The best Super Bowl snacks: Your party will be a win even if your team sucks

No Super Bowl party is complete without an endless variety of snacks and appetizers. From spicy deviled eggs to guacamole and party mixes, Super Bowl snacks should be flavorful, fun, and plentiful. For expertise on this culinary journey, The Manual has curated five recipes from pitmasters to cookbook authors and pizza experts. One taste of these recipes, and your Super Bowl party guests will be singing your praises all year.

Rodney Scott’s deviled eggs

Rodney Scott is a James Beard award-winning pitmaster of Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ and bestselling cookbook author of Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day: A Cookbook . These deviled eggs are upgraded with Rodney’s Rib Rub, crispy pork skin, and pickles, making this a perfect bite for a Super Bowl party.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 5-6

Ingredients:

For Deviled Eggs:

• 12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
• 1/2 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• Topping options: Rodney’s Rib Rub, pickle, pork skin crumble

For Rodney’s Original Rib Rub:

• 1/2 cup kosher salt (we like Diamond Crystal)
• 1/4 cup MSG
• 1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup paprika
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method:

1. For Rib Rub: mix all of the ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to six months.
2. Halve the hard-boiled eggs lengthwise and gently scoop out the yolks into a bowl. Reserve the empty egg whites.
3. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, and salt to the yolks and mash together with the back of a fork until smooth.
4. Using a small spoon, scoop some of the egg mixture back into the whites, making a bit of a mound.
5. Sprinkle seasoning on each half of deviled egg for some kick and garnish with your chosen topping.

Zia fries from Emmy Squared

This recipe for loaded waffle fries comes from Emmy Squared, a Detroit-style pizzeria in New York City. An easy and satisfying dish, this recipe calls for frozen waffle fries and is fantastic for a hungry crowd.

Prep Time: 5-7 minutes (plus cook time for fries)
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2-4 

Ingredients:

• Frozen waffle fries — cook using specific instructions provided
• 5 ounces hatch chili pimento cheese
• 3 ounces bacon
• 2 ounces ranch dressing
• 1 1/2 green onion

Method:

1. Preheat oven according to the instructions provided on the frozen waffle fries, then cook fries to desired tenderness. When the fries are done, remove from oven and set aside, but leave the oven heated for a later step.
2. While the fries are cooking, cook bacon until crisp. Once the bacon has cooled, roughly chop bacon and move to the side.
3. Top the fries with hatch chili pimento cheese (or other desired pimento cheese) and bacon, and cook in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Finish with a drizzle of ranch dressing and thinly sliced green onion.

Smoky guacamole (guacamole ahumado)

A surefire hit, guacamole is a great recipe for any Super Bowl gathering. However, this unique guacamole, courtesy of Pati Jinich, a New York Times bestselling author of the cookbook Pati Jinich Treasures Of The Mexican Table: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets , ratchets up the flavor by charring the chile, garlic, and onions, adding a smoky flavor to the finished guacamole.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 serrano or jalapeño chile, or more to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, not peeled
• 1 (1/2-inch-thick) sliced white onion
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and upper stems
• 3 ripe avocados, halved and pitted with flesh scooped out

Method:

1. Preheat the broiler, with the rack 2 to 3 inches from the heat source. Put the chile, garlic cloves, and onion slice on a baking sheet lined with foil and broil for 5 to 8 minutes, turning the vegetables halfway through, until charred on all sides. Alternatively, you can toast the vegetables on a comal or large skillet over medium heat, turning them every 3 to 4 minutes until blackened.
2. Remove from the heat. When they are cool enough to handle, peel the garlic cloves and cut the stem from the chile. Coarsely chop the chile, garlic, and onion. Place in a molcajete or bowl, add the lime juice and salt, and mash and mix with a pestle, fork, or wooden spoon until pasty.
3. Add the cilantro and avocados and mash together until the mixture has reached the desired consistency (some people prefer a chunkier guacamole, others like it smooth). Taste for salt and serve.

Bourbon fondue

Fondue, a tasty cheese dip that’s great for a crowd, is made even more enticing with the addition of Coopers’ Craft Bourbon. This original recipe is a collaboration between Coopers and Chef Ashley James, director of culinary operations at Di Bruno Bros., Philadelphia’s premier location for high-quality cheeses, meats, desserts, and wine. A combination of three different kinds of cheese, this rich fondue is great with an assortment of bread and cured meats.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 5-6

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Coopers’ Craft Bourbon
• 1/2 pound Reading Raclette
• 1/2 pound Seven Sisters Cheese
• 1/2 pound Cabot Cloth Bound Cheddar
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• Few drops of pickle juice
• Black pepper

Method:

1. In a bowl, lightly coat the cornstarch into the cheeses.
2. Over a medium heat, add the wine, half of the bourbon, and the pickle juice.
3. Gradually add the cheese, stirring all the time.
4. Once a smooth mixture is obtained, add the mustard, black pepper, and the remaining bourbon.
5. Enjoy with fresh crusty bread, crostinis, salamis, and anything else you would like to dip into the fondue.

ButcherBox slow-cooked chili

This flavor-packed chili recipe is courtesy of Chef Yankel Polak of ButcherBox, a sustainable, curated meat and seafood online subscription service. The secret to this chili’s rich flavor is twofold — adding meaty beef short ribs and using a slow cooker for tender results.

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 18-24 hours
Yield: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 pack ButcherBox ground beef
• 1 pack beef short ribs, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 2 onions, diced
• 4 bell peppers, assorted colors, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 cup tomato puree
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 cup black canned black beans
• 1 cup canned garbanzo beans
• 1 cup pinto beans
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoon Ancho chili powder
• 2 teaspoon Aleppo chili powder
• 2 tablespoon chipotle puree
• 1 cup hard cider
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Ghee or avocado oil for searing

Method:

1. Preheat a Dutch oven, add oil and sear beef short ribs on both sides for 2 min per side. If you have a smoker, feel free to smoke them for 30 minutes with applewood chips. Remove and place in slow-cooker.
2. Place onions and ground beef in the Dutch oven and cook until beef is nearly cooked through. Season with all powdered spices, strain excess fat, and transfer to slow-cooker.
3. Add peppers to Dutch oven and sauté for 1 min. Add tomato paste and chipotle puree and stir, simmering for 1 min.
4. Add hard cider to deglaze and transfer to slow-cooker. Add all remaining ingredients and cook on low setting for 18-24 hrs.

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