Hearty Vegetarian Super Bowl Recipes to Score Big Even with the Pickiest Meat Eaters
Our favorite meat-free recipes for salsa, black bean chili, and of course, guacamole, to master this year’s Super Bowl party.
Iain Bagwell
Vegetarian Super Bowl Recipes: Stacked Nopales Quesadillas (0120)
Call it the ultimate two-point conversion: These recipes might just make the most hardcore carnivore rethink their stance. No one at your Super Bowl party will miss meat with dishes as hearty, flavorful, and celebratory as this.
How can you wish for sliders or wings when you’re gobbling up forkfuls of crispy-chewy, gooey macaroni and cheese? Or chili? Can anything that comes off a grill really compete with the perfect deviled egg? (We never promised this affair would be vegan—or low-fat.)
A dish like Blue Cheese, Mustard, and Beer Noodles is essentially a party on a platter. A whole bowl of that will induce a food coma as surely as a burger. (We don’t expect anyone to take it that far, though; these offerings are meant to be shared.)
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The roundup here includes a lot of classics; exactly the sort of thing guests expect at a Super Bowl party, including pizza (well, flatbread), dip scooped up with tortilla chips, and guacamole. There are a few outside-the-box ideas too, that we think will be well received, even if they aren’t strictly canon, like eggplant salsa and Nopales Quesadillas.
We’re certain that none of your guests will wish for more while enjoying these recipes—in fact, we’re pretty sure they won’t even notice they’ve gone temporarily vegetarian. So, shhhhhh! Your healthy secret’s safe with us.
Super Bowl parties can be polarizing by their very nature—not everyone is necessarily rooting for the same outcome, after all. But if any of these dishes is on the buffet table, all the guests will agree on one thing: You and your perfect party fare will be the big winners.
Winning Vegetarian Party Recipes
Ultimate Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Why “ultimate” mac n’ cheese? Because the sauce in this recipe is creamy, not grainy; it’s flavored with shallots, gruyère, and white wine, like fondue; and it’s topped with crunchy sourdough bread crumbs.
Drunken Mushroom Gratins
Mushrooms and Pinot make a fabulous kickoff pair. Just choose a Pinot that’s on the earthy side. Serve these vegetarian gratins with a few simply dressed mixed greens on the side and toasted baguette slices to scoop the warm mushrooms onto.
Gabriel’s Guacamole
Guac is a party staple, and this is our most favorite take on it to date. Feel free to double or triple the recipe to serve a crowd.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili
Earthy sweet potatoes add depth to this vegetarian chili. Though hearty, this meatless chili has a lighter profile—and check out the beautiful colors.
Salty or Sweet Pretzel Bites with Dips
Start with storebought pizza dough and you’re practically done—just roll the dough into strips and cut them up. A quick dip in an alkaline baking-soda bath makes the pretzel bites turn a glossy brown as they bake, while leaving the insides chewy-soft.
Eggplant Salsa
Winery owner Amelia Ceja uses this eggplant salsa to make bite-sized tostada appetizers. Make things easy on yourself and serve it with your favorite tortillas chips for dipping.
Flageolet Beans with Rosemary and Thyme
A hearty dip for your spread. There’s no need to soak the beans beforehand; they cook to a tender finish straight from the package. You can follow this method for other beans, but you may have to adjust the cooking time depending on bean size and freshness.
Greek Yogurt Deviled Eggs
We’ve swapped out mayo for Greek yogurt to make these party favorites healthier and added Dijon mustard for a kick. See recipe for make-it-your-own variations.
Blue Cheese, Mustard, and Beer Noodles
For the mildest flavor, choose a full-fat, creamy blue like gorgonzola and a lager-style beer; or go for a tangy Danish blue and an IPA-style beer if you’d like a more robust dish.
Herbed Flatbread Pizzas
A crisp, ingeniously light version of pizza. A Sunset reader loads up soft lavash bread with a rainbow-colored assortment of fresh vegetables and herbs. You can also use flour tortillas.
Green Olive Cheese Puffs
Mini cheese puffs baked to perfection and frozen until you need them for game day? Yes, please.
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