Dig into dips for Super Bowl XLIX

With one pound of Montery jack or mozzarella, this skillet Queso Fundido is a cheese-lover's dream.
With one pound of Montery jack or mozzarella, this skillet Queso Fundido is a cheese-lover's dream.

To the Patriots and the Seahawks, the Super Bowl may be all about the promise of a ring, but for many of the 184 million people expected to be tuned in Sunday (according to the National Retail Federation), their attention will be as focused on the snack table as the gridiron goings-on.

The most-widely watched sporting event of the year, the Super Bowl is also the most voracious, falling just behind Thanksgiving as the day Americans eat the most, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The retail federation estimates that much of the $14.3 billion Americans will spend during and in the leadup to game day will be on food.

How much? Well, put it this way -- if viewers stuck to their Super Bowl diet year round, NFL linebackers soon would look waifish by comparison.

On Sunday, enough Pizza Hut slices will be delivered to create a pizza train that could stretch from London to Memphis. And if 2014 estimates by the National Chicken Council hold up, the wings of more than 625 million chickens will end up in sauce bowls this year.

Then there are the dips, enough to be shoveled up by an estimated 11 million pounds of chips, according to Shape.com. In 2014, dips were the second most popular class of Super Bowl foods with researchers at NPD finding that 43 percent of partiers planned to incorporate some form of dip into their spread.

If there will be crunchy medallions sitting naked and unfulfilled in your bowl Sunday, here are some recipes to scoop into when the whistle blows.

Queso Fundido

On her blog, The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, describes this savory layered dip -- Spanish for "molten cheese" -- as "perfect for the Super Bowl" and "absolutely, positively a cheese lover's paradise." It takes only a few steps into the ingredient list to see what she means.

1/2 pound hot breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean, Tennessee/Carolina Pride, etc.) or chorizo

1 whole medium onion, finely diced

2 whole small bell peppers (any color combination), seeded and finely diced

1 pound Monterey jack/mozzarella cheese, grated

Sprinkle of chili powder and/or cumin

3 whole Roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet, cook and crumble the sausage until brown. Remove from skillet and drain on a paper towel. Pour off any excess fat.

Over medium-high heat, add onions and bell peppers to the skillet and cook until soft and golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

With meat and vegetables are prepped, start layering ingredients, beginning with a third of the cheese. For the next layer, add half the sausage, followed by another layer consisting of a third of the cheese and then a third layer of veggies.

Top with most of the remaining cheese, the rest of the sausage and sprinkle the top very lightly with chili powder or cumin. By this point, the ingredients should reach roughly to the lip of the skillet or baking dish -- don't worry, this will shrink significantly as the cheese melts.

Place the skillet or dish into the oven and bake for 4-5 minutes, until the cheese is totally melted, hot and slightly bubbling.

Remove from the oven, top with the diced tomatoes and cilantro and serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Black-eyed Pea Dip

Those seeking more guilt-free gnoshing options -- or who forgot to uphold Southern culinary tradition on New Year's Day -- should consider adding this SkinnyTaste.com recipe to their Super Bowl smorgasbord. Despite its low calorie count -- estimated at 107 per 1/3 cup -- SkinnyTaste author and "recipe developer" Gina Homolka says this zesty medley "is sure to turn you into a fan of black-eyed peas." She recommends eating it either standalone, as a salad, or with baked chips.

15 ounces canned, no-salt black-eyed peas

2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

3 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from about 1 1/2 limes)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin

A pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup cooked corn, fresh or frozen, thawed

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/4 cup minced red onion, finely diced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional)

1 medium avocado, diced

Rinse and drain the black eyed peas in a colander.

In a large bowl, combine the garlic, lime juice, oil, cumin, crushed red pepper and salt. Mix well.

To this mixture, add the drained black-eyed peas, corn, tomato, red onion, jalapeno (optional) and cilantro. Mix well.

Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. When ready to serve, gently mix in diced avocado and serve chilled.

Dave's Famous Guacamole Dip

Last year, Americans used 104 million pounds of avocados during the Super Bowl. If you'd like to incorporate the pale-green fruit into your plans for Sunday, try out this recipe from Chattanoogan Dave Martin, which he says has encouraged more than a few anti-guacamole stalwarts to turn coat.

18 ripe avocados

1 jar medium chunky salsa

4 tablespoons minced garlic

16 ounces sour cream

4 ounce can of sliced black olives

2 cups fine-shredded "Mexican blend" cheese

Peel and pit avocados and mash in large mixing bowl with potato masher until they attain a "lumpy" consistency. Fold in garlic, salsa and sour cream. Mix well.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 mins to 1 hour to allow flavors to mingle.

When ready to eat, remove from fridge, uncover. Remix and pour into large square or rectangular baking dish spreading evenly.

Top with the shredded cheese and garnish with the sliced olives.

Serve with tortilla chips. (He recommends Tostitos' Scoops.)

Five Pepper Cream Cheese Dip

Chattanoogan Katherine McGehee says that this spicy blend is the perfect dip when she wants something that's fast, easy and gluten-free -- so long as it's eaten with cucumber slices instead of chips. "And super tasty," she adds. "I'm sure the inspiration came from Pinterest, but I've been making it and tweaking it for a few parties now, so the only parts that are left from the original are the cream cheese and roasted peppers. I'm trying to make it as spicy as I can and still have people enjoy it."

1 jar (8 ounces) roasted red peppers

1 jar (8 ounces) banana peppers

1/2 jar (4 ounces) jalapeno peppers

5 black peppercorns

10 shakes hot sauce (Tabasco or other)

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Serve with crackers and cucumber slices.

Layered Jalapeno Black Bean Dip and Guacamole

Guacamole OR black bean dip? Why subject yourself to that kind of Sophie's choice on game day? Instead, try out this layered recipe from Chattanooga's Drew Hartl.

"This is a fantastic twist on a classic football food that is sure to please just about everyone at your Super Bowl party," he says.

Although bagged tortilla chips are a tried-and-true Super Bowl staple and will work just fine with this dip, Hartl suggests going the extra mile and making your own tortillas by purchasing raw corn tortillas and making your own at home.

"That's a great way to make chips that will have a fresher taste," he says.

Black Bean Dip

One can black beans, rinsed

One can spicy chili beans with sauce

1 head of garlic

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 to 5 roasted jalapeno peppers, whole (canned acceptable, if fresh ones unavailable)

Sharp shredded cheddar cheese

Diced cilantro

Guacamole

3 ripe avocados seeded and peeled

Juice from one lime

1/2 onion, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

Cumin

Cilantro

Salt

Pepper

Cayenne pepper

One package raw corn tortillas

Oil (olive/vegetable/etc.)

To prepare the black bean dip, begin by coating the head of garlic with olive oil and roasting it in the oven at 350 degrees until soft and aromatic.

Add roasted garlic and other ingredients to food processor and blend until a smooth consistency is reached.

To prepare the guacamole, place all guacamole ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and blend with a fork until desired texture is reached.

Layer black bean dip and guacamole in a glass serving bowl or pan. Top with sharp shredded cheese and diced cilantro.

To make your own chips, heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut raw corn tortillas into eight, chip-size wedges and arrange on a cookie sheet. Coat lightly with oil. Bake for 7 minutes.

Contact Casey Phillips at cphillips@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6205. Follow him on Twitter at @PhillipsCTFP.

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