Forget the national debt and January's energy bills. Super Bowlonomics is upon us. This week, the U.S. economy will skyrocket as Americans shop for Super Bowl Sunday, the second-largest food consumption day behind Thanksgiving. We’ll buy over 1.3 billion chicken wings, 14 billion hamburgers, 12 million pizzas, 3.8 million pounds of popcorn, and the snack food without which no Super Bowl part would be complete, 28 million pounds of chips to feed a crowd or just ourselves during Sunday’s big game.
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. Due to the variety of food that’ll be partaken of before, during the after the Philadelphia Eagles take on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, there's no need to spend hours concocting one elaborate dip.
My number one Super Bowl tip is to stir up a variety of simple, but delicious dips that will work well with chips, crackers, and raw vegetable slices and 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!
“Olive” the Patriots! (or Eagles!) Dip
1 (6 ounce) jar green olives, drained
1 small can black olives, drained
8-ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Dash of garlic powder
Place both green and black olives in a food processor, pulse lightly until chopped. Mix together with remaining ingredients; chill and serve with chips, crackers or sliced vegetables.
Creamy Blue Cheese Wing Sauce or Dip
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon vinegar (use white or your favorite flavor)
1/4 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.
Shortcut Shrimp Spread
8 ounces cream cheese
1 (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
1/2 cup bottled ranch dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 cup bacon bits
1/4 cup chopped tomato
2 tablespoons green onion, diced
Mix together first five ingredients in a bowl, then top with remaining three ingredients.
Super Bowl LII 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 block, cut into chunks
1/4 teaspoon chili powder, divided
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 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 to 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.)