Favorite Super Bowl Munchies

With the Super Bowl less than two weeks away, my youngest son and I have been planning our annual Super Bowl party. He’s actually spearheaded the whole event, planning the guest list, designing and writing the Evite invitation, and organizing games for the party. Now we’re down to creating the menu. Our guests will be bringing a lot of finger foods and beverages to the party. In addition, there are certain munchies we like to make every year. The recipes for our favorite Super Bowl treats are below. We’ll probably make these foods this year too. They’re not exactly low calorie food choices, but they sure do hit the spot while you’re sitting on the couch, cheering on your favorite team with your friends!

SEVEN LAYER TEX-MEX DIP

1 can refried beans (I use Amy’s Organic Refried Beans, which are seasoned and taste delicious!)
1 16-ounce carton sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 pack of dry taco seasoning mix or Fiesta Ranch dip mix
16 ounce containers guacamole dip (I use Wholly Guacamole—again, very delicious! And there are natural preservatives in there, so the guacamole doesn’t go bad even though it’s fresh.)
12 ounces finely shredded Monterey Jack and mild cheddar cheese mix
2 bunches green onions, sliced thinly
1 large tomato (chopped finely)
½ cup black olives, sliced thinly

Assemble the layers in a 7 by 11 inch glass baking dish. The layers will be thin, so that when you dip a tortilla chip, you get all seven flavors in every bite. First, spread the refried beans over the bottom of the dish. Next, beat the cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning together, and then spread that on top of the refried bean layer. Make the guacamole the third layer; spread it over the cream cheese mixture very carefully so that it doesn’t get mixed up in the first two layers. For the fourth layer, sprinkle the cheese on top of the guacamole. The last three layers are the green onions, then tomatoes, and black olives on top. Cover the dip with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Serve the dip with tortilla chips.

BOURBON FRANKS

2 cups ketchup
2 cups bourbon
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 medium yellow onion, diced finely
1 T. plus 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp. Tabasco sauce
3 (1 pound packages frankfurters—each hot dog cut into thirds) or 3 pkgs. Little Smokies cocktail franks

Combine ketchup, bourbon, brown sugar, onion, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce in saucepan. Simmer uncovered for a half hour, stirring occasionally. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place franks on a shallow baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil spray. Pour the bourbon sauce over the franks, coating them evenly. Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake about 30-40 minutes, until heated through. Serve with toothpicks.

BUFFALO HOT WINGS

25 chicken wings
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. salt
Vegetable oil for deep frying
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup hot pepper sauce (I like Frank’s “Red Hot” cayenne pepper sauce)

Cut wings at joint and remove tips. Set aside. Mix flour, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and salt together. Dip wings into flour mixture and coat well. Deep fry wings (about 10-12 at a time) in hot oil until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. In a small sauce pan, melt butter; add hot sauce to butter and stir well. Dip wings into hot sauce mixture. Cover; let stand one minute. Serve warm with celery sticks and your favorite sour cream ranch dressing.


SMOKED TURKEY CHEESE BALL

1 cup finely ground smoked turkey
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3 T. mayonnaise
2 T. fresh parsley, diced finely
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Blend first four ingredients together and chill for an hour until firm. Shape mixture into a bowl and then roll into chopped pecans. Store in refrigerator until serving. Can be made 2-3 days in advance. Serve with crackers and/or pita and pretzel chips.


TEX-MEX CORN DIP

1 (11 oz.) can golden sweet corn
1 bell pepper (green, red, yellow or orange), diced
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, diced
½ bunch cilantro, diced
1/3 cup hot salsa
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 ripe avocados, diced

Mix all ingredients together in bowl. Cover bowl, and refrigerate several hours before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.


GROUND BEEF ‘N VEGGIE EGG ROLLS

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 qt. fresh bean sprouts
3 large Spanish onions, chopped
2 pounds fresh carrots, peeled and shredded
1 cabbage, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste
I package Lumpia wrappers, thawed in the refrigerator at least one day (these are available at Asian markets)

For filling: Brown ground beef and onion together. Drain, and set aside. Stir fry bean sprouts, carrot and cabbage together in 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in hamburger and onion mixture.

Carefully separate Lumpia wrappers. Put about 2-3 tablespoons worth of filling into each. Fold each side in a couple inches, and roll up “burrito-style.” (Usually there are instructions on the Lumpia wrappers package, for exactly how to fold them.) At this point, you can fry the egg rolls. Or, you can put them in freezer bags or containers (with waxed paper between the layers) and freeze them uncooked. About a day before serving, start thawing them in the refrigerator.

Cook them in hot oil for 2-3 minutes (until lightly browned), or baste them with oil and bake them on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve with sweet chili sauce (also available at Asian markets, as well as the international aisle of many supermarkets). My favorite is Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce.

Oh, I must add the a big batch of buttery popcorn—made the “old fashioned” way with a popcorn popper using oil—also makes for some good munchin’ at a Super Bowl party. It’s one of my favorite treats actually…and is “no sweat” to make.

Well, those are my son’s and my favorite Super Bowl treats. What about you? Do you have any great ideas for Super Bowl munchies that I didn’t mention here? If you do, drop me a note! I’m always looking for good ideas!

Becky