Best Super Bowl Foods | Chicken Wings| Chip Dips And Recipe Tips For Cheap Eats

Superbowl foods are in a league of their own. It is a time for stellar home creations to shine and party finger foods reign the day as Americans gather to watch the big game. Chicken wings and chip dips are the most eaten foods during the super bowl although there are many other cheap eats to serve that won't break the bank. Homemade dips can be easy to make and offer a healthier alternative than the store bought brands.

Weight Loss Plan For The Game:

If weight loss is the goal for the coming year, don't worry there are great low-fat dips as well as easy recipes to help anyone trying to maintain their weight loss goals during the big game. One great tip for sticking to a diet plan during the Super Bowl is to eat a well balanced breakfast followed by at least 40 minutes of cardio before heading to the football party. Always have a bottle of water handy and try to drink at least 64 fl. oz. during the day of the game. If beer is a must then chose a low carb and low caloric alternative and limit the amount.

Or why not chose to be the designated driver for the day? This is a great way to steer clear of excess calories as well as creating a safe environment for your friends and family.

Fun Food Facts About The Super Bowl:

• After Thanksgiving, Super Bowl Sunday is the largest food consumption day.
• It is estimated that Americans will consume over 90 million pounds of chicken wings.
• 14,500 tons of chips as well as 4000 tons of popcorn will be eaten during the big game.
• The Super Bowl is the largest winter grilling day of the entire year.
• 69.6 million pounds of avocados will be used for guacamole dips.
• Pizza, subs, and chicken wings are the top foods for delivery during the big game.

A great cheap trick for saving money on the food budget for super bowl Sunday is to buy the ingredients early, supermarkets tend to raise the prices on popular foods for the Super Bowl about a week in advanced. This will also save time fighting the crowds at the store and studies show people will follow the budget with more preparation time.

Whether weight loss is a concern or money is tight there are some cool techniques to creating one of a kind scrumptious dips that will not break the bank or bust the waist line.

Sour Cream Dips:

Purchase low fat, not fat free, sour cream for sour cream dips. Non- fat sour cream contains extra carbs and sugar that counteract many diet plans. Also steer clear from the prepackaged dips and mixes, they will be priced about 30% higher around game time and the sodium content is atrocious. Here are some great techniques and easy recipes for chip dips. serving size of the recipes can accommodate about 6 people and they are easy to double or triple.

Okay folks this recipe has been kept under lock and key but now it is time to share this all natural onion dip. It is made with fresh ingredients, no msg, and low in sodium, and created by a chef, eh em, the author..

Serve this dip with baked whole wheat pita chips. Follow the same procedure for the low-fat tortilla chips, raw carrots and celery are also incredible to scoop up this dip.

• 16 oz. Low-fat sour cream
• 1 head of garlic
• 10 oz. sweet raw onion
• 3 Tbs. Extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
• Dash of hot sauce
• Kosher salt and Fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cut the top 1/3rd half of the head of garlic, making sure that all the cloves are exposed. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and season with fresh ground pepper and salt.
Wrap the head of garlic in foil, cut side up and roast for about 40 minutes or till golden brown and very soft.
Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice onion. In a large frying pan add a drizzle of canola oil and saute the onion over medium heat as it starts to sweat and the sugar.
Continue to cook over low heat until very soft and caramel color and set aside to cool.
Remove the roasted garlic, open the tin foil, and allow to cool.

***Be sure to allow the onion and garlic cool to room temperature before making the dip. The sour cream with curdle if the roasted vegetables are too hot. ***

In a food processor add sour cream, the roasted garlic along with any oil, onion mixture, Worcestershire sauce, dashes of hot sauce and pulse till combined. Check for seasoning and pulse to desired texture.

***When adding the roasted garlic, simply squeeze the cloves out, use a spoon if necessary.

This recipe was developed with the idea of an all natural ranch dip. I was tired of the artificial aftertaste many packaged ranch dips have and I wanted a fresh approach to a classic dip that that even the kiddos would like.

***Cheap Tip***

When buying spices like granulated garlic and onion check out the Mexican aisle. They cost about a dollar and tend to be more true to the flavor profile.

• 16 oz. Low-fat sour cream
• 1 small bulb of fennel
• 1 head of garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 4 oz. package of fresh dill, minced
• A couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tsp. granulated onion
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1/3 Cup buttermilk ***
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

*** You can substitute 2 Tbs. of lemon juice to a 1/3 cup of whole milk in place of the buttermilk, just allow the mixture to set for about an hour to "curdle".

***Follow the same roasting technique for the garlic as in the onion dip,
Halve the fennel bulb, drizzle with a little evoo, salt and pepper and roast along with the head of garlic.
Cool the root vegetables to room temperature, and in a food processor combine all ingredient until smooth, adjust the seasoning, and allow the dip to sit in the fridge for about 3 hours for the flavors to develop.

• 5 each ripe avocados
• 6 oz can of ranchera sauce, ( found in the Mexican aisle)
• 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro, torn
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• Juice of one lime
• Dash of whole milk
• Tortilla chips

Halve avocados and roughly mash, I prefer my guacamole chunky.
Add ranchero sauce, cilantro, spices, lime juice, milk, and season with salt and pepper.
Place a few of the pits in the dip to help prevent browning.

***During the winter months tomatoes can be expensive and flavorless, so using an authentic can of Mexican sauce like above will save both time and money. The dash of milk will also help keep the guacamole from turning brown. If low-fat tortilla chips are preferred a great method to make at home is to buy thin corn tortillas, spray with vegetable oil and bake in a 300 degree oven till crunchy. Allow the tortillas to cool, sprinkle with salt, and break into large pieces, or just serve whole, this is a great presentation too.

There is a great debate on who was the originator of the all mighty hot wing, Buffalo, New York claims to be the master mind behind this famous Super Bowl Food. While some prefer the two-boned part, others will only eat the drummette section of the wing. If there is a whole sale grocer available in your town, then buy the wings there. Look for frozen wings first, they are cheaper than fresh wings.

Wing Sauces:

A great fun tip for a finger food like this for Super Bowl Sunday is to prepare a couple of wing sauces on the side for guests. Whether they are homemade or a favorite brand from the store, be sure there are plenty of napkins.

Jen's Famous Inferno Wing Sauce

Naked Wing Technique:

Breaded or naked wings? This is another debate among wing lovers. Naked wings allow the flavor of the chicken to shine as well as offer more influence of flavor with the sauce. For some wing eaters a plain wing prepared right is the most important step. Here is a technique that will keep the chicken moist and tender.

• Make a simple brine mixture from 1 gallon of water, 1/2 cup Kosher salt, and 1/2 cup dark brown sugar. Whisk till the salt and sugar are dissolved and soak the wings for about 2 hours.
• Lay the wings out to dry and prepare the deep fryer or large pot. If no one is allergic to peanut oil use this oil. If the budget is tight then canola oil will do just fine.
• Heat the oil to 350 degrees and fry the wings in small batches. When the wings begin to bubble and float then continue to fry for about 7 minutes.
• Remove the chicken and place in a 200degree oven till serving time.

Serve the wings along side your favorite dipping sauces, like BBQ, Inferno sauce, and classic Franks sauce. The homemade ranch sauce is sublime with the naked wings.

When planning a football party it is always a good idea to allow guests bring their own drink of choice along with some of their own super bowl foods. If there is a dollar store in the neighborhood this is a cheap resource for paper plates, plastic cups, and napkins. Be sure to stroll down the food section to look for spices too.

Another great idea as a host of the big game is to send an email or post the football menu on your Facebook page along with the time of the party. This way the party people can prepare ahead of time to bring some chip dips of their own or a signature wing sauce.