Culver City Observer -

The Recipe Spot

Score A Touchdown with A Super Bowl of Flavor

Not only will the winning touchdown of the Super Bowl bring grown men to tears, but the big-game snacks of sinful foods will as well.

Broadcast to an estimated 225 countries, the uber-sporting event of the year is on Sunday when the XLVII championship of the National Football League will be decided at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Going head to head in the demolition derby will be the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens.

Since the first Super Bowl game was held on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum where the National Football League champion Green Bay Packers defeated the American Football League champion Kansas City Chiefs 35-10, the mother of all sporting events has evolved into a major American television viewing tradition since it began.

The history of the Super Bowl is a fairly short one. Professional football began in 1920 and it was called the American Professional Football Association. The 14- team league became the NFL in 1922 and in 1960, faced some serious competition from the American Football League. With financial ruin looming, a merger was forced between the NFL and AFL and the champion of each league would then compete in the “World Champion Game.” After the rival leagues’ merger was complete in 1970, each league was redesignated as a ‘conference,’ and subsequently, the two conferences, the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC) compete for the world championship under the single football league of 26 teams, the NFL.

Almost compared to an official national holiday, while eclipsing the focal point of Super Bowl Sunday, the largest sporting event in America is also considered one of the favorite eating days of the year, second to Thanksgiving and throwing out the window all New Year’s diet resolutions from a mere four weeks ago.

While the crowd cheers for their favorite team as the sibling coaches Jim and John Harbaugh fight for the Superbowl championship, kick off game-day festivities with a variety of snacks that include finger foods such as chips, salsa, dips and of course the venerable chicken wings.

Striking a bipartisan stand on game-day munchies, this big-game bash recipe for Layered Pepperoni Pizza Dip will surely score big and will keep them coming back for more.

Layered Pepperoni Pizza Dip

1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened

½ cup sour cream

1 tsp. dried crushed oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

½ cup pizza sauce

½ cup chopped pepperoni

¼ cup sliced green onion

¼ cup chopped yellow bell pepper

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a small mixer bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, oregano, garlic and crushed red pepper. Spread evenly in a 9 or 10 inch pie plate. Spread pizza sauce over the top and sprinkle with the pepperoni, green onion and yellow bell pepper. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Top with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is heated through.

Serve with assorted crackers or pita chips

Servings: About 12