Suddenly – it’s Super Bowl Sunday!

Article content

Sunday’s the day! Icy beer, comfy couches, stretchy pants – North America’s hunkering down for a reprieve from the world’s woes by taking in the sights, sounds and flavours of Super Bowl LVI Sunday.

Article content

This year, it’s the Cincinnati Bengals facing off against the Los Angeles Rams, at SoFi Stadium in L.A. Everyone’s excited, especially as the half-time game is bringing on the mighty talents of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar.

And, although an American game, Canadians love to enjoy, too – last year’s game saw an audience of 8.8 million Canadian viewers.

This is a game that’s suited to everyone – from die-hard fans to those curious as to what this year’s commercials will be (word is NBC is charging around $7 million U.S., for a 30-second commercial) to what’s on the menu this year.

Yes, Super Bowl is known for many things – but truth be told, food always plays a huge role in this exciting day. Research shows it’s the second-highest eating day of the year!

Article content

And there’s always an argument over what is the Number One fan fave food. Various sources, including the National Chicken Council, point out that chicken wings rule! But then, pizza sales, both for takeout and frozen, are through the roof, too.

According to a recent survey commissioned by Frank’s RedHot sauce, almost a quarter of Canadians (23%) reach for chicken wings when watching the Super Bowl, second only to pizza (27%). More than half of Canadians prefer drums over flats, and that a quarter enjoy them au naturel.

As for pizza, according to Dr. Oetker, Super Bowl week is the number one period for frozen pizza consumption in Canada – just over 3 million frozen pizzas were consumed during last year’s game time – higher than the average of all other weeks.

Article content

As for pizza take-out, people have put in their orders days ahead of the game as it’s considered one of the busiest delivery dates of the year. Last year an estimated 12.5 million pizzas were sold during the 2021 Super Bowl game.

“Super Bowl Sunday is one of the most popular food dates Canadians have with the sport – our customers have been putting in their orders ahead of time to ensure they’re munching on their favourite pizza and wings in time for the game,” notes Angelo Contardi, president of Pizzaville (https://www.pizzaville.ca. “People have been preparing for days before the game.”

But it’s not all greasy and crunchy wings and things – you’d be surprised to learn from NPD Market Research that the most eaten food at Super Bowl parties are veggies! People are being mindful and looking at ways of incorporating healthy eating into special events.

Article content

RedHot Caesar Wings

In the battle of sweet vs heat, this recipe wins it for the heat-lovers, hands down, plus gives a nod to Canada’s national cocktail! Recipe courtesy Frank’s RedHot sauce (franksredhot.com).

1 1/2 cups Caesar cocktail mix

1/2 cup cayenne pepper sauce

1/2 tsp. celery salt

3 lbs. chicken wing pieces

2 Tbsp. butter

3 slices crisply cooked bacon, coarsely chopped

Lime wedges, optional

Mix Caesar mix and hot sauce in a medium bowl. Place chicken wings in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add 1 cup of mixture, turning to coat evenly. Refrigerate 1 hour or longer for more flavour.

Place remaining 1 cup mixture in small saucepan. Cook and stir on medium heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add butter, swirling to mix. Set aside.

Article content

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place wire rack on large foil-lined baking sheet. Spray with no stick cooking spray. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard remaining marinade. Arrange wings in single layer on prepared rack. Bake 40 minutes or until cooked through and skin is crispy, turning halfway through cooking. Transfer wings to large bowl. Drizzle with sauce mixture; toss to coat well. Sprinkle hot wings with bacon and serve with lime wedges, celery sticks and ranch or blue cheese dressing, if desired.

Chipotle and Mozzarella Quesadillas

A riff on a favourite classic; serves: 6. Courtesy of Tre Stelle Cheese. trestelle.ca, @trestellecheese

1/4 cup pitted, sliced black olives

12 slices sliced mozzarella

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Article content

1/4 cup olive oil

2 canned chipotle peppers

1/2 cup mayonnaise

12 8-inch flour or corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a blender combine chipotle peppers and mayonnaise, blend until smooth; set aside. Place 6 tortillas on a baking sheet; spread chipotle mayonnaise mixture evenly on tortillas. Top equally with black olives, two slices of mozzarella and sprinkle with cilantro. Top with remaining tortillas and brush each side with olive oil. Bake for 6 minutes, remove from oven carefully and turn tortillas over to brown other side. Remove from oven and slice into quarters. Serve warm.

Game Day Margarita

This margarita is richer in citrus, green floral and fruity notes. Recipe courtesy Cointreau. cointreau.com.

Article content

30mL Cointreau (or favourite orange flavour liqueur)

50ml Blanco Tequila (or favourite tequila)

20ml fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a salt rimmed coupette and garnish with a lime slice.

Baked Ravioli with Mozzarella and Ricotta Dip

Makes about 24 delicious appetizers. Courtesy of Tre Stelle Cheese trestelle.ca

Dip:

1 tub (275 g) extra smooth ricotta

1 pkg. (300 g) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup sour cream

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Ravioli:

1 pkg. crescent shaped fresh ravioli

3 Tbsp. butter

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all dip ingredients and pour into an oven-proof dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente; drain. Return ravioli to saucepan; add butter and stir gently to melt butter. With your fingertips pick up ravioli and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove from oven and serve with Garlic and Spinach Ricotta dip.