Neither of Sunday’s conference championship games went my way, so at the moment any personal investment in Super Bowl LIV is at low ebb. This brief period of pouting shall pass, however; past experience predicts I’ll rally to get interested in at least the chow to be served during the big game Feb. 2. So an email in my inbox about favorite Super Bowl snacks for every state sounded like it could be fun.
Using Google AdWords platform, a study shared by bid-on-equipment.com analyzed Google Trends data for 130 different types of Super Bowl foods from January 2019 to February 2019. And here’s the verdict, Mississippi: cocktail weenies. Yes, based on Google search volume, cocktail weenies are declared the No. 1 Super Bowl food in the Magnolia State, according to this particular study. Our neighbors in Alabama are big on loaded potato skins. Beer cheese dip topped Louisiana’s searches.
I suppose I’m surprised to see the cocktail weenie take the No. 1 spot in more states than any other likely game day food. The lil’ smokies beat out baked hot wings, barbecue wings, sliders and baked nachos, and not just in Mississippi. Cheap and easy cocktail weenies were the most popular Super Bowl food search in 10 other states — Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. Who knew?
In honor of the distinction, two cocktail weenie recipes with a twist are included today — pineapple smokies in a tangy-sweet sauce, and orange-glazed smokies.
In case you were wondering: Overall, a variety of dips topped searches in several states. Of those, seven-layer dip reigned supreme. Buffalo chicken dip ran a close second. Other foods that topped various state searches included pigs in a blanket, party pinwheels, blue cheese dip, buffalo chicken dip and garlic Parmesan wings.
More reveals
As part of the same study, this past Dec. 20-21, 1,224 Americans were surveyed, 53 percent male, 47 percent female, average age 37. Results revealed that Americans will shell out an average of $174 hosting Super Bowl festivities, most of that on food.
There is more than one way to watch the game, of course. Of people surveyed, 15 percent plan to host a party; 43 percent plan to watch at home. Thirty-six percent expect to go to a party, and seven percent will watch at a bar or restaurant. Thirty-nine percent believe the halftime show is too long. A quarter of respondents said they will only be watching the game to see the commercials.
If you’ve ever thought Super Bowl Sunday should become Super Bowl Saturday, you’re not alone. It’s been on Sundays since Super Bowl I was played Jan. 15, 1967. But, 43 percent of respondents were in favor of changing to Saturday. The extra day of rest might allow for super fans to recover, the study shared, or prevent fans from having to call in sick for work the next day — which 19 percent admitted to doing.
PINEAPPLE SMOKIES
Prep/total time: 15 minutes
Makes about 8 dozen
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground mustard
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup white vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 pounds miniature smoked sausages
Nutrition Facts: 1 sausage: 40 calories, 3g fat (1g saturated fat), 6mg cholesterol, 100mg sodium, 3g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.
(Source: tasteofhome.com)
ORANGE-GLAZED SMOKIES
Prep/total time: 15 minutes
Makes about 4 dozen
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup thawed orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 package (16 ounces) miniature smoked sausages
(Editor’s note: This recipe was tested in a 1,100-watt microwave.)
Nutrition Facts: 5 piece: 236 calories, 12g fat (4g saturated fat), 29mg cholesterol, 506mg sodium, 26g carbohydrate (25g sugars, 0 fiber), 6g protein
(Source: tasteofhome.com)
SEVEN-LAYER MEXICAN DIP
Serves 8
16-ounce can refried beans
2 cups sour cream
1-1/4 ounce package taco seasoning mix
2 avocados, pitted, peeled and mashed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 green onions, diced
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
1 tomato, diced
Tortilla chips
(Source: myrecipes.com/Gooseberry Patch)
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.