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By Courtney Thompson
10:57 AM EST, Fri February 5, 2021
Sanne Vloet's Gluten-Free Hot Chicken Wings with Dill Yogurt Dip
CNN —
The big game is just days away and, like most things right now, it’s going to look a bit different than what we’re used to. The good news is that the game is happening — as is The Weeknd’s completely live halftime show — in Tampa, Florida, this Sunday, February 7, and if you’re like us, you’re ready to celebrate. And by celebrate, we mean eat!
While big shindigs are a no-no this year given the pandemic, watching the game on TV with family is certainly allowed, and to do so without delicious snacks would be unheard of. To help guide you through your game day menu, we reached out to a slew of big-name chefs for inspiration. What’s the ideal dish? “It needs to be good hot, warm or cold, and should have some big ‘wow’ factor,” James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern says. “When it lands on the table you need eyes to dart from the big play on the TV to the carving board.”
“Binging With Babish” chef Andrew Rea adds, “Celebrating at home can be a downer, but it has one major upside to it: This year’s Super Bowl party is all about you. Make what you want, eat what you want, sit where you want — and do it all without pants if that’s your thing! It’s also one of the rare times of year when we have a license to eat whatever we want, so it might as well be over the top. Think cheesy, crunchy, saucy, spicy, bacony…preferably all at the same time.”
Yep, we can get on board with that mentality. Take a look at the amazing game day recipes below to ensure your kitchen (and your stomach) is locked and loaded for football this Sunday. And if you’re a Chrissy Teigen fan, check out some of her game day favorites from last year here. Don’t have the ingredients at hand? Don’t forget that getting them shipped to you via Instacart or Amazon Fresh is just a few clicks away.
Caramelized Onion Dip
Lindsay Ostrom of Pinch of Yum's Caramelized Onion Dip
Salty chips are a must-have on Sunday, and Pinch of Yum creator Lindsay Ostrom has just the dip to go with them — specifically, onion dip! Creamy and salty, this is the shareable appetizer we all need in our lives. “We love this dip because it feels fancy but without all the fuss,” Ostrom says. “Super-simple ingredients that you can probably find in your kitchen right now and LOADS of flavor. This is perfect with chips or bagel crisps or even on sandwiches — just so, so good.”
Ingredients
- 3 medium-size yellow onions
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 12 ounces sour cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- Fresh parsley to taste
- Soy sauce or Worcestershire to taste
See Ostrom’s full recipe here and watch her make the dish here.
Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest's Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Two of our favorite things are buffalo chicken and pizza. Enter Half Baked Harvest’s Tieghan Gerard is to the rescue with her droolworthy Buffalo Chicken Pizza recipe that gets extra kudos because it’s a one-sheet-pan wonder that’s ready in 30 minutes flat. “Trust me, every last bite of this pizza is delicious and will leave you wanting more. It’s both savory and a touch spicy — the cheesy, saucy pizza that’s just perfect for game day,” Gerard writes on her blog.
And if you’re looking for even more hearty, delicious recipes in this vein, from Crispy Parmesan Tater Tots and Bacon-Wrapped Cheddar Corn Jalapeño Poppers to Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken Taquitos, Gerard has all of us covered on game day.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
- 1/2 cup Buffalo sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup ranch dressing
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, optional
- 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
See Gerard’s full recipe here.
Candied Bacon
Andrew Rea's Candied Bacon
Recently featured in the New York Times Sunday Edition, Andrew Rea is a self-taught chef whose YouTube channel cooking show “Binging With Babish” has more than 8 million subscribers, all of whom are tuning in for his irreverent cooking tutorials. What’s on Rea’s mind for the big game this year? Two words: Candied. Bacon.
“Candied bacon needs no selling point,” says Rea. “It’s bacon that’s been coated in brown sugar and maple syrup (and cayenne pepper if you want a spicy kick), roasted until crisp and eaten like the porky, smoky sweet candy that it is. If you haven’t started making it before even finishing this sentence, you should be.”
Ingredients
- Thick-cut bacon
- Maple syrup
- Brown sugar
See Rea’s full recipe here.
Pork Roll With Sauerkraut and Bacon
Andrew Zimmern's Pork Roll With Sauerkraut and Bacon
Another Sunday must? Preparing a dish that will fill your home with mouthwatering aromas. For chef Andrew Zimmern, that’s his pork roll with sauerkraut and bacon. “This recipe is perfectly balanced in the salt, smoke, fat and fermentation departments,” he says. “It is so umami-loaded you can’t stop eating it. The dish is easy but visually stunning, the aromas will drive you nuts and it feeds a crowd on any budget.”
More to know: Zimmern will actually be in Tampa for the game, cooking in this year’s virtual Taste of the NFL @Home, which you can catch February 7 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time — learn more about it here!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground pork
- Handful of fresh mixed herbs (parsley, tarragon, thyme)
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 onions, minced
- 1 pound bacon, sliced
- 1 pound sauerkraut, squeezed to remove juice
- 1 head whole pickled cabbage (in the produce section)
See Zimmerman’s full recipe here.
Pimento Cheese and Smoked Sausage Bites
Rodney Scott's Pimento Cheese and Smoked Sausage Bites
According to James Beard Award-winning chef and pitmaster Rodney Scott, who was recently on Netflix’s “Chef’s Table,” a winning game day dish “is a combination of a salty crunch with something creamy that strikes a great balance — but if you add smoked meat it becomes even better!”
Case in point: Scott’s Pimento Cheese and Smoked Sausage Bites. A favorite spread in the South, Scott uses pimento cheese on top of fried pork skins, with the accoutrement of a disc of smoked sausage, which he says is the perfect crispy, creamy and smoky bite-size snack. “The combination is a winner, even if your team loses,” says Scott, whose book, “Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ,” comes out next month.
Ingredients for 36 bites
- 2 pounds smoked link sausage
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 7-ounce jar diced pimentos
- 1/2 cup minced sweet onion
- 36 fried pork skins (approximately 2 inches by 2 inches)
- 1/2 teaspoon Rodney Scott’s BBQ Rib Rub (or 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and a few dashes of hot sauce)
Recipe
- Cut the smoked sausage links into 1/2-inch discs. In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the sausage on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos and onion, and stir together to combine, then taste for seasoning and adjust with rib rub, salt, pepper or hot sauce. Store refrigerated for up to two weeks.
- Spread about 1 teaspoon pimento cheese onto a pork skin and top with a disc of smoked sausage. Each piece should be easy to eat in one or two bites. Arrange on a tray and enjoy!
Gluten-Free Hot Chicken Wings With Dill Yogurt Dip
Sanne Vloet's Gluten-Free Hot Chicken Wings With Dill Yogurt Dip
For those looking for a truly classic recipe minus all the calories, supermodel Sanne Vloet has the answer for us (yes, really!). When not walking the runway for the likes of Victoria’s Secret, Chanel and Ralph Lauren, Vloet is a trained chef who shares healthy recipes and cooking tutorials on her YouTube channel that now has more than 1 million followers.
“You can make plenty of healthy versions of your traditional fast food by substituting starchy ingredients with vegetables or healthier grains and sub out dairy with Greek yogurt, for example,” Vloet says. “Spices are your friend, and in this recipe, we are using lots of paprika, pepper and cayenne to give it a nice kick!”
Ingredients
- 14 chicken wings
- 3 tablespoons chickpea flour (or gluten-free all-purpose)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons rice crumbs (or gluten-free breadcrumbs)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon olive oil for pan
- 4 teaspoons hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons water
Recipe
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Separate chicken wings if needed. For the breading, combine chickpea flour, rice crumbs, salt, chili powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and cumin in a bowl and mix well. Dip each chicken wing into the breading and place on a tray that will fit in the fridge. Once all the wings are breaded, place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- In a separate baking pan, spread olive oil to cover the base of the pan. Place wings side by side, leaving room so they don’t stick. Set a timer for 18 minutes and allow the wings to bake until the timer goes off. Flip the wings and bake the other side for 18 minutes. Mix together the hot sauce and water and set to the side. Remove the wings from the oven and dip each wing in the hot sauce mixture. Arrange wings on a plate and enjoy!
Sanne Vloet's Dill Yogurt Dip
Dill yogurt dip ingredients
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill
- Pinch of salt
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon sumac, optional for topping
Recipe
- Mince the garlic.
- Mix with all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Drizzle extra olive oil on top and sprinkle with sumac.
Creamy Chorizo Queso Dip
Chungah Rhee of Damn Delicious' Creamy Chorizo Queso Dip
Game day isn’t complete without a hot, cheesy dip, and this chorizo-filled queso from Damn Delicious is officially our new go-to. Blog creator Chungah Rhee writes the dip is “the creamiest, most amazing, velvety queso ever! So easy to make and sure to be a crowd favorite.” More to know: Rhee advises topping with extra chorizo, cilantro and pickled jalapeños for a real “wow” factor.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces fresh chorizo or spicy sausage, casing removed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 1 poblano pepper, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 Roma tomato, diced
- 1 8-ounce package shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 8-ounce package shredded pepper jack cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, divided
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapeño peppers
See Rhee’s full recipe here.
And there you have it. A game day menu for staying safe indoors with a stomach full of tasty treats.
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