It’s that time of the year. . . The coming weekends are filled with Super Bowls with food and entertainment, plus a long list of shows to watch as it’s way too cold to go out (and, hey, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic). We can agree that we cannot agree on who should win a prize or championship, and which series to watch next on Netlfix. But we can all agree: Food is needed to fuel these wild adventures on our couches. The Salon Food team has already shared 11 Instant Pot recipes ready for the Super Bowl (or any other TV event). Now we’ve made a master list of our favorite snacks, which are guaranteed to fuel any binge-watch occasion.
Bob Armstrong Chili with cheese: No trip to Austin is complete without stopping at Matt’s El Rancho for legendary queso. According to Rick Martinez, it was “named after former Texas State Commissioner Bob Armstrong, who one day asked them to make him ‘something different.’ The result was a now legendary layered dip of taco meat, queso, guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo. Fortunately, Rick has developed a copycat recipe so fans of the beloved queso can enjoy it without leaving home. That’s especially great for this Manhattanite, because New York is a queso dessert. – Joseph Neese, editor-in-chief
Buffalo Chicken (and All Things) Dip: Both hot and cold dips are quite unbeatable for me, regardless of seasonality and / or which game is or is not on TV. Any combination of cream cheese, crispy bacon, lots of alliums, some sort of green, and copious amounts of cheese (primary favorites are super-sharp cheddar, Parmesan or pecorino and even fontina or gruyere) is always welcome – and you can’t forget a ton of spring onions . I like raw carrots, pita breads, torn pieces of baguette, chunky chips and raw celery for dippers. I’m not a heat fan, but I will always appreciate a good buffalo chicken dip too. – Michael La Corte, Salon Food contributor
Buffalo Latkes: I’m not Jewish, nor much of a football fan, but when I saw Sara Tane’s recipe for Buffalo Latkes, I knew I would have to put this recipe back for the Super Bowl. She takes the crunchy, starchy Hanukkah main course and adjusts it for a game day with thinly sliced jalapeños and a Frank’s Red Hot glaze. Instead of sour cream or applesauce, the dip of the day is a homemade creamy and funky blue cheese dressing. – Ashlie D. Stevens, staff writer
Charcuterie Board: This is a bit of cheating, but I’d love to pick up a cheese pack from Costco. You know, the kind with a few nice chunks of cheese for, what, $ 20? Then I grab some salamis, a packet of dates – their fresh dates are the BEST – and some kind of nuts and crackers. And look, suddenly I have the fixings for a shelf! Everything I have at home is added – maybe some mustard, why not some olives. Leftovers go in the fridge for a few days of ready-to-eat snacks. – Dana McMahan, Salon Food contributor
Hot corn dip: I found Trisha Yearwood’s hot corn dip while digging through Pinterest in its early days, looking for a meatless entree to round out a party menu. I knew her as a country star and had no idea she had her own Food Network show, but I thought Trisha Yearwood wouldn’t steer me wrong. (She’s got her God and she’s got good wine / Aretha Franklin and Patsy Cline … and hot corn dip?) I once made it and now my friends demand it for any festive occasion serving dairy heavy dips. If you’re lactose intolerant or philosophical about canned ‘Mexican corn’ then you won’t like this dip. I could think of five ways to like it, but that would beat the mark. This is an unpretentious appetizer that anyone who can work in an oven can make. It’s aggressively corn-colored. People may be skeptical. But trust me, if you make it once, you might have to make it for the rest of your life – or at least until all your friends go vegan. – Erin Keane, editor-in-chief
Samin Nosrat’s saucesIf, like me, you always forget to plan for munchies until the last minute (and don’t have time for anything elaborate), a quick way to impress is a few homemade dips. These can be combined with dumplings, vegetable dishes, pitas, chips or crackers. Along with the perennial hummus, I love Samin Nosrat’s sauce recipes at The NYT Cooking vertical. Herbal yogurt goes well with kebabs, raw vegetables and even chips. Soy sauce and a bag of steamed dumplings from the freezer section look nice and take about 10 minutes to make. Plus, you can always make this beer cheese recipe, thanks to me if you really want people to chow down. – Amanda Marcotte, Senior Politics Writer
Rotel and Velveeta famous Queso Dip: I learned early in my days organizing kids’ parties that the guests most excited about the most trash are always adults. Of course I can make real queso with good cheese and fresh tomatoes. But if you want to see people’s eyes light up with nostalgic joy, you can’t beat the campy American classic, made from just two ingredients – and they’re pretty specific. I like to put this in the Crock Pot mini and leave the works in the kitchen next to a bowl of tortilla chips. It’s also a big hit with pretzel logs. – MaryElizabeth Williams, Community Director