By Kara Kimbrough
14 billion hamburgers...12 million pizzas...3.8 million pounds of wings and the snack food without which no Super Bowl party is complete - 28 million pounds of chips - are expected to be sold, prepared and consumed by Americans during the biggest game of the year in a couple of weeks.
I love chips, so eating them solo doesn’t bother me in the least. But Super Bowl Sunday is a special food day. A lineup of dips on the table is required to dress up my favorite chips.
My #1 Super Bowl tip, especially if you're hosting a gathering of friends: serve a variety of simple, but delicious dips that will work well with several dipping items, including chips, crackers, chopped vegetables and toasted French bread slices. And, you get bonus points if your creations work well as dipping sauces for wings and chicken strips.
Most of the recipes below can be adapted for any dipping purpose. So, get ready, set, dip!
Blue Cheese Dip or Wing Sauce
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon vinegar (use white or your favorite flavor)
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash of hot sauce (optional)
Whisk sour cream, blue cheese, vinegar and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. If you like it hot, add hot sauce and stir. Chill and serve as a wing sauce or with chips.
Shrimp Dip or Spread
8-ounce cream cheese
8-ounce container French onion dip
1 cup Velveeta cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 small can shrimp, drained
Dash of hot sauce, optional
Mix everything together; serve with chips, crackers or toasted sliced banquettes.
What’s the Dill?” Dip
1 cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 teaspoon green onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Mix all ingredients and chill before serving. Serve with sliced vegetables or chips.
SUPER Easy BLT Dip
1 cup sour cream
½ cup bottled ranch dressing
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 cup chopped tomato
¼ cup bacon bits
2-3 tablespoons green onion, diced
Mix together first five ingredients in a bowl, then top with remaining three ingredients.
Crunchy Corn Cheese Dip
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups frozen sweet kernel corn, defrosted
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Dash of ground black pepper
2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
8-ounce cream cheese, cut into chunks
1/4 teaspoon chili powder, divided
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a skillet with olive oil, heat over medium-high heat. Add corn, sprinkle with garlic salt and ground black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and slightly crispy, around 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into oven-safe dip bowl. Stir in Cheddar and cream cheese, followed by half of chili powder. Bake until golden and bubbling, 18 to 20 minutes.
Sprinkle baked dip with remainder of chili powder (if you like it spicy!) and serve with large corn chips. (This is better after it sits for awhile, so I make it the night before, chill and then microwave before serving.)
Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.
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