Lauren’s Super Bowl Party Recipes

I have a very limited repertoire of things I can cook. But they’re all pretty tasty and would make an easy addition to any Super Bowl snackdown.

Whether you’re the host or the guest, here are some ideas from my kitchen. They’re all incredibly casual, and many of the times are estimated. My motto is keep an eye on the stove and you’ll get a dish that’s cooked perfectly for your tastes. All of the ingredients are available at either or .

Clam Dip

Patriots fans, show your loyalty by whipping together this super easy, super delicious dip. Even when I was a kid and wouldn’t touch other seafood with a 10-foot pole, I’d stake my claim on the clam dip any time my parents had a party.

• 1 small can of clams
• 1 12 oz. tub of cream cheese
• Garlic salt, to taste
• Ridged potato chips, for serving

Separate the juice from the canned clams, and mix it with the cream cheese to get a nice, smooth dip consistency. Once the clam juice and cream cheese have combined, add the clams and a sprinkling of garlic salt. Mix it all together, and taste it with a potato chip. Keep adding garlic salt until it’s strong enough for your taste. I always add it a little bit at a time so the garlic flavor isn’t overwhelming. Serve with ridged potato chips.

Hanky Pankies

Be the sausage king at your own party with this classic, another of my childhood favorites.

• 1 lb. spicy sausage (I use Bob Evan’s)
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 large block of processed cheese (I use Velveeta)
• 1 loaf of cocktail-sized rye bread

Brown the sausage and ground beef together. Once the meat is fully cooked, add the Velveeta cheese in chunks. Mix it all together as the cheese melts, and spoon it on top of the slices of rye bread. Put the hanky pankies on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Keep an eye on them, though, because depending on your oven it could go faster. Some people add other seasonings such as thyme or oregano, but I like the simple combination of just the sausage, beef and cheese.

Vegetarian Chili

There's probably going to be a lot of meat at any Super Bowl party you attend. Even though I'm not a vegetarian, I love this lighter but equally delicious version of the game-day favorite.

• 1 can of kidney beans
• 1 can of chickpeas
• 1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of frozen corn
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green or red pepper, diced
• 1 package of frozen butternut squash
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Chili powder
• Salt
• Cilantro, for serving
• Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving
• Macaroni or rice, for serving

Chop your onion and green pepper. Saute half the onion and all the green pepper with the olive oil in the bottom of a big soup pot. Dump all the veggie ingredients in with them (other than the cilantro) and cook together, stirring occasionally and adding chili powder and salt to taste. I really couldn’t tell you how long to cook everything, but once the frozen items thaw, I usually let it go on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes or so. If you simmer it longer, it will probably be even tastier as the flavors combine. Serve over macaroni or rice with shredded cheddar cheese, cilantro and the other half of your chopped onion.