Itโs almost time for the Big Game.
Some of us will be in it for the football.
While others amongst us will be there for the ads and half-time choreography.
Fortunately, all sides will eventually come together for the food. So it better be good.
To ensure your Super Bowl spread wonโt fumble this year, weโve laid out a unique feast of twisted snacks that will be nothing less than epic. With new ways to transform your wings, dips, and drinks that will have your guests praising you, long after theyโve forgotten who was even playing.
Hut, hut, hike!
Bacon Gives You Wings
Skip that annual call to the pizza chain this year and prepare your own wings, in a style your crowd has probably never seen before. To pull this off, youโre calling in your culinary MVP: bacon, for undeniably delicious, maple-bacon-glazed chicken wings that are sweet, sticky, and salty in all the right places.
Start by cooking eight slices of bacon until theyโre a little crisp, before adding six cloves of garlic and browning them in the same saucepan. Next, youโll whisk in ยฝ cup of maple syrup and a ยฝ cup of ketchup, โ cup of applesauce, two tablespoons of soy sauce, and one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon of brown sugar, thickening the mixture on a simmer for about two minutes, before resting it to cool.
Once your wings are grilled, air-fried, or otherwise prepared, youโll toss them in with this sauce, et voila, your wings have just been boosted with an entirely new flavor.
Guacamole, Meet Your Grill
Mexican food purists, please avert your eyes for just a second. Because weโre going to suggest adding a smoky twist to everyoneโs favorite bowl of mashed avocado guts.
Since you presumably have the grill going already, simply slip on a few halved avocados, flesh-side down, for roughly five minutes, until the fruitsโ pale green faces bear some noticeable, but not too scorched, crosshatch marks from the grill.
Thatโs basically all you need to do. Next youโll make your guacamole as usual, complimenting the deeper, charred flavors of these grilled avocados with a sprinkle of paprika, black pepper, and cumin. And whatever else you usually put in guacamole.
Up the ABV On Your โBeer Cheeseโ
Beer cheese dip may be traditional for some Southern sports fans. But weโll go and do life one better by offering you an easy-to-make recipe for Tequila-spiked pimento cheese.
Start with a pound of quality cheddar that you would enjoy eating on its own. Slice that up and cover it with a โ cup of Tequila blanco, one youโd also enjoy on its own, but not one that will break the bank.
Allow the cheese to absorb the liquor, occasionally tossing everything together, for roughly 45 minutes. Char two Fresno chiles (or jalapenos, if you canโt find those) and one bell pepper until the skin blackens, then peel, de-seed, de-stem, and dice them.
Next, melt a tablespoon of butter, add one medium-sized onion and soften it for 6-8 minutes, before scraping that into the cheese-Tequila blend.
Stir in peppers, ยผ cup of mayo, 1 teaspoon of paprika, ยผ teaspoon of Cayenne pepper, ยผ teaspoon of dried mustard, and 2-3 drops of Liquid Smoke and a generous pinch of salt. Feel free to pair with shots of more Tequila to really get the job done.
Buffalo Chicken Goes Spherical
Since you skipped the tangy, spicy flavor of traditional โBuffaloโ wings, youโll provide them in ball-form instead. Buffalo chicken meatballs are tasty and, frankly, way less messy than the traditional gametime finger-food favorite. To pull them off, youโll need three secret ingredients: blue cheese, butter, and Frankโs Hot Sauce, the Louisiana classic that was first used to make Anchor Barโs wings in Buffalo, NY.
Youโll mix ground chicken with breadcrumbs, chopped carrots, garlic, scallions, salt, and celery. Separately, youโll melt butter, hot sauce, and blue cheese in a saucepan, whisking them after the solids melt.
Once cool, youโll mix about half of that with your ground chicken blend then form medium-sized balls with a scoop or your hand. Those will go into the oven at 425ยฐ for roughly 15 minutes or until golden brown. Finally, top the meatballs with the remainder of your Buffalo sauce and perfection will be attained.
Your Non-Drinking Best Friend
You went and put Tequila in the cheese dip and now that friend of yours who has turned Dry January into a year-round lifestyle feels left out. While there are many zero-proof wines, ales, and cocktails available, we recommend relying on your best new friend: club soda.
Whether you have lemonade, cranberry, or apple juice on hand, a simple finishing float of club soda and a wedge of lemon will produce a sparkling drink with greater complexity and texture, allowing your booze-free besties to indulge in a mocktail that doesnโt feel like a booby prize. The ingredient works well with just about anything, including of course, actual booze.
Sweet, Sweet Football
With all these crazy recipe variations, you can always use dessert to remind everyone theyโre here for a football game. Football-shaped cookies are an easy confection to make at home, either using an apt cookie cutter or your own steady hand. Better yet, we love to make cake pops and when going bigger, caramel apples, covered in chocolate with white frosting stitches to make them look just like the old pigskin.
What to Smoke?
Not sure what cigars to smoke for the big game? The Cigora Founderโs Kit is the perfect intro to cigars, but also suits even seasoned veterans. Featuring ADVentura, La Aroma De Cuba, Room101, and Crowned Heads โ this is great for the big game or any occasion!
