12 Super Bowl Recipes Perfect For Feeding A Crowd

If you're new to cooking for a crowd, it might feel like you're catering your own wedding where the main event is an avalanche of food (note to self, that sounds like fun). So here are some super scalable Super Bowl recipes for a crowd, because inevitably you suddenly have way more friends than you would on your average Sunday night once the Super Bowl rolls around. So get out the heavy kitchen artillery, people, because these batches are about to get big.

The best part about big batch recipes, in my opinion, is that people can dish themselves up and still have perfectly Instagrammable food on their plates. It's not like burrito night where you have to assemble each serving individually, or some elevated dish that requires gourmet plating techniques with perfectly assembled garnishes and decorative spirals of colorful sauces. Save that nitpicky business for Valentine's Day, and bring on the heaps of meats and finger foods.

If you're still super presentation-crazy, like yours truly, do all of your tedious assembly ahead of time (like while the sangria sets up in your fridge) so that you can enjoy your party along with your guests and, hang onto your hats, maybe even watch the game!

Here are some morsels of inspiration to help you get started in preparing this enormous (but manageable) feast.

1. Potato Skins

Potato skins are synonymous with football season in many homes. The thing that makes them so perfect for cooking for a crowd is that everything before the final heating (with the cheese, bacon, etc.) can be done ahead of time, leaving just five minutes or so of prep right before serving. Check out this simple and wonderful recipe at Brown Eyed Baker.

2. Slow Cooker Black Bean Enchiladas

This recipe from The Kitchn suggests that this might not be the best meal to serve to guests, but I tend to disagree. This awesomely simple recipe looks messy, which means your guests can easily serve themselves without the risk of compromising the aesthetic appeal of the dish, and trust me, you want your party food to be self-servable.

3. Mango Pineapple Salsa

Having a heaping bowl of salsa is a great way to keep people full throughout the game. It also just so happens that this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker is tropical and refreshing. It's sort of like pico de gallo, if pico de gallo went on vacation in the Bahamas and came back with that mildly irritating post-vacation glow.

4. Super Bowl Turkey Chili

Damn Delicious makes a good point in this post about Super Bowl turkey chili — chili is a great way to accidentally eat some vegetables on Super Bowl Sunday. If you haven't tried making chili with turkey or chicken, I highly recommend it. You'll be surprised how little the red meat actually contributes to the flavor of the dish.

5. Spicy Blood Orange Margaritas

When cooking for a large crowd, don't forget that you don't want to be playing bartender and shaking cocktails for people all day long. Your arms will get so tired. So, consider making pitcher cocktails, like this one from The Kitchn, so that the magical element of self serviness can include beverages. Spicy margaritas are also awesome, so there's that.

6. Beer Battered Zucchini Fries

Zucchini fries are a revelation, if you've never tried them. They're almost, dare I say, better than their potato brethren. And they're also super easy to make, especially if you have some zucchinis growing in your garden. You could honestly double this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker and run out in minutes. That's how good they are.

7. Self-Service Noodle Party

This is a super cute idea from Big Girls Small Kitchen. Basically, the name of the game is filling up a table with all of the fixings for a mix-and-match noodle feast, and letting everyone assemble their plate with their favorite toppings. This is a cool alternative for anyone bored with the idea of chicken wings and chili.

8. Crab Rangoon

Here's another fun but unusual alternative to the jalapeño poppers we see every year. Crab rangoons are another easy finger food to prep ahead of time. Brown Eyed Baker says just leave the assembled bites under a damp paper towel to keep them nice and moist until you're ready to fry and eat.

9. Rosé Sangria With Bourbon

I made this recipe from A Spicy Perspective last fall, and holy cow, was it a winner. The watermelon absorbed a ton of the spicy bourbon flavor, and, the pitcher lasted almost all the way through breakfast. Honestly, if I could only make one cocktail for the rest of my life, this one would give margaritas a serious run for their money.

10. Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas

This recipe is pretty much game day food personified (or foodified). It has barbecue sauce, slow cooked meat, cheese, and you can even do it on the grill. Grilling barbecue quesadillas gives them that deliciously smoky grilled flavor and makes the tortillas super crispy. Just make sure you oil the grill grates first because tortillas like to stick. Head over to How Sweet It Is to check out the many ways to customize this easy shareable snack.

11. Guacamole (obviously)

Because you're gonna need something to dollop on top of those delightful barbecue quesadillas — make your guests a gigantic bowl of guacamole. Guacamole is always a winner, and everybody does it their own way. Check out how Brown Eyed Baker does it, if you're in search of a little inspiration.

12. Barbacoa Beef

Think how good these slow cooked beef tacos would be with a heaping helping of mango pineapple salsa on top! And my six-year-old cousin could assemble these all by himself and post a beautiful picture to Instagram with no problem whatsoever. The best part about this recipe, courtesy of The Kitchn, is that you can keep it warm all day in the slow cooker. It's like a win/win/win/win, or something.

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Images: Brown Eyed Baker (5); The Kitchn (3); Damn Delicious; Big Girls Small Kitchen; A Spicy Perspective; How Sweet It Is