook the ground beef and drain the fat. Add the vegetables and heat them along with the meat as you follow the package directions on the taco seasoning. Meanwhile, cover a cookie sheet with foil and then tortilla chips. Drop spoonfuls of the meat mixture onto the nachos, then top with cheese. Bake at 350 until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and pour on some salsa, sour cream and guacamole.
Patriots casserole
This recipe was submitted by Monitor columnist and resident Patriots hater Ray Duckler.
How about a Patriots casserole, flavored with Spygate and served with a side order of Brady-is-a cheater? Don’t forget to let some air out of the casserole once you take it from the oven. … Use a pressure gauge, serve slightly deflated, with salad and plenty of red whine.
I guess that’s the type of stuff you have to sink to when your beloved Giants finish the year with a whopping five wins. Better luck next year, Ray.
Constantly Pizza
Constantly Pizza is running a Super Bowl Sunday special, with a 16-inch two-topping pizza, 10-piece wings and a 2-liter bottle of soda for $21.99. That’s the Super Bowl-only deal.
You can also opt for the regular Sunday deal of an 18-inch two-topping pizza for $11.99. Both deals will be available for pickup or delivery, so you never even have to leave your couch to score a nice meal. Can’t beat a deal like that!
