Super Snacks for the Super Bowl
Credit…Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Stylist: Vivian Lui.
New York Times Cooking isn’t known for its sports coverage — you’ll want to head over to The Athletic for that — but one thing we do know is snacks. We know crunchy snacks. We know melty snacks. We know savory snacks and sweet snacks and salty snacks and sour snacks and spicy snacks. So while we may struggle to explain the particulars of the Big Sports Game tomorrow, we certainly have the snacks quotient covered, and you should make Ali Slagle’s baked Buffalo wings. They’re easy, fast and a fan favorite: That classic mix of garlicky hot sauce and funky blue cheese is always a winner. We’d say to set out plenty of napkins, but let’s be real, everyone will be licking their fingers clean.
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Baked Buffalo Wings
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If “melty snacks” caught your attention, here’s Melissa Clark’s new bacon-Cheddar dip (as well as our collection of dips). As Melissa writes, this is the perfect dip for the Super Bowl: “I chose the classic, crowd-pleasing pairing of bacon and Cheddar, zipped up with dashes of hot sauce. I also added scallions two ways. The white parts are sautéed in the leftover bacon fat, making them soft and sweet. Then, the greens are sprinkled on top for their crisp bite and bright hue. Teamwork!”
Or maybe you want something that’s melty and crunchy, savory and salty and spicy. Kia Damon’s Frito pie checks all those boxes and, with chili, Cheddar and chips layered in a casserole dish, it would be a satisfying dinner. (If, at this point, you find yourself wondering why so many Tex-Mex dishes make for super Super Bowl food, Christina Morales has answered that very question.)
Snacks can certainly be dinner, but if you want something more substantial (or your wings and dip were gobbled up), Yewande Komolafe’s one-pan skillet chicken with peppers and tomatoes is on the table in less than an hour. If the bell peppers and cherry tomatoes at your grocery store are firm and largely flavorless, no worries — a simmer in rendered chicken fat, garlic, chile flakes, honey and vinegar will give them plenty of character.
After a long game — and yell-singing along to Usher — you might be tempted to throw in the towel and order takeout. Instead, make Kay Chun’s quick soy-glazed salmon hand rolls or Lucas Sin’s Hong Kong-style vegetable chow mein. Either comes together in a half-hour or less, and both are very versatile. For the hand rolls, sub in whatever grains you have on hand for the short-grain rice. Readers report using pan-fried tofu, chicken breast or other fish for the salmon. And those stray vegetables in the crisper will be delicious in the chow mein — thinking here of the carrots, celery and bell peppers that didn’t get swiped through the ranch. MIA LEIMKUHLER
