So, what are you serving on Super Bowl Sunday?

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A Super Bowl means football. It also means parties. 

Really, if your favorite team isn’t in the Super Bowl, you might care more about the food or the commercials than the game itself. 

If you still haven’t decided what food to bring to the big game, here are a couple of Super Bowl-ready recipes, one more time-consuming (yet satisfying), and another easy and versatile.

Chili consistently ranks high on the Super Bowl food list. It’s tasty and filling and has several different variations. When I have the time, I like to make a three-bean, smoked brisket chili. But that’s a 24-hour undertaking by the time you smoke the brisket, let it rest, and simmer the chili base for hours to get an incredibly thick and smoky meal.

If you don’t have hours, you can cook the chili recipe below in under 60 minutes. 

I like big chunks of meat and a pronounced tomato taste in my chili. So I make a chili with mini turkey meatballs that satisfies my cravings. You can substitute beef, but these turkey meatballs come out light, and I like how they complement the chili. 

Mini turkey meatball chili with sweet cornbread

You can find the sweet cornbread recipe here.

FOR THE MEATBALLS

1 pound of ground turkey

½ cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs (plain works fine)

1 beaten egg

¼ cup parmesan cheese

½ cup finely chopped parsley 

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

FOR THE CHILI

2 tablespoons melted butter 

1 large onion, roughly chopped 

1 large stalk of celery, chopped

2 tablespoons of fresh garlic

1 large red pepper chopped (optional. I don’t add it)

3 tablespoons chili powder (add a fourth if you like a more pronounced chili taste)

1 teaspoon of cumin

14 ounces of chicken broth (water’s OK in a pinch but hurts the flavor)

1 can black beans, drained

1 can pinto beans, drained (feel free to substitute red kidney)

1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes

½ cup finely chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

MEATBALLS:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the turkey meat and ingredients in a large bowl and mix them together. Using a melon baller or a teaspoon, shape the meat into small meatballs. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet and cook for about 7 minutes or until done. Remove from the oven. Don’t discard the juices left on the baking sheet.

CHILI

Over medium heat, add the butter to a stock pot or large pan and melt.

Add the onion, celery, and garlic (plus the pepper, if you wish) to the pot and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about a minute. 

Add the chili powder and cumin; stir, and then add the cooked meatballs and any juices that remain in the pan. Let the flavors combine for a few minutes, occasionally stirring.

Add the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, then add the drained black and pinto beans. Stir together and add the crushed tomatoes. 

Let simmer for 20 minutes; longer if you have the time. Serve.

CHILI TOPPINGS

I like to top mine with sliced jalapeno (not everyone likes hot chili), grated gouda cheese (I prefer the flavor to cheddar), and extra cilantro. Sour cream is also a popular chili topping.

BLACK BEAN AND CORN SALSA AS A DIP OR FOR NACHOS

If you need something faster or as a complement to the chili, this is perfect and has just a few ingredients. Personally, I make batches of this to serve as accompaniments to salmon and chicken or just to have around the house as a snack with chips. This is the Super Bowl snack version that can also be used on nachos.

INGREDIENTS

1 large bag of tortilla chips, store-bought

1 large tomato, chopped

1 can of black beans, drained 

1 can of corn, drained 

¼ cup diced red onion

1 teaspoon fresh chopped garlic 

2 limes, juiced 

1/2 cup chopped cilantro 

Chop the tomato, add to a bowl, and add the beans, corn, onion, garlic, lime, and cilantro. Stir and adjust flavoring as needed. It’s best to let this sit for several hours to overnight because the flavors come together better. But in a pinch, you can eat it right away.

FOR NACHOS: Place the store-bought tortilla chips on a baking sheet. Don’t pile them too high, because you want the chips to be coated. Place the salsa on the chips and top with cheddar cheese (you’ll need at least two cups, more if you like more cheese.) If you have extra chips, salsa, and cheese, add a second layer. Cook in a 450-degree oven until the cheese melts, about five minutes.

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Ray Marcano is a veteran journalist who loves to cook and write about food. He’s the former national president of the Society of Professional Journalists, a two-time Pulitzer juror, and a Fulbright Fellow.  

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