Super Bowl Party Recipes

A successful Super Bowl bash isn’t just about the game”half the fun is chowing down on fun food with your closest family and friends.

A classic menu might include chips, dips, chicken wings, burgers, chili, brownies and a few side dishes. (That is, unless you’re hosting ten beer-guzzling, wing-loving guys”they’re probably not interested in salads!) No matter who is on your guest list, here are a few crowd-pleasing recipes to try:

Dips. For a tasty but low-cal dip, blend together low-fat sour cream with an instant onion soup mix package. But don’t stop there! Add some finely-chopped scallions (start with one tablespoon and go from there, depending on your tastes) and a little freshly-squeezed lime juice. Serve with salsa and either regular or baked corn chips. Plan-ahead tip: make the dip the night before, adding the scallions and lime juice the morning of your party.

Chicken Wings. Pick up a bag of frozen chicken wings and bake as directed. Then, add about ½ cup of your favourite hot sauce to a saucepan along with a few spoonfuls of butter. Warm over medium heat until the butter has melted and the sauce is tangy. Baste the wings with the sauce and bake for five more minutes. You can also marinate the wings in the sauce overnight for extra flavour, baking them the day of your party. Make sure you have some blue cheese or ranch dressing on hand for dipping (it will cut the heat), as well as a small plate of freshly cut celery. For your health-conscious friends, don’t forget to have some low-fat dressing on hand as well.

Chili. This is my husband’s super-secret recipe for chili (shhhh!). Brown one pound of lean ground beef over medium heat, and then add salt and pepper to taste. Dice one medium onion and in a separate saucepan, sauté© in one tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil. Add to the beef. (If you like your chilli very spicy, at this point you can add a few jalapeé±o or habanero peppers.) Stir in one six-ounce can of tomato paste, then fill the can with water and add to the mixture. Add ½ teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder, one tablespoon of sugar and crushed red pepper to taste. Simmer for five minutes, and then add chilli pepper to taste. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, adding water as needed. Once you’re happy with the flavour, stir in two 19-ounce cans of dark red kidney beans (rinsed) and cook another 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese.

Brownies. Brownies are incredibly easy to make”especially when you can just pick up your favourite mix at the store! Follow package directions, and if you want to get fancy, add frosting and sprinkles. You can even get creative by colouring vanilla frosting to match your team’s colours!