12 Game-Day Recipes to Recreate this Super Bowl Sunday

Local restaurants share their favorite football-ready recipes ahead of Sunday's big game.

Watching Sunday's big game at home this year?

Arguably just as important as the actual game on TV is the food being served. Taylor Swift-inspired munchies, anyone? 😉

Ahead of Super Bowl Sunday, we asked several local spots to share their favorite football-ready recipes. Whatever team you're rooting for, these recipes are perfect whether you're planning to watch with a few friends or just hang solo. 

Spinach and Artichoke Dip 

Courtesy of Café Intermezzo

Ingredients: 

  • 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil
  • 6 cups of homemade or store-bought alfredo sauce
  • 3 cups of frozen spinach
  • 2 cups of artichoke hearts
  • 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup provolone cheese
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ancho chile seasoning
  • 1/4 cup of chopped garlic
  • 1/4 lb of butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • 1 lemon
  • Fresh cracked pepper
  • 2 loaves of baguette or Naan bread

Directions: Heat olive oil in a pot to medium heat. Add the chopped artichokes and spinach and cook until the artichokes are lightly browned. Add the alfredo sauce, heavy cream and all other ingredients except for the feta and provolone cheeses. Let cook on very low for 15 minutes and continue to stir. Add the provolone and feta cheese and stir until combined. 

Portion dip into your favorite service piece. Garnish with a couple of drizzles of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and some crumbled feta cheese. Crack some pepper on top and squeeze 1/4 lemon juice on top. Warm baguette or Naan bread, slicing to the width of your preference.

Nacho Average Meal 

Courtesy of Central BBQ

Ingredients: 

  • 1 1/2 pounds of pulled pork
  • 8 ounces BBQ sauce
  • 2 ounces Central BBQ Shake seasoning 
  • 8 ounces jalapeños 
  • 24 ounce bag of tortilla chips
  • 8 ounces nacho cheese
  • 8 ounces shredded cheese

Directions: Start with a base layer of chips. Lightly drizzle nacho cheese and bbq sauce on to chips and pile on the meat. Drizzle with a little more nacho cheese and bbq sauce on top of meat layer. Sprinkle on shredded cheese and jalapeños to your liking. Sprinkle with BBQ Shake seasoning and enjoy. 

Bacon Wrapped Medjool Dates

Courtesy of E3 Chophouse

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Medjool Dates, pitted
  • 10 slices bacon*  
  • 12 ounces blue cheese 
  • Balsamic Glaze**
  • Canola oil for frying 
  • 1 ounce fresh arugula
  • 1 ounce fresh watercress (both greens can be substituted) 
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions: Stuff each date with blue cheese. *You’ll need half as many slices of bacon as you have stuffed dates (so, 10 slices of bacon for 20 dates). Place bacon on a baking sheet and bake 3-5 minutes at 350°F until just warmed. Remove from oven, cut bacon slices in half and wrap around the dates, securing with a wooden toothpick. 

Put canola oil in a deep saute pan or a home fryer (caution: oil may reach up to 400°F). Once oil is preheated, fry dates for about two minutes. Set them on a drainer or on paper towels to absorb excess oil. 

Dress your dates with a few drops of balsamic glaze on each. Toss arugula and watercress with salt and pepper, lemon, and olive oil. Place on a large plate and top with dates. Enjoy!

** To make balsamic glaze, combine ½ cup balsamic vinegar and 1/8 cup brown sugar in a small saucepan, stirring over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer until liquid is reduced by half. The glaze should easily coat the back of a spoon when done.

Hot Chicken Salad 

Courtesy of Edley's Bar-B-Que

Ingredients:

  • 5 pounds of raw chicken tenders
  • 1 quart buttermilk
  • 1 cup pickle juice
  • ½ cup jalapeno juice
  • 3 cups flour
  • ¾ cups cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 3 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons black pepper
  • 2 ½ cups mayonnaise
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 2 lemons
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • 1 ¾ cup diced celery
  • 1 cup diced red onion
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons Edley’s Hot Chicken Rub

Directions: Marinate chicken tenders for 12-24 hours in buttermilk, pickle juice, and jalapeño juice. Squeeze out excess buttermilk and place in bowl. In a different bowl, make your seasoned flour by combining flour, cornstarch, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of salt. Dredge tenders in seasoned flour, shake off excess.

Place chicken tenders in a fry basket and carefully lower into 350°F fryer. Cook for about 3-4 minutes and drain. To chill, spread in a single layer on sheet tray and place in fridge. Once completely cooled, chop each tender in half length-wise and chop into 1-inch chunks. In a large mixing bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, sugar, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and hot chicken rub. Stir until it’s a smooth consistency and add chopped celery and red onion. Using gloves, gently fold chicken pieces into the mixture until all chicken is coated. 

Honey Hot Block

Courtesy of HoneyFire BBQ 

Ingredients: 

  • 1 block of cream cheese (8 ounces)
  • 3/4 cup HoneyFire BBQ habanero-infused honey (or your favorite hot honey) 
  • 4 thick slices of bacon 
  • Brown sugar to taste 
  • 1 sleeve of crackers 

Directions: Cook bacon on a sheet pan at 350°F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with hot honey and brown sugar to taste, then bake an additional 5 minutes. Cool, then chop bacon and set aside. 

Place a block of cream cheese on plate or serving platter, scooping a small spoonful out of the middle (to catch some honey). Drizzle remaining hot honey over the cream cheese. Top with chopped candied bacon and serve at room temperature by spreading on your favorite crackers.

Street Corn Dip

Courtesy of L27 at The Westin Nashville

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
  • 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes 
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 teaspoon Cholula Hot Sauce (or your favorite brand)
  • 16 oz. cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup cotija cheese (parmesan works as well)
  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Directions: Sauté onion and garlic in a saucepan over medium-low heat until translucent and tender, about 10 minutes. Add pepper flakes and corn kernels. Sauté another 5 minutes or until corn is warmed through. Add white wine and reduce to about half the volume. Add cream cheese. Continuously stir over the heat until cream cheese is completely melted. Add hot sauce and season with salt. Place in a food processor with chopped cilantro. Pulse to chop corn. It should still be slightly chunky. Check seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Pork Poppers

Courtesy of L.A. Jackson

Ingredients: 

  • 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
  • 1/4 cup creole seasoning
  • 3 each pickled jalapeños, sliced thin
  • 10 strips thick cut smoked bacon
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 ounces cane syrup
  • 6 ounces sherry or balsamic vinegar

Directions: Rub the pork tenderloin with creole seasoning. Sear the tenderloin in a minimal amount of oil in a cast iron skillet just until a crust forms. Place the tenderloin in the refrigerator, then cut into ¼” by 2” strips. Wrap each piece of pork tenderloin around a slice of pickled jalapeño, then wrap a piece of bacon around the pork. Skewer the poppers with a bamboo skewer.

Allow the cream cheese to soften at room temperature. Once soft, mix in the herbs and season with salt and pepper. Add the cane syrup and vinegar to a small sauce pot. Reduce the syrup vinegar mix by half. Grill the skewers of poppers until the bacon is crispy and slightly charred. Smear some of the cream cheese in a line on a plate. Remove the poppers from the skewer and place on top of the cream cheese. Drizzle some of the cane syrup over the poppers and enjoy. 

Dry Rub for Wings

Courtesy of The Listening Room

Ingredients: 

  • 2 ⅓ cup brown sugar 
  • 1 ¾ cup white sugar 
  • 1 ¾ cup paprika 
  • ½ cup chili powder 
  • ½ cup black pepper 
  • ½ cup salt 
  • ¼ cup cumin
  • ⅓  cup onion powder 
  • ⅓ cup garlic powder 

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Once combined, pass mixture through mesh sieve several times to ensure spices have no lumps and are well combined. Use the dry rub on wings or your favorite smoked meat. 

Pulled Pork Footballs

Courtesy of The Loveless Cafe

Ingredients: 

  • 2 cups pulled pork
  • 1 cup cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup green onion
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 tablespoons Loveless Cafe Peach-B-Q Rub
  • 1 egg
  • 25 wonton wrappers
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (for garnish)
  • oil for frying

Directions: Preheat oil to 350°F. Mix together pulled pork, cream cheese, green onion, salt, pepper, and Peach-B-Q Rub. Cut wonton wrappers into football shapes. Beat egg and set aside. Scoop 1 ounce of filling into the middle of each football and brush edges with egg. Place another football shape on top of the filled wrapper and pinch edges together to form a tight seal.

Fry on each side for 1 minute. Remove from grease and place on a paper towel. Once cooled, use a piping bag or squeeze bottle to draw lines with sour cream.

Broccoli Salad

Courtesy of Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 cups broccoli florets
  • 3/4 cup diced red onion
  • 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 3/4 cup crumbled bacon
  • 3/4 cup raisins
  • 1 cup Martin’s Bar-B-Que Alabama White Sauce or other white barbecue sauce
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Directions: In a large bowl, combine broccoli, onion, cheese, bacon, and raisins. In a separate bowl, whisk together Alabama White Sauce and mayonnaise. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Cover and chill before serving.

The Best Taco Dip

Courtesy Sinema Restaurant & Bar

Ingredients: (quantities vary based on desired amount of dip)

  • Refried Beans
  • Guacamole 
  • Sour cream 
  • Cream cheese
  • Salsa
  • Crumbled queso fresco
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Pico de Gallo
  • Jalapeño rounds and cilantro for garnish

Directions: Layer ingredients in glass casserole dish as follows:

  1. Refried beans
  2. 1/2 of the guacamole 
  3. Sour Cream + Cream Cheese Mixture (Combine equal parts sour cream and room temperature cream cheese with cumin, chopped cilantro, and diced jalapeños. Mix until smooth. 
  4. Remaining guacamole 
  5. Salsa
  6. Pico de Gallo 
  7. Crumbled queso fresco and cheddar cheese
  8. Garnishes ( jalapeño rounds, chopped cilantro, drizzle with any leftover salsa used in the 5th layer) 

Chill the dip, serve, and enjoy with your favorite chips. 

Pimento Cheese Dip

Courtesy of The Countrypolitan Bar & Kitchen

Cheese dip is always a crowd favorite, and Bill Bacelieri, the general manager of The Countrypolitan Bar & Kitchen, has the perfect recipe to whip one up. Serve it warm and with whatever sides you like, such as Bavarian pretzels or fresh vegetables. 

Ingredients: 

  • 3/4 Cup Peppadew peppers squeezed dry and chopped to small dice.
  • 1 pound Cream cheese softened in microwave for 1 minutes
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 cup roasted garlic puree
  • 2 teaspoons Blackening seasoning or Cajun seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoons cayenne

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a stand mixer with a whip attachment or mix by hand with a fork or potato masher. Serve at room temperature or Heat till warm in the microwave or oven. (Do not overheat). Serve with Bavarian Pretzels, fresh vegetables or other dipping snacks.