It doesn’t matter if we’re football fans or not. We have to go over to our friends’ (or families’) houses and munch on Super Bowl Sunday. Simplicity and variety are key to a successful Super Bowl party, so I’ve included three recipes to get you started. If these don’t whet your appetite, Bella Online and about.com have a wide variety.

Super Skins

6 medium baking potatoes, baked
2 Tbsp. oil
1 jar (15 oz.) CHEEZ WHIZ Cheese Dip, heated
1/4 cup OSCAR MAYER Real Bacon Bits
1/2 cup BREAKSTONE’S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1/4 cup green onion slices

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; scoop out centers, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. (Reserve centers for another use.) Cut shells in half crosswise.
2. Place shells, skin sides down, on baking sheet; brush insides of shells lightly with oil.
3. Bake 15 min. or until golden brown. Top evenly with Cheez Whiz, bacon bits, sour cream and onions.

Courtesy of KRAFT Foods

Shrimp Cocktail Spread

1 8oz. brick cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup Cocktail Sauce
1 lb. baby shrimp
Triscuit Rosemary & Olive Oil Crackers
Ritz Crackers

1. Spread cream cheese onto a pie plate
2. Top with shrimp, followed by the cocktail sauce.
3. Place in fridge to chill. Serve with crackers.

Courtesy of a Friend

Spinach Dip

You can’t go wrong with this dip. I’ve made this for years for all kinds of parties, and it is super easy. Serve it inside a sourdough bread bowl, or in a festive dish with sourdough bread bites on a separate platter.

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
3-4 stalks green onion, sliced
1 can chopped water chestnuts, drained
1 pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 pkg. veggie soup mix

1. Mix all the ingredients together and serve.

These meatballs are one of my favorite appetizers to make for holiday cooking or entertaining guests. They’re so easy to make, and you modify the recipe to suit your tastes. For instance, one year, I added liquid smoke and habanero sauce for a more southwestern flavor.

Ingredients

2 cups catsup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 bottle Chili Sauce
1 14.5 oz. can whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 Dash of garlic powder
1 Dash of cayenne pepper
1 pkg. (48 oz.) frozen meatballs

Directions

1. Thaw the meatballs. You can cook them in the microwave, per the directions on the package, or cook them in the sauce. Both methods have worked for me.
2. Place meatballs in a 9 x 13 baking pan.
3. Mix the first 8 ingredients for for the sauce. Pour over meatballs.
4. Cook at 375º for approximately 25 minutes. The sauce should be bubbling.
5. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Chef Greggory Hill of Washington DC shows 4 creative ways to serve one of his restaurant’s popular dishes, bacon wrapped shrimp.