Are you ready to kick off Super Bowl Sunday in style with these awesome recipes? From smoky appetizers to savory sliders, I’ve got grilled dishes that will have your guests cheering for more!
It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned pro or just a newbie with the grill, all these FAN-tastic treats are drool-worthy enough to make your next Super Bowl Sunday one for the books.
1. Beer Cheese Dip With Smoked Sausage & Chili Peppers
Starting with this beer cheese dip with smoked sausage and chili peppers…
It has beer. It has melty cheese. It has sausages. Plus, it has chilis — all of which make up a recipe for greatness, and here’s how you can make this dish at home.
First up, get your main ingredients, including half a pound of ground hot Italian sausages (crumbled into chunks) and four Hatch chili peppers.
For your beer cheese dip, here’s what you’ll need: a tablespoon of butter, a third cup of chopped red onion, a teaspoon of flour, a cup of beer (choose from Pilsner, Amber, or Kolsch), and a lot of cheese.
For the cheese part, you’ll need a cup each of shredded smoked cheddar and sharp cheddar. Plus, get an ounce of cream cheese and two teaspoons of Dijon mustard.
After securing the goods, the next step is to smoke your sausage and chilis. So, preheat your smoker and put in your hardwood of choice.
I usually use oak wood since it complements the sausage and chili peppers perfectly.
Once your smoker is hot enough, place your sausage bits on a baking sheet and place them on the smoker for about an hour to an hour and a half.
While your sausage is cooking, cut your chilis in half, remove all the seeds and stems, and place them directly on your smoker for up to two hours.
You can go longer if you like, but don’t leave them too long because the chilis may dry out. So, just be careful.
When the timer’s done, take your chilis and sausages out of the heat. Let them cool down a bit before dicing them into smaller pieces. Then, reserve about a third cup of your smoked chilis for your dip.
To make the dip, warm the butter in a pot and add in your chopped onion. Stir it for about six minutes or until the onion softens.
Now, add the smoked chili peppers and sausages you prepared earlier. Cook them together, remembering to stir as frequently as possible.
After four minutes, add your flour to thicken the mixture. But, if you’re out of flour, cornstarch works just as well.
Once your dip is coming together nicely, pour in your beer and wait until the mixture starts to bubble
When that happens, drop fistfuls of your cheese and a bit of Dijon mustard. Wait until the cheese has melted completely before serving this dip.
Pair it with chips, soft pretzels, baguette slices, or any sides you want, and you’re ready to dig in.
This is truly a great way to start the list… and believe me, it’s only going to go uphill from here.
2. Salt & Pepper Drumsticks
When you’re drafting a list of grilled dishes for Super Bowl Sunday, there are certain criteria you need to meet.
(1) You should offer a variety of finger foods, (2) Appetizers and main courses should be easy to bring around and eat even when standing up, and (3) They should all be jampacked with color and flavor.
With these points in mind, don’t you think that salt & pepper drumsticks are a perfect fit? I just know that this recipe will make a great addition to your menu.
So, to get started, grab a tablespoon of olive oil (and a little more for brushing the grill), 12 chicken drumsticks, a tablespoon each of black peppercorns and chipotle sea salt, and six crushed garlic cloves.
Crush your peppercorns using a mortar and pestle before transferring them to a bowl. Then, add your salt and garlic to the mix. Whisk them all together and pour them inside a giant resealable bag.
Put your drumsticks in the same bag and drizzle some olive oil inside. Seal the bag nice and tight before shaking it well.
When your chicken is covered completely, place them on your greased grill grates and cook for about 30 to 35 minutes. Turn them around every five to seven minutes to ensure all sides are evenly cooked through.
Once the timer’s up, take them off the grill, sprinkle more salt and pepper on top, and serve with a delicious BBQ sauce.
Although this recipe is pretty simple to make, I think these chicken drumsticks are champions in their own right.
They’re smoky, peppery, and savory all at the same time — which is exactly what you want for game day!
3. Grilled Peach Salsa
Taste is just one aspect that makes a dish game-day worthy. Another aspect is presentation.
Of course, since Super Bowl Sunday is a special occasion, you want your food to be picture-perfect. That’s why I’m including this colorful, bright, and fresh grilled peach salsa on the list.
To make this festive dish, get two ripe peaches (pitted and quartered), half a red onion, one ripe tomato, and one jalapeño pepper (all diced).
On top of those, grab two tablespoons of chopped cilantro, half the juice of one lime, some salt and pepper to taste, and — lastly — olive oil or olive oil spray.
After that, place your pear slices on your piping-hot grill with the flesh side down. Leave them on for around five to eight minutes, or until the peaches become soft (and not mushy).
When that happens, take your fruits off the heat and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut your peaches further until you have small salsa-sized chunks and throw them in a large mixing bowl.
Toss in the rest of your ingredients and give it a good stir until everything comes together.
Overall, this recipe is fruity and tangy. It also has just the right amount of spice, making it a fantastic snack for any sports event.
Plus, you can enjoy it with some tortilla chips or add it to your salad for a delicious treat!
4. Pig “Shots” or Pork “Shooters”
If you’ve been to a football game at a stadium, you might have seen (or participated in) some of the tailgating parties. And if so, you’ve most likely tasted some delicious pork shooters — or pig shots, as others call it.
These are popular appetizers that sports lovers and game-goers enjoy while socializing outside the arena. They’re bite-sized, easy to make, and most of all, brimming with flavor.
So, if you’re planning to tailgate anytime soon or simply host a fun watch party at home, here’s a quick recipe breakdown to get you started.
First off, you’ll need a pound of kielbasa or andouille (two to three links should be enough), eight slices of thick-cut bacon (cut in half), and eight ounces of cubed cream cheese.
On top of those, you’ll also need to get two cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese, four trimmed scallions, half a pound of peeled and diced shrimp, and two teaspoons of Old Bay Seasoning.
Next, make your kielbasa and bacon cups or — in this case — “shot glasses.” These will hold the rest of your ingredients intact.
To make this, just slice your sausages into ¼” thick rounds and wrap each one with half a slice of bacon.
Secure your shot glasses with a toothpick and repeat these steps until you have about 16 cups in total.
After that, fill each cup with a cube or two of cream cheese, cheddar cheese, scallions, and shrimp. Then, finish it off with Old Bay seasoning.
Friendly reminder: your bacon will shrink as it cooks, so don’t fill your shots to the brim.
Once all your “shot glasses” are filled, set up your grill or smoker like you normally would. Once your device is hot enough, arrange your shots directly on the grates.
But, if you don’t want to make a mess, I recommend using a perforated disposable grill pan for a faster and more convenient clean-up later on.
Going back to the recipe, cook your shooters for about 15 to 20 minutes or until your bacon is crispy and the filling is bubbling.
When that happens, take your shooters out of the grill and let them cool for about five minutes. By then, your bacon and sausages should be stable enough, so feel free to remove the toothpicks.
For the final step, sprinkle each shooter with your leftover scallions and it’s ready to serve.
Everyone loves a good pork shooter. It’s not only an eye-catching dish, it also hits many people’s comfort food cravings.
5. Smashed Double Cheeseburger Sliders
Speaking of comfort food, we have to give a special shoutout to smashed double cheeseburger sliders.
Like the rest of the recipes on this list: these sliders meet the criteria of what makes a good Super Bowl Sunday dish.
It offers variety; it’s handheld, making it super easy to eat even when you’re on your feet; and last but not least, it’s extremely tasty.
So, if you’re ready to get down to business, here’s a simple step-by-step guide you can follow — starting with the ingredients.
You’ll need a loaf of 12-count slider buns (I love brioche buns or Hawaiian rolls for this recipe), a pound of lean ground beef, three tablespoons of ketchup, and two tablespoons of yellow mustard.
That’s not all. You also need a quarter cup of house sauce (or aioli), four slices of sharp cheddar cheese, and a cup of freshly grated white cheddar cheese.
I know that you can buy your own aioli from the market, but just to make it a little more fun, why don’t you try to make it from scratch? And I have a super easy recipe just for you.
To make your sauce, you’ll need half a cup of mayo, two tablespoons of Dijon mustard, a tablespoon of yellow mustard, a tablespoon of honey, and a tablespoon of your #1 BBQ sauce.
At this point, all you have to do is mix all of these ingredients together and your homemade house sauce is complete!
With your aioli checked off your to-do list, let’s continue with the rest of the slider recipe.
Slice your rolls in half but leave a little space at the end to keep the two parts attached. Once you have 12 cut slider buns, set them aside as you prepare your burger meat.
For this step, add your ground beef in a skillet and cook it until it browns and breaks into crumbles. Then, stir in your ketchup and mustard until everything is melded together.
After that, bring your slider buns back and add a slice of sharp cheddar on the bottom layer of each one.
Top that off with your cooked ground beef, then house sauce, and lastly, your shredded cheddar. Now, close your buns and brush them with olive oil or butter.
Place them on the grill and let them cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Take them out when your cheese has melted and your buns are perfectly toasted.
Serve them immediately with your favorite condiments and iced-cold beverages, and voila — you’ve just made a smashed double cheeseburger sliders meal for Super Bowl Sunday!
Grill Like a Champ!
Super Bowl Sunday is one of the most anticipated days of the year, especially for those who love sports and entertainment.
It’s basically one big party, which means there’s going to be a lot of eating! So, be sure to get your tummies ready because it will be a feast full of grilled American favorites.
From cheese dips to sausage shots to sliders and salsa, you’re sure to score big with these five flavorful grilling recipes.
