Matthew Mead/Associated Press
This Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face off in Super Bowl LV. The game will determine the champion of the 2020 NFL season, of course, but the Super Bowl stopped being just a football contest many years ago.
The Super Bowl is no longer an event just for football fans, as thrilling halftime performances and entertaining commercials have made it a global affair. And whether you're a Chiefs fan, a Buccaneers backer or not a football fan at all, there's one thing everyone can agree on.
No Super Bowl viewing would be complete without a proper spread of food.
While the coronavirus pandemic may limit the number of Super Bowl parties this year, that doesn't mean that viewers have to get by on frozen dinners or pizza delivery. Here, we'll dive into some delicious and relatively easy Super Bowl-themed dishes that can help spice up any Super Bowl experience.
Appetizer: Crab Cakes
While Florida's Gulf Coast may conjure thoughts of warm weather and sandy beaches, it's also notable for its seafood. With that in mind, we're going to kick things off with a tasty crab-cake recipe from Lindsay Funston of Delish.com.
"Crab cakes are always in the appetizers sections of fancy seafood restaurants, so people are often intimidated to make them at home. DON'T BE. They're so easy—literally anyone can do it," Funston wrote.
Here's what you need to cook up a batch of crab cakes in roughly 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp. hot sauce
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 lb. jumbo lump crab meat
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
- Canola oil
Directions
1. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, egg, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Separately stir together crab meat, panko and parsley. Fold in the mayonnaise mixture and form into eight patties.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, coat pan with oil and heat until shimmering. Add crab cakes in batches and cook 3-5 minutes per side until golden and crispy.
And that's it! Feel free to serve these with lemon or lime, tartar sauce or your dipping sauce of choice.
Sauce: Kansas City BBQ
Here's one we examined last year, but with Kansas City back in the big game—and because it's delicious—it's worth revisiting. This one comes courtesy of Susie Bulloch of Hey Grill Hey.
Ingredients
- 14 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup ketchup
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp ground mustard
Directions
1. Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bing to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer.
2. Simmer for 20 minutes, then remove from heat to cool.
This sauce can be used right away or refrigerated for later use. This is especially helpful if you're looking to prep ahead of time. Serve with your favorite cuts of meat. We took a look at a pulled-pork recipe last year. This time around, we'll go with something a little more traditional.
Main Dish: Baked Wings
Matthew Mead/Associated Press
For those interested in barbecue wings without the need for a deep fryer, here's a wonderful recipe for crispy baked wings. This one comes from Lauren Allen at Tastes Better From Scratch.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs chicken wings, halved at joints and wingtips discarded
- 2 tbsp. baking powder
- ¾ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. paprika
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray rack with cooking spray.
3. Dry wings with a paper towel and place them in a bowl.
4. Combine other ingredients in a small bowl. Then sprinkle the mixture over the wings and toss to coat evenly.
5. Arrange wings, skin side up, on the rack and bake. Turn wings every 20 minutes and cook until crispy and browned.
6. Allow to cool for five minutes, then add sauce.
These wings are great with the Kansas City-style barbecue sauce, but feel free to add your sauce of choice here. If you're in the mood for something a little spicier, try adding some minced Serrano peppers—one to two whole peppers should do the trick—to the barbecue sauce.
Dessert: Themed Sugar Cookies
Here's another one we're revisiting from last year. It's quick, easy and if prepared before the game, can be baked during halftime. This recipe comes from Allrecipes.
Ingredients
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup butter
- 1½ cups white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda and baking powder.
2. In a larger bowl, mix butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, then gradually mix in dry ingredients from the small bowl. Roll into teaspoon-sized balls of dough and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake eight to 10 minutes. Allow to cool before moving from sheets and adding icing.
To complete the Super Bowl theme with these cookies, top with colored icing. Red and gold works for Kansas City, while Buccaneers fans may want to try creamsicle orange for that throwback feel. Enjoy!
