Game On! 11 Awesome Super Bowl Sunday Party Recipes.

Something strange may occur this Super Bowl Sunday: The game might actually be better than the commercials. Not possible, you say. Yes, it's true. It's hard to beat this year's match up between the brawny Pittsburgh Steelers and the clever Green Bay Packers. But no matter how good the game is, it should never be better than the food. So to ensure that doesn't happen, here are some game-winning Super Bowl party recipes for you.

Blue 28! Blue 28! Hut! Bacon Guacamole! The ruling on the field stands: Every Super Bowl party must have guacamole. In fact, this Super Bowl Sunday, over 8 million pounds of guacamole will be eaten. Make sure yours has bacon in it. This Bacon Guacamole recipe is from my book, Recipes Every Man Should Know, which Monica Bhide featured on her tasty blog, A Life of Spice. Run down the field to get the recipe! Photo by Sala Kannan of www.veggiebelly.com.



Since the average Super Bowl party has 17 guests, chances are good that there will a vegetarian or vegan at yours. Don't fret. Make my lively Spicy Black Bean Dip which is also found in Recipes Every Man Should Know.



When it's third and two, guests are gonna need something to gnaw on to release their nerves. Make them classic Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing.



For some scrumptious play action pass, try my sticky, sweet, spicy Maple-Beer-Chili Chicken Wings.



With millions of Americans ordering pizza on Super Bowl Party, don't wait in line. Make your own. It's easy and tastes so much better, especially when made with booze, as in this Tequila-Lime Shrimp Pizza.



Throw a deep pass to the vegetarians again. Make them this Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza. But be warned: It's so good, they may have to tackle the carnivores who will no doubt try to intercept the pass.



Like a hulking 320-pound defensive lineman, every Super Bowl party needs a big, bad bowl of chili. Here's yours: Boozy Beef Chili, which is also found in Recipes Every Man Should Know.



Your guests are gonna need something to sop up the juices of the chili, so make a batch of super fast, super easy, super delicious Beer Bread, also from my book, Recipes Every Man Should Know.



Despite three and half hours of endless gorging, your guests will not turn down dessert, especially when you serve them my salty, sweet, chewy Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies.



If some of your guests throw a red flag at chocolate and bacon cookies, then hand off a Gingersnap Cookie instead.



If you don't feel like baking, then make Real Beer Floats, also found in Recipes Every Man Should Know. Yeah, that's right. Beer and ice cream. They're like a victorious Hail Mary pass that wins the game with two seconds to go.

With this playbook in hand, you're guaranteed a winner at your Super Bowl Sunday party.

Super Bowl Party Recipes: Spicy Black Bean Dip

Red 28! Red 28! I like candy! Hut! Hut!

This Sunday is the 44th Super Bowl in American history. Despite its youth, it will be the largest food consumption event of the year, trailing only Thanksgiving. It isn’t a national holiday (though many would like it to be), but that doesn’t stop over 130 million Americans from treating it like one.

It's estimated that Americans will spend over $55 million dollars on food for the Super Bowl. What will all that money buy? Mostly snack foods -- more than 30 million pounds. Pretzels and popcorn get the most play, though chips and guacamole have gained yardage in the last few years. According the California Avocado Commission, over 50 million pounds of avocados will be sold in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, most of which will turned into guacamole and scooped up with 15,000 tons of chips.

Super Bowl foods have to be casual, portable, and, most important, fun. Fans don't want to think about their food; they just want to be able to hold it in their hands and not have it explode all over themselves when they jump up to high-five each other over a touchdown.

For your Super Bowl party, think like a guy. Serve sticky barbecued spare ribs, cheesy pizza, spicy chicken wings, overstuffed sandwiches, and gut-busting gumbo. For dishes requiring utensils, like chili or jumbalaya, I suggest serving them at half-time. This will both ensure the safety of your guests and distract them from the painful Super Bowl half-time show.

Serve beer. Lots of beer.



Don't use fussy dinnerware and cutlery; sturdy paper plates, double-ply paper napkins, and huge plastic cups perfect for refills are what’s needed.

Keep desserts simple. Brownies, cookies, and cookie bars are the way to go.

When the party's over, you might consider sending your guests home with a bottle of Tums and a doctor's note. Antacid sales spike 20% on "Super Monday," the day after the Super Bowl, when 6% of working Americans call in sick.

Whether you're football-savvy enough to challenge John Madden on the NFL's rulebook, or you think a Hail Mary is a religious term, chances are you'll be at a Super Bowl party this Sunday chowing down some seriously good football grub. So check back all week for more easy and delicious Super Bowl recipes that are sure to score big.




















Spicy Black Bean Dip 
Makes 6-8 servings
Print recipe only here.

This spicy black bean dip couldn't be easier to make. With red onions, garlic, jalapeno, and lime, it's got both heat and tang. The sour cream adds just a touch of silkiness to an otherwise satisfying chunky dip. This vegetarian dip can be made vegan by using vegan sour cream or mayo.

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
1 small garlic clove, sliced
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained
1 small jalapeno chili
The juice of 1 small lime
1 cup salsa of your choice

2 tablespoons sour cream or mayo

1/3 chopped fresh cilantro leaves
salt, to taste

1. In a small pan over medium heat, warm olive oil. Saute red onion and garlic until lightly browned. Transfer to a blender or food processor and add remaining ingredients. Pulse until chunky. Transfer to a bowl. Serve with tortilla chips.

Here are more football-friendly dips and salsas you might enjoy from Food Blogga:
Chipotle Barbecue Bean and Corn Salad (great with chips)
Citrus-Avocado Salsa (pair with chips or serve on fish tacos)
Pineapple-Mango-Habanero Salsa (pair with chips or serve on tacos or quesadillas)

Here are more delicious football-friendly dips you might enjoy:
7-Layer Bean Dip recipe at Simply Recipes
Chile con Queso recipe at Homesick Texan
Baba Ghanoush recipe at Apple Pies, Patis, and Pate
Super Bowl Onion Dip recipe at Cooking with Amy
Creamy Hot Stove Top Crab Dip recipe at White on Rice Couple