Your Ultimate Guide to Finding the Perfect Dip for Your Super Bowl Party
It’s Super Bowl season, which for food-minded fans means much more than just yards down or touchdowns scored. No, sir — it’s an opportunity to throw the most epic, taste bud-tingling Super Bowl shindig of all time.
We’re talking crispy game-time wings that put guests in a trance of flavor-induced bliss. Six-foot-long plates of color-coded nachos that inspire tears of joy. And, of course, complete and total dip domination.
With so much on the line, everyone can use a little help in that last department. Enter our nifty dip matrix, which we’ve compiled to help you easily achieve Super Bowl party nirvana. Whether you’re feeling something low-brow or fancy, healthy or gut-busting, we’ve got you covered. Check out the links to every recipe below.
Photograp: Oliver Barth
Low-Brow and Healthy
Unintimidating, party-pleasing dishes gets a nutritious makeover by adding boatloads of veggies and nixing dairy. Take, for instance, hearty broccoli hummus packed with heart-healthy tahini and hot creamy kale dip swirled with nutritional yeast and a handful of raw cashews. Even ranch dip, a Super Bowl classic, is lightened with aid from cauliflower and almond milk.
Photo: Donal Skehan
Fancy and Healthy
In the market for healthy fare to class up your get together? We’re partial to eye-popping beetroot hummus, which naturally sports a gorgeous deep purple hue; legendary chef Jacques Pépin’s cannellini bean dip swirled with cholesterol-lowering olive oil; and tangy lemon-parsley tahini. A simple feta dip is healthy in moderation, especially when paired with elegantly trimmed veggies.
Photo: Dennis Prescott
Low-Brow Calorie Bombs
Let’s face it: For plenty of us, the Super Bowl is no time to cut calories. Enter this total show-stopper of a seven-layer dip piled high with refried beans, chili-spiked sour cream, guacamole, salsa, and Cheddar cheese. Its meatier cousin, the layered taco dip, packs the same Tex-Mex punch with the addition of spiced ground beef, black beans, and zesty Monterey Jack cheese. Of course, classic spinach and artichoke dip is always a crowd-pleaser, especially when served piping hot and stuffed with melty Parmesan, creamy mayonnaise, and tangy sour cream.
Photo: David Malosh
Fancy Calorie Bombs
If you really want to go all out, give amped up caramelized onion and bacon dip a whirl. This high-end spin on the classic onion dip kicks things up a notch with help from red wine vinegar, thyme, and deep-fried shallot rings. There’s also onion cranberry pecan baked Brie, which is nearly more like a classy fondue than a dip. For a silky, refined starter, we favor herbaceous green goddess dip packed with piquant chives and aromatic parsley, tarragon, and basil. But the fanciest Super Bowl dish of them all? Caviar dip, which is briny and creamy all at once.
Need more Super Bowl recipes? Give these a whirl:
Super Bowl Food: Rich, Creamy Kale and Artichoke Dip
Pretzel Pigs in a Blanket Made Easy with Crescent Rolls
Oven-Baked Spicy Korean Chicken Wings for Game Day
