So, you won’t be swallowing a plate of very hot jalapeno pepper poppers in a crowded bar during the Super Bowl. But you can indulge in a spicy and extravagant treat in the comfort (and safety!) Of your home.
This year, make some snacks for yourself and your family or your Chiefs-loving roommate and call it the smallest back door in the world. To help you channel the game-day vibes, here are some NYT Cooking recipes that are as easy to reduce as they are delicious.
Alexa Weibel stuffs them with a bright and spicy cream cheese, wraps them in bacon and puts them in the oven. What’s not to love? Although the recipe makes 24 poppers, this may be the easiest dish to cut down to one or two servings. (Or just eat all 24!)
This recipe is ideal for those cooks who like to idea buffalo wings, but I would prefer something a little less demanding. A 20-minute wonder in a pan, this creamy and spicy dip can be the real MVP of the day’s Super Bowl. And while diving can certainly feed a group, readers have found other alternatives to serve. “Is it bad if two people eat everything in an hour?” wrote a NYT Cooking user. “Asking for a friend.”
Skip the bright orange cheese sauce and try something new: this vegan sauce is based on cashews for creaminess and saffron for added vitality. Adapted by Tejal Rao from the cookbook “Amá: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen”, this “queso” is covered with tomato sauce and decorated with cilantro and red onion. Of course, you always have the option to go to the classic queso with Alexa Weibel’s Tex-Mex interpretation.
Is it an appetizer for four? Is it an entry for two? The beauty of coconut shrimp is that it is what you want. Just don’t skip the Margaux Laskey hot sauce made with jam, Dijon mustard and Sriracha.
Recipe: coconut shrimp
These sticky, spicy ribs and fallen from Sarah DiGregorio’s bone come together in just over an hour thanks to the reliable pressure cooker. You will want to place them under the grill after icing them to ensure a perfectly caramelized exterior. We will have ours with a very cold beer.
Recipe: Hot honey ribs in pressure cooker
You won’t find lemon juice in this guacamole from the state of Sonora, in northern Mexico. But you won’t miss it either, thanks to the tasty combination of roasted Anaheim and raw serrano peppers in this recipe by Pati Jinich.
Recipe: Chile Verde Guacamole
The stuffed jalapeños are not the only poppable snack on this list. These aromatic pieces of fried chicken are popular in Taiwan’s night markets and are usually served in a paper bag with wooden skewers. Sue Li’s recipe is crispy and full of flavor – two indispensable qualities of a game day dish.
Recipe: Chicken Popcorn With Fried Basil
If you’re determined to recreate that sports bar feel at home, you’d be remiss to skip the spinach and artichoke sauce. Alison Roman’s version features four different types of dairy, but the inclusion of fresh spinach means that you can totally count it as your vegetable of the night.
Recipe: Spinach artichoke dip
Millie Peartree’s sweet and savory meatballs are great with rice, but you can serve them on a platter with toothpicks or even place them on a soft roll for a stupid chicken meatball grinder.
Sarah DiGregorio’s recipe for smoked chicken and black bean tacos makes specialized use of canned chipotles in adobo and a little honey in record time. Garnish them however you like, but be sure to include pickled red onion and avocado.
Recipe: Pressure Cooker Chipotle-Honey Chicken Tacos
“Is that a sandwich-shaped mozzarella stick?” The answer is yes. A bar snack par excellence, the mozzarella stick is extravagant and too sticky – just like this Italian sandwich from Ali Slagle. Skip the fresh mozzarella to the low-moisture one and use panko bread crumbs, if you can, for more crispness.
Recipe: Mozzarella in Carrozza
You could just make pizza, of course. Use the cast iron skillet for this recipe from the King Arthur Baking Company’s test kitchen, adapted by Tejal Rao. Contact with the sides of the pan will leave the edges of the pie brown and toasting. Make sure to start the dough early on the weekend so that it has enough time to ferment (12 hours minimum).
Super Bowl Sunday is not just for fried, spicy or cheese dishes. Brownies are also a good idea, especially those fudgy and savory by Melissa Clark. The presence of slightly tasty olive oil emphasizes only bittersweet chocolate.
Recipe: Olive oil brownies with sea salt
For more mouth-watering dishes, see the collection of Super Bowl Recipes.