Food writers years of Super Bowl recipes boil down to these favorites

• These three dishes are a food writers Super Bowl favorites.
• Chicken wings, sliders and guacamole are Super Bowl party favorites.

Crispy or saucy chicken wings. Ham and cheese sliders. Bowls of chunky and creamy guacamole.

Rah. Rah. Rah.

In my playbook, a trio that includes wings, sliders, and guacamole is arguably the trifecta of Super Bowl party foods.  Along with a few other crowd-pleasing favorites, you can’t go wrong with platters of wings and bowls of dips.

Yes, we are boohooing that our beloved Detroit Lions didn’t make it to this year’s big game, but that doesn’t stop us from throwing a great party with some great snacks to indulge in.

Before you decide on food for a Super Bowl gathering know that it’s the second-biggest food-related time of the year – Thanksgiving is No. 1 – and finger and snack foods are champs.

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Whether you make them yourself or order them out, any variety of chicken wings from plain to saucy to spicy will do. Fried, baked, or air-fried, chicken wings are hugely popular when the Super Bowl rolls around.

According to the National Chicken Council (NCC) annual Chicken Wing Report, Americans are projected to consume 1.47 billion chicken wings while watching the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles battle on Sunday.

Sliders are a go-to for ease, convenience, and make-ahead options. A favorite is ham and cheese sliders, which can be assembled the night before and baked the next day. What’s to like is that you make a dozen at a time. And you can swap out ham for turkey and use just about any cheese. It’s best to make a double batch of the sauce that’s brushed on the sliders to serve on the side for dipping.

In my playbook of party favorites, the guacamole must be chunky yet creamy with hints of lime and salt. Not a fan of guacamole? Be sure to set out some dips like the classic spinach with bread or crackers, French onion for chips, and Ranch for veggies. But you also can’t go wrong with Buffalo Chicken Dip which has won over fans and gained in popularity over the years. You can make the Buffalo Chicken Dip the classic and full-fat way or try a healthier version made with cottage cheese which appeared recently in the Free Press’ Healthy Table column from the nutritionists at Henry Ford Health.

And so, if you’re looking for game-winning wings, sliders, and guacamole, here are my go-to favorites.

Air Fryer Chicken Wings with Garlicky Buffalo Sauce

Serves: 6 to 8 / Prep time: 10 minutes / Total time: 1 hour 

3 pounds chicken wings, thawed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon favorite all-purpose seasoning such Morton’s Nature Seasons Seasoning Blend

4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

½ to ¾ cup favorite hot red pepper sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot Pepper Sauce)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Favorite all-purpose seasoning

Blue cheese or ranch dressing

Carrot and celery sticks

Place the chicken wings on a baking tray and pat dry well with paper towels. Season the wings with a generous sprinkling of kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and favorite all-purpose seasoning.Follow air fryer directions for preheating to 390 degrees. When it’s preheated, working in batches, place the chicken wings in a single layer with the skin side up. Set the air fryer for 25 minutes. As an option, you can turn the wings halfway through cooking, so they crisp on all sides.Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in the hot sauce and season with pepper, garlic salt and all-purpose seasoning.When chicken wings are done, remove from the air fryer and place in a bowl. Pour some of the sauce over the wings and toss to coat. Keep warm. Repeat cooking the remaining wings in the air fryer and tossing with the sauce when they are done.Serve with blue cheese or ranch dressing and carrots and celery sticks if desired.

Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders

Makes: 24 / Preparation time: 30 minutes / Total time: 1 hour

You can use any type roll or bun for these sandwiches. If you use larger rolls, consider adding more than one slice of ham to each one. You can brush the sandwiches with the sauce, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day in advance. You can easily cut this recipe in half to serve 12.

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24 slider buns

6 to 8 tablespoons Dijon, coarse grain brown or yellow mustard

24 slices favorite ham or turkey (use more if the slices are very thin)

24 thin slices of provolone or Swiss cheese

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1½ teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the slider bun bottoms on a sided baking sheet or arrange in a baking dish (you may need 2). Brush some mustard on the bottom bun. Fold ham slices in thirds, and place 1 slice (or 2 if they are very thin) on each roll bottom. Fold the cheese the same way and then place over ham. Season with pepper. Brush the inside of the bun cap with more mustard if you’d like. Place bun cap on ham.In a small bowl, combine the butter, onion, and poppy seeds. Microwave until butter is melted and onion is softened, about 1 minute. Whisk in Worcestershire, garlic powder, and the remaining 2 tablespoons mustard into butter mixture until combined. Generously brush tops and sides of the sandwiches with all of butter mixture. Spoon any remaining solids over sandwiches.Cover dish with aluminum foil and let sit for 10 minutes to allow sandwiches to absorb sauce. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until cheese is melted around edges and tops are slightly firm, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve.

Adapted from cookscountry.com.Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

Classic Guacamole

Makes: about 1 1/2 cups / Preparation time: 20 minutes / Total time: 20 minutes

You can adjust any of the amounts in this recipe. If you can’t find serrano peppers, use jalapeno peppers.  Jalapenos are larger than serrano peppers so adjust to your taste. 

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 jalapeno or serrano chili, stemmed removed, finely chopped (remove ribs if desired)

¼ cup chopped white onion

Salt to taste

4 ripe avocado, halved and pitted

1 ½ cups finely chopped tomatoes

Juice of 1 large lime

In a medium bowl, combine, 3 tablespoons of the cilantro, jalapeno, onion and ½ teaspoon salt. Mash with a fork. Add the avocado flesh and mash with a fork. Mix together with the onion and cilantro. Stir in about half of the tomatoes and lime juice until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. Place in a serving bowl and top with the remaining cilantro and tomato.Adapted from 177milkstreet.com.Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.