For those who are not into football – or whose favorite team just missed the big game by three points as happened for so many 49er fans recently – the only reason to watch the Super Bowl might be for the snacks.
While chips and dips might be the go-to for a lot of people, I found a couple recipes that take the standard party fair up a notch. Unlike the dip packets that can be bought at the grocery store and mixed with sour cream, these dips require a little bit of cooking. One is served warm and the other served cold, but they still pack in a lot of flavor.
I love French onion soup so when I saw the recipe for it, I was hoping it would capture some of those same flavors.
The long cooking time for the onions, shallots and garlic allows the flavors to caramelize in the same way they do with the soup. Mixed in with the sour cream and mayonnaise, it had so much more flavor than the store-bought equivalent.
The second recipe is one that is perfect for dipping with chips, crackers or even serving on slices of sourdough baguette. The cheesy bacon dip incorporates shredded cheddar cheese, cream cheese and sour cream with bacon bits. It is perfect served hot out of the oven.
I also found a recipe for a snack that is a little heartier than chips and dip, without too much more effort. It is the equivalent of a frozen pizza roll, but with way better ingredients. The pizza pocket recipe keeps it simple with store-bought dough.
It elevates things with ingredients that include sausage, arugula and a mix of cheeses. Any of these recipes would be perfect for making the morning of the big game.
Warm and Cheesy Bacon Dip
Recipe courtesy of Hormel
1 (16-oz.) package sour cream
1 (3-oz.) jar Hormel Real Bacon Bits
2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 c. chopped green onions
Heat oven to 400°F.
In bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Transfer to 2-quart baking dish; cover.
Bake dip 25 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with assorted fresh vegetables, crackers and/or chips.
Makes approximately 5 1/2 cups.
Just for fun, place 2 1/2 to 3 cups dip in a hollowed, round sourdough loaf. Wrap bread in foil and bake 30 minutes at 400°F.
Â
Pizza pockets
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
1 tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. Italian turkey sausage
1 c. tightly-packed arugula (about 1 ounce)
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 c. grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 (13.5-oz.) package of store-bought pizza crust (recommended: Pillsbury)
All-purpose flour, for rolling out pizza dough
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium-sized, heavy skillet. Add the sausage and cook until crumbled and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the arugula and cook until wilted. Turn off the heat and let cool about 10 minutes. Add the cream cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to a thin 20 by 12-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise. The cut each half into 8 equal rectangles.
Spoon topping onto 1 side of each of the rectangles. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the rectangle with egg wash. Close the rectangle of pizza dough over the topping. Use a fork to seal and crimp the edges. Place the pizza pockets onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the top of each pizza pocket with egg wash. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the marinara sauce over low heat in a medium saucepan. Serve the hot pizza pockets with the marinara sauce alongside for dipping.
French onion dip
Recipe courtesy of Guy Fieri
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Vidalia onions, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings
2 large shallots, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick rings
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. sour cream
1 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Chives, finely chopped, for garnish
Potato chips, for serving
In a large saute pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and caramelized. Add the shallots and saute for 8 to 10 more minutes, until the onions and shallots are dark brown. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes, then chop the onion mixture into 1/4-inch pieces. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
In a bowl, mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, celery salt, Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Fold in the onion mixture. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Garnish with chives and serve with potato chips.
Â
