17 Super Bowl Recipes for the Tiniest Tailgate

These dishes will help keep things festive, whether you’re watching the game alone, with a roommate or just family.

7 min readFeb 5, 2021

So you won’t be downing a plate of too-hot jalapeño poppers in a crowded bar during the Super Bowl. But you can delight in a spicy, cheesy treat from the comfort (and safety!) of your home.

This year, make a couple of snacks for you and your family or your Chiefs-loving roommate, and call it the world’s tiniest tailgate. To help you channel those game-day vibes, here are some NYT Cooking recipes that are as easy to scale down as they are delicious.

1. Jalapeño Poppers

Alexa Weibel stuffs these with a bright and tangy cream cheese, wraps them in bacon and pops them in the oven. What’s not to love? While the recipe makes 24 poppers, this might be the easiest dish to scale down to one or two servings. (Or just eat all 24!)

2. Bricklayer-Style Nachos

Credit…Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Nachos are a blank canvas, and you are the artist. For inspiration, look to Pati Jinich’s version with bricklayer-style beef, a beloved taco filling in Mexico, or Andrea Nguyen’s mapo tofu-topped recipe or Priya and Ritu Krishna’s Indian-ish nachos.

3. Buffalo Chicken Dip

Credit…John Kernick for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

This recipe is ideal for those cooks who like the idea of Buffalo wings, but would prefer something just a touch less fussy. A 20-minute, one-pan wonder, this creamy and spicy dip might be the day’s real Super Bowl M.V.P. And while the dip can certainly feed a group, readers found other serving-size alternatives. “Is it bad if two people eat the whole thing in an hour?” wrote one NYT Cooking user. “Asking for a friend.”

4. Air-Fryer French Fries

Credit…David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Air fryer hive, this one goes out to you. While these may not pack the same crunch as the deep-fried kind, these air-fried fries from Melissa Clark certainly outshine the oven-baked variety. Consider pairing them with some air-fryer spicy chicken wings?

5. Baked Buffalo Wings

Credit…Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Stylist: Vivian Lui.

The key to crispy wings from an oven? Ali Slagle advises a quick toss in a mixture of baking powder and salt — with the option of dry-brining, should your schedule allow it. If you’re looking for a vegetarian option, look no further than her recipe for Buffalo cauliflower.

6. Vegan ‘Queso’

Credit…Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Skip the bright-orange cheesy dip and try something new: This vegan dip leans on cashews for creaminess and turmeric for vibrancy. Adapted by Tejal Rao from the cookbook “Amá: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen,” this “queso” is topped with a tomatillo salsa and garnished with cilantro and red onion. Of course, you always have the option to go classic queso with Alexa Weibel’s Tex-Mex interpretation.

7. Coconut Shrimp

Credit…David Malosh for The New York Times. Food stylist: Simon Andrews.

Is it an appetizer for four? Is it an entree for two? The beauty of coconut shrimp is that it’s whatever you want it to be. Just don’t skip Margaux Laskey’s spicy-sweet dip made with marmalade, Dijon mustard and Sriracha.

8. Vegetarian Skillet Chili

Credit…Julia Gartland for The New York Times

Melissa Clark has her 30-minute chili recipe committed to memory, it’s that easy. Make it once, and you’ll memorize it, too. If you’re the type to keep canned beans, tomatoes, onion and garlic on hand, you won’t even have to dash out to the store and risk missing kickoff.

9. Pressure Cooker Hot Honey Ribs

Credit…Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

These sticky, spicy, fall-off-the-bone ribs from Sarah DiGregorio come together in a little over an hour thanks to the trusty pressure cooker. You’ll want to stick these under the broiler after you glaze them to ensure a perfectly caramelized exterior. We’ll take ours with an ice-cold beer.

10. Chile Verde Guacamole

Credit…Beatriz Da Costa for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Frances Boswell.

You won’t find lime juice in this guacamole from the northern Mexican state of Sonora. But you won’t miss it either, thanks to the flavorful combination of roasted Anaheim and raw serrano chiles in this recipe by Pati Jinich.

11. Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken With Fried Basil

Credit…David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

12. Spinach Artichoke Dip

Credit…Michael Kraus for The New York Times

If you’re determined to recreate that sports-bar feeling at home, you’d be remiss to skip spinach-and-artichoke dip. Alison Roman’s version features four different kinds of dairy, but the inclusion of fresh spinach means you can totally count it as your vegetable for the evening.

13. Jerk Chicken Meatballs With Barbecue-Pineapple Glaze

Credit…Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Millie Peartree’s sweet and savory meatballs are great over rice, but you could serve them on a platter with toothpicks, or even tuck them into a soft roll for a jerk chicken meatball grinder.

14. Pressure Cooker Chipotle-Honey Chicken Tacos

Credit…Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Sarah DiGregorio’s recipe for smoky chicken and black bean tacos, makes expert use of canned chipotles in adobo and a bit of honey in record time. Adorn them however you’d like, but be sure to include pickled red onion and avocado.

15. Mozzarella in Carrozza

Credit…John Kernick for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

“Is this a mozzarella stick in sandwich form?” The answer is yes. A quintessential bar snack, the mozzarella stick is cheesy, gooey excess — and so is this Italian sandwich counterpart by Ali Slagle. Skip fresh mozzarella for the low-moisture stuff, and use panko bread crumbs if you can for extra crunch.

16. Cheesy Pan Pizza

Credit…Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)

You could just make pizza, of course. Break out the cast-iron skillet for this recipe from the King Arthur Baking Company test kitchen, adapted by Tejal Rao. Contact with the sides of the skillet will get the edges of the pie brown and crackling. Make sure to start the dough earlier in the weekend so that it has ample time to ferment (12 hours at minimum).

17. Olive Oil Brownies With Sea Salt

Credit…Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Super Bowl Sunday isn’t just for deep-fried, spicy or cheesy dishes. Brownies are a good idea, too, particularly these fudgy and salty ones from Melissa Clark. The presence of slightly savory olive oil only emphasizes the bittersweet chocolate.

17 Super Bowl Recipes for the Tiniest Tailgate

These dishes will help keep things festive, whether you’re watching the game alone, with a roommate or just family.

1. Jalapeño Poppers

2. Bricklayer-Style Nachos

Written by Kutta