The Super Bowl may reign supreme among football parties, but menu offerings can easily run to the mundane. Not this year. Though everyone enjoys the same type of fare, that doesn’t mean those dishes can’t be, well, super. So dump the usual wings and burgers. Elevate your super bowl spread with the typical things embellished with a bit of flare befitting the big game.
Traditional mac and cheese? Elevate it with some smoked gouda.
Regular chicken wings? Not at your party. Try some sticky whiskey maple wings.
Regular beef sliders: I don’t think so. Try them stuffed with walnuts and gorgonzola.
Check out these recipes and more to elevate your big game menu. Which of these recipes will you use to elevate your Super Bowl spread?
Beef Burgundy Stew
"This hearty stew is perfect for your next gathering! We found that Burgundy best enhanced the flavor of this stew. If you don’t have any on hand, other dry red wines will do. This classic recipe is also known as Beef Bourguignon."
6 bacon slices, chopped
2 pounds beef stew meat
1 (16-oz.) package frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 (8-oz.) package fresh mushrooms, quartered
6 small red potatoes, quartered
2 large carrots, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
1 (14-oz.) can beef broth
1 cup Burgundy, dry red wine or beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cold water
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon, reserving drippings in pan. Set bacon aside.
Brown beef in batches in reserved bacon drippings until browned on all sides.
Combine bacon, beef, onions and next 10 ingredients in a 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 7 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender.
Whisk together cornstarch and water. Stir into stew. Cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour or until slightly thickened. Serve.
Tenderloin Tapas with Potato and White Wine Sauce
"With a luxuriously smooth sauce of heavy cream, wine, and mashed potatoes, this opulent beef tenderloin appetizer—laced with brandy—offers guests and tailgaters a mini meal in just a few bites."
For the sauce:
10 ½ ounces instant mashed potatoes, prepared
1 ¾ ounces shallots, finely chopped
6 ¾ ounces dry white wine
3 ½ ounces heavy cream
6 ¾ ounces milk
For the tapas:
21 ounces beef tenderloin
3 ½ ounces butter
7 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 ¾ ounces brandy
7 ounces bell peppers, roasted, peeled and cut in strips salt and pepper
6 toasted baguette pieces, about 4 ½ inches each
For the sauce: Prepare the mashed potatoes according to the instructions on the package. Boil the shallots with the wine until the wine reduces half in volume. Add the cream and boil for 5 minutes. Add the milk and mashed potatoes, then cook over low heat until the mixture thickens. Season to taste.
For the tapas: Season the tenderloin to taste and fry it in a very hot pan with the butter until medium-rare. After cooking, set aside to rest. In the same pan, fry the mushrooms. Add the brandy. Add the peppers, cook for 5 more minutes, then season to taste.
Slice the tenderloin finely. Place the slices on the bread pieces, add some of the mushroom mixture on the beef, then top generously with the mashed potato sauce. Serve immediately.
Beef Sliders Stuffed with Walnuts and Gorgonzola
"Like the best presents, these mini-burgers hide a little marvel inside as every bite unwraps a burst of velvety, tangy, nutty wonder."
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 slices bacon, finely chopped
1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
2 cups button mushrooms, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 pound ground beef, 10% fat
4 ounces gorgonzola (or blue cheese), divided into 16 portions
32 California walnut halves
16 dinner rolls, small (or 2, 24-inch baguettes, each sliced into 8 equal portions, then sliced horizontally)
Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and sauté the bacon until just cooked but not crisp.
Add the shallots and cook until translucent. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until the water evaporates, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and let cool. Add salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and egg to the mixture. Add the beef and gently mix by hand until all ingredients are incorporated, without overmixing.
Divide the mixture into 16 equal portions. Form into thick patties, about 1 ½-inches thick and 2 1/2 inches in diameter, tucking a portion of cheese and 2 walnut halves into the center of each patty.
Grill the patties on medium-high heat until cooked to preferred doneness. Serve in the small dinner rolls or between the baguette slices with desired condiments.
Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
"Another classic tailgate dish, but with a quirky pasta covered in a special, smoky combo of gouda and cheddar with a nip of cayenne and Dijon. Serve as a side or as an appetizer in small cups."
1 pound cavatappi pasta
1½ cups whole milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 pound smoked gouda, grated
1/2 pound sharp cheddar, grated
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup chopped chives, optional
In a large deep-sided skillet, bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the cavatappi pasta and salt. Bring back to a boil and stir frequently for 10 minutes, until almost all the water has been absorbed and the pasta is cooked.
Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients until the cheese is melted and everything is fully combined.
Serve the mac and cheese with a sprinkling of the chives and eat immediately with Spoken Barrel wine.
Sticky Whiskey Maple Wings
"Crispy, fried, sweet and hot at the same time, these non-conventional nibblers can keep the gloaters chewing and the losers feeling satisfied."
1 ½ pounds chicken wings
2 cups vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon Rufus Teague Meat Rub
jalapeno slices, to garnish
Whiskey Maple Glaze:
1 cup Rufus Teague Maple Whiskey BBQ sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
¼ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons water, to thin as needed
Heat the oil in a large pot and allow it to reach 375 degrees. Use a thermometer to guarantee even cooking.
Mix the flour, salt and Rufus Teague Meat Rub in a medium bowl.
Dredge the wings in the flour mixture.
Lightly drop each wing into the hot oil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until wings look nicely browned and crisped. Doing this in batches is recommended, so the oil can retain even heat.
While the wings are cooking, combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, black pepper and Rufus Teague Maple Whiskey BBQ sauce in a medium-size saucepan. Allow the mixture to reduce significantly, until it has a sticky, but not dry consistency. If it is reducing too quickly, add some water to thin it out.
Add the wings into the reduced sauce mixture and coat thoroughly.
Top with jalapeno slices. Enjoy with blue cheese or ranch dressing or even more barbecue sauce.
Salted Hazelnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies
"These cookies offer the ultimate sweet and savory flavors by combining chunks of dark chocolate with chopped hazelnuts. Cookies are finished with a crunchy sprinkle of flaked sea salt."
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
2 3-ounce bars Moonstruck Dark Chocolate 68% Cacao, chopped
2 tablespoons Jacobsen Pure Flake Finishing Salt
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Add the sugars and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low and then increase to medium-high. Mix for about two minutes until pale yellow in color and smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
Add the vanilla and then mix in the egg. Mix in the baking soda and salt. Next add the flour and mix on medium until a cookie dough forms, about 1 minute. Add the hazelnuts and the chocolate and mix on low for about 20 seconds to combine all ingredients.
Transfer the cookies in generous tablespoon-size portions to the baking sheets with no more than 12 cookies per tray. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with flaked sea salt.
Bake each tray for about 10 minutes, until the cookies begin to brown at the edges and are firm in the center.
Let cool for 3 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.