I woke up this morning and almost decided NOT to write this post. The Superbowl is a bit of a sore subject this year. I suppose if you’re a Vikings fan mention of the Superbowl only brings up bad feelings every year, but after I had to put my Cheesehead gear back in the closet for the season, my enthusiasm for the big game completely evaporated. Sure, the TV will still be tuned in on Sunday. But more for Madonna and the commercials.

However when the alarm clock went off this morning, NPR had a diddy about how the Superbowl is the 2nd biggest food event in America, behind Thanksgiving. Okay fine. I can’t NOT talk about the 2nd biggest food event of the year. Let’s be honest. No one really cares who wins on Sunday, but we’re all going to eat. If you’re headed out to shop for Sunday’s feast or you’re in charge of bringing the drinks, today’s Find it Local Friday is all about scoring some Minnesota-made points for your Superbowl spread.

Minnesota Superbowl Spread

Chips/Salsa/Dips

• (see Find it Local Friday: Whole Grain Milling Chips, January 2012)
• Start with Whole Grain Milling tortilla chips from Welcome, MN
• Serve with sides of hummus, Snappy Dog Salsa, or a warm broccoli cheese dip.
• If you’re ambitious and have a dehydrator, try making SovereignSpin’s Raw Corn Tortilla Chips

Hot Dogs/Brats/Sausages

• (see Find it Local Friday: Hot Dogs and Brats, July 1st)
• Hit up Prairie-Pride Farm (available at St. Paul Farmers’ Market) for hot dogs, brats and sausages
•  Thousand Hills Cattle Company (available at Twin Cities co-ops and Kowalski’s) has mini cocktail sausages available at Mississippi Market
• Make Iowa Girl Eats adorable Mini Corn Dog Muffins or for a twist on game day pizza try Bratwurst Pizza

Chili

I’m not a huge chili fan so you won’t find a recipe here, but most chili recipes can be adapted to include local/seasonal ingredients:

• Use Whole Grain Milling’s dried black beans and red kidney beans.
• Try bacon or ground beef/pork from Grass Run Farms.
• Top with shredded cheddar or swiss cheese from a local cheese producer.
• Re-create this gorgeous bowl from Carpé Season: Hearty Canadian Chili

Wings (where would the Superbowl be without Wings?)

• Look for local poultry producers for fresh and frozen wings: Kadejan in Glenwood, MN; Callister Farms in West Concord, MN; L & R Poultry in Kenyon, MN
• Mississippi Market and other Twin Cities co-ops have pre-made/ready-to-bake wings available in their deli sections this week.
• They may not have wings, but Brasa Rotisserie has amazing local meats and sides available for take-out.

Beer & Wine 

Check out three local beverage guides from my posts in 2011 to find a local option for the game:

• Find it Local Friday: Minnesota Wines 
• Find it Local Friday: Minnesota Beers 
• Find it Local Friday: New Year’s Drinks