Food, glorious food is the star of Super Bowl Sunday

It's less than a week before the Big Game in Indianapolis. And football fans are gearing up for the action on the field and in their kitchens.

Whether you're rooting for the New York Giants or the New England Patriots, there'll be plenty of feasting going on at home parties, restaurants and tailgating events on Super Bowl Sunday.

"It's another holiday in the middle of winter. And it's a good way to break up the winter doldrums," said Tom Strzelczyk, chef at Van Til's in Hammond.

Strzelczyk has presided over many Super Bowl parties and catered many Big Game affairs through the years.

"If people are celebrating at home, simple is the key," Strzelczyk said. Everything from pulled pork and assorted sandwiches, pizza and dips work for the party menu. "It's a day for salt and fat," he said, laughing.

Sara Bonisteel, senior editor at Epicurious.com, the online food and recipe site, also believes in simplicity when it comes to food preparation.

"First and foremost, it should be easy," Bonisteel said. She added party hosts should look for items with components that can be prepared ahead of time.

Items such as meatballs and chicken wings fit that category of ease, she said. Home cooks can make sauces ahead of time and form the meatballs a few days in advance.

Bonisteel said the staff at Epicurious.com spoke with the owners of The Meatball Shop in New York City for some recipe ideas. They came up with not only a traditional rendition but a meatball sub recipe, vegetarian and buffalo chicken meatballs.

"(Meatballs) can be made a couple of days before the game, then you can freeze them and heat them up," she said.

Bonisteel added party hosts might also want to theme their food choices to the competing team's home regions. This year it's New York against New England.

"We did a team menu," she said, about food items the Epicurious staff thought would be appropriate themed-fare.

For New York, suggestions include soft pretzels, New York-style pizza, Italian sausage rolls; New York strip loin and of course, New York-style cheese cake. And don't forget any big or "giant" foods.

Boston fans may want to fill their tables with items such as New England clam chowder; Boston Marathon chili; New England crab rolls; Roast beef sandwiches; Boston Baked Beans and Boston Cream Pie, Bonisteel said.

According to Stephanie Robinett, director of communications for Allrecipes.com, there's nothing like food to bring people together. Allrecipes is an online site featuring recipes, food tips, menus and other food related information.

Robinett said fans who want to cheer on their favorite football team can enjoy not only the camaraderie with other fans but will be happy and satisfied with the many gastronomic offerings on game day.

"You can't go wrong with the 5 Cs," said Robinett.

That's cheese, chips, chicken, cheap beer, cookies, cupcakes and candy.

She said chicken wings are some of the most popular choices for party food and when it comes to Super Bowl Sunday, they're even more in demand.

The staff at Allrecipes.com estimates people will make about 1 million chicken wings for Super Sunday, Robinett said. She added that baked chicken wings, a healthier version, are becoming more popular.

Consumer searches for chicken wing recipes more than double two weeks before the Super Bowl at Allrecipes.com.

Among recent popular recipes searched for by food fans from Chicago and the region as well as people from the Indianapolis area include an appetizer called Polish Mistakes or Oopsies; White Chili With Chicken; Bacon Wrapped Dates; Garden-Veggie Pizza and Reuben Dip.

In the category of other fun Super Bowl food news, The Indiana Office of Tourism Development launched a contest for Hoosiers to select Super 46 Sandwiches. Voting for the Final 2 sandwiches will be open through 9:50 a.m. Feb. 2 at Super46.com.

The following recipes are perfect for Super Bowl parties.

White Chili With Chicken

1 medium onion, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 cups chicken broth

2 (15.5 ounce) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

2 cups cubed, cooked chicken

DIRECTIONS: In a large saucepan, cook onion, jalapeno if desired and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in broth, beans, parsley, lime juice and cumin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into chili. Add chicken. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Garden Veggie Pizza Squares

1 (8-ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (1-ounce) package ranch-style dressing mix

2 carrots, finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup fresh broccoli, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green onions

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out crescent rolls onto a large non-stick baking sheet. Stretch and flatten to form a single rectangular shape on the baking sheet. Bake 11 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Allow to cool. Place cream cheese in a medium bowl. Mix cream cheese with 1/2 of the ranch dressing mix. Adjust the amount of dressing mix to taste. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange carrots, red bell pepper, broccoli and green onions on top. Chill in the refrigerator approximately 1 hour. Cut into bite-size squares to serve.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Chicken Wings Five Ways

9 to 9 1/2 pounds chicken wings (about 36 large)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus additional for grilling

Sauces to toss (see suggested flavors below):

Sriracha Buffalo Sauce

Lemon Pepper Garlic Vinaigrette

Balsamic Hoisin Sauce

Spicy Coconut Curry Sauce

Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS: Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas); Cut off tips from chicken wings with kitchen shears or a large heavy knife (save to make chicken stock), then halve wings at joint. Pat dry, then toss with 3 tablespoons oil and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Oil grill rack, then grill wings in batches (covered only if using gas grill), turning occasionally, until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes per batch. Toss wings in a bowl with your choice of sauce. Transfer to a platter and serve. (You may use prepared sauces or make your own blend).

Source: Epicurious.com

Chicken Pringlers

2- 6.38-ounce cans of Pringles (BBQ, Honey Mustard, Xtreme Blastin Buffalo or any of your favorite Pringles flavors)

2 pounds of boneless chicken breast or chicken tenders, cut into 1 1/2" nuggets

2 cups of skim milk or buttermilk

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the middle. Place nuggets in milk. Puree the Pringles in a food processor, and pour into a large sealable plastic bag. Place two or three nuggets at a time in the bag and shake to coat. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, and place the well-coated nuggets in a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove and let stand, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes to crisp.

Source: Pringles