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Super Bowl party planner

Chili and baked wings for the main event, buffalo chicken dip, seven-layer dip, guacamole, slow-cooker queso, skillet cornbread and brownies made ahead.

The NFL sets the date (lately the second Sunday in February) and kickoff is usually about 6:30 pm Eastern. Set the time food goes out.

12 people · Sunday, February 14 · served at 6:00 pm · start cooking at 3:23 pm on the day (plus the day before)

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Everything fits: 1 oven and 4 burners are enough for this plan.

Cooking timeline

Worked back from serving time using each recipe's own steps and timers. Step links open the recipe at that step.

Days ahead: your make-ahead plan

Dishes ticked "Make it ahead" go on the day before, and up to 3 days before when a day already holds about 3 hours of work and the dish keeps (its own storage note says how long).

  1. The day before: Saturday, February 13

  2. On the day: Sunday, February 14

Could also be made ahead: Cornbread (up to 2 days). Tick "Make it ahead" to move it.

What the recipes say you can do ahead

Make-ahead notes from the recipes

Up to 2 days ahead (from Fri, Feb 12)

  • Queso Dip: Cook the chorizo up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate.

A day ahead (Sat, Feb 13)

  • Buffalo Chicken Dip: Assemble, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer from cold.
  • Seven-Layer Dip: Build it up to 8 hours ahead and keep it cold.
  • Brownies: Wrap the uncut slab tightly and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then cut.

Any time ahead

  • Chili: Chili tastes even better the next day, so make it ahead and reheat until steaming.

The day before: Saturday, February 13

  1. BrowniesStovetop: step 2, about 2 min
  2. BrowniesHeat the oven to 350°F
  3. BrowniesPrep: step 3, about 3 min
  4. BrowniesWhisk hard, 1 min (step 6)
  5. BrowniesPrep: steps 7–8, about 5 min
  6. BrowniesBake at 350°F, 28 min (step 9)
  7. BrowniesCool, 2 hr (step 10)
  8. BrowniesPrep: step 11, about 3 min

Hour by hour

  1. Buffalo Chicken DipHeat the oven to 350°F
  2. Buffalo Chicken DipPrep: steps 2–5, about 7 min
  3. Buffalo Chicken DipBake at 350°F, 20 min (step 6)
  4. Buffalo Chicken DipReady 2 hr early: it waits happily at room temperature
  5. CornbreadHeat the oven to 425°F
  6. Queso DipCook chorizo, 8 min (step 1)
  7. Queso DipPrep: steps 2–3, about 8 min
  8. CornbreadHeat skillet at 425°F, 10 min (step 1)
  9. Queso DipMelt (LOW), 1 hr 30 min (step 4)
  10. ChiliBrown beef, 8 min (step 1)
  11. CornbreadStovetop: step 4, about 3 min
  12. CornbreadBake at 425°F, 20 min (step 7)
  13. ChiliSoften veggies, 5 min (step 2)
  14. ChiliToast spices, 1 min (step 3)
  15. ChiliStovetop: step 4, about 12 min
  16. Chicken WingsHeat the oven to 425°F
  17. ChiliSimmer, 1 hr (step 5)
  18. CornbreadReady 1 hr early: it waits happily at room temperature
  19. Chicken WingsPrep: steps 2–4, about 6 min
  20. Chicken WingsBake at 425°F, 29 min (step 5)
  21. Seven-Layer DipPrep: steps 1–7, about 18 min
  22. Seven-Layer DipChill, 30 min (step 8)
  23. Chicken WingsBake at 425°F, 20 min (step 6)
  24. Chicken WingsSimmer glaze, 3 min (step 7)
  25. GuacamolePrep: steps 1–4, about 10 min
  26. Queso DipPrep: steps 5–6, about 7 min
  27. ChiliPrep: step 6, about 6 min
  28. Chicken WingsThicken, 1 min (step 8)
  29. Chicken WingsPrep: step 9, about 3 min
  30. EveryoneFood is out for the game
  31. EveryoneLeftovers in the fridge by now (2-hour rule)

How much to make for 12 people

Change "People" above and every dish, batch and the shopping list follow. The 2 mains split the 12 servings; every side and bread is made for everyone.

DishServingsBatchesMakesSpare
ChiliMain6of 12, shared182
Chicken WingsMain6of 12, shared1½60
Buffalo Chicken DipSnack121½153
Seven-Layer DipSnack121120
GuacamoleSnack122120
Queso DipSnack121120
CornbreadBread122208
BrowniesDessert121164

Oven schedule and stovetop

One row per dish, from its own temperatures and times. An oven holds 2 racks; dishes within 25°F can share it (the plan says which temperature to keep), anything else that overlaps is flagged.

The oven on the day

3 pm4 pm5 pm6 pm Buffalo Chicken Dip350°FCornbread425°FChicken Wings425°F
The oven on the day
WhenDishOvenRacksStatus
3:23 pm–3:58 pmBuffalo Chicken Dip350°F1 of 2Fits
4:02 pm–4:55 pmCornbread425°F1 of 2Fits
4:52 pm–5:56 pmChicken Wings425°F2 of 2Fits

Busiest stovetop moment: 3 burners at 4:28 pm (you have 4).

Food safety

  • Chili: 160°F in the thickest part.
  • Chicken Wings: 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost thigh, not touching bone.
  • Queso Dip: 160°F in the thickest part.
  • Keep hot food at 140°F or hotter and cold food at 40°F or colder; food shouldn't sit out more than 2 hours.
  • Reheat leftovers to 165°F. Most leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge.

Safe temperatures follow the USDA safe minimum internal temperature chart. Check with an instant-read thermometer.

Game-day food sits out: keep hot dips in a slow cooker on warm and cold dips over ice, and swap in fresh bowls rather than topping up ones that have been out.

Shopping list

59 items, merged across the menu, scaled to your headcount and rounded up.

Produce

  • Classic Seven-Layer Dip
  • Classic Seven-Layer Dip
  • Classic Chunky Guacamole, Slow-Cooker Chorizo Queso Dip
  • Crispy Oven-Baked Honey Garlic Wings
  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili, Crispy Oven-Baked Honey Garlic Wings
  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili
  • Crispy Oven-Baked Honey Garlic Wings, Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip, Classic Seven-Layer Dip
  • Classic Chunky Guacamole
  • Classic Seven-Layer Dip, Classic Chunky Guacamole
  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili
  • Classic Chunky Guacamole
  • Classic Chunky Guacamole
  • Classic Chunky Guacamole

Dairy and eggs

  • Crispy-Edged Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread
  • Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip, Classic Seven-Layer Dip
  • Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip
  • Crispy-Edged Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread, Fudgy One-Bowl Cocoa Brownies
  • Slow-Cooker Chorizo Queso Dip
  • Slow-Cooker Chorizo Queso Dip
  • Classic Seven-Layer Dip
  • Crispy-Edged Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread, Fudgy One-Bowl Cocoa Brownies
  • Slow-Cooker Chorizo Queso Dip

Meat and seafood

  • Crispy Oven-Baked Honey Garlic Wings
  • Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip
  • Slow-Cooker Chorizo Queso Dip
  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili

Pantry

  • Crispy-Edged Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread, Fudgy One-Bowl Cocoa Brownies
  • Crispy Oven-Baked Honey Garlic Wings, Crispy-Edged Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread
  • Crispy-Edged Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread
  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili
  • Fudgy One-Bowl Cocoa Brownies
  • Crispy Oven-Baked Honey Garlic Wings
  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili
  • Slow-Cooker Chorizo Queso Dip
  • Crispy-Edged Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread, Fudgy One-Bowl Cocoa Brownies
  • Crispy Oven-Baked Honey Garlic Wings
  • Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip
  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili
  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili
  • Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip
  • Classic Seven-Layer Dip
  • Crispy Oven-Baked Honey Garlic Wings
  • Classic Seven-Layer Dip
  • Fudgy One-Bowl Cocoa Brownies
  • Classic Seven-Layer Dip
  • Crispy Oven-Baked Honey Garlic Wings
  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili
  • Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip, Classic Seven-Layer Dip, Classic Chunky Guacamole, Slow-Cooker Chorizo Queso Dip
  • Fudgy One-Bowl Cocoa Brownies
  • Crispy-Edged Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread

Spices

  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili
  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili, Classic Seven-Layer Dip
  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili
  • Classic Seven-Layer Dip
  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili, Classic Seven-Layer Dip, Slow-Cooker Chorizo Queso Dip
  • Crispy Oven-Baked Honey Garlic Wings
  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili
  • Fudgy One-Bowl Cocoa Brownies

Other

  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili
Already have it? (3)
  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili, Crispy Oven-Baked Honey Garlic Wings, Classic Seven-Layer Dip, Classic Chunky Guacamole, Crispy-Edged Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread, Fudgy One-Bowl Cocoa Brownies
  • Classic Beef and Bean Chili, Fudgy One-Bowl Cocoa Brownies
  • Crispy Oven-Baked Honey Garlic Wings
How the plan is worked out
  • Mains and desserts are shared: two pies for 12 people means each pie serves about half. Every side and bread serves everyone, so expect leftovers.
  • Batches round up (whole batches for baked things). A big roast is one piece scaled by weight; a whole turkey's roasting time follows USDA's timetable for its weight.
  • An oven holds 2 racks: a roasting pan fills it, sheet pans take a rack each and baking dishes go two to a rack. Dishes within 25°F of each other can share an oven.
  • Hot sides finish within 30 minutes of dinner (longer when the recipe says it keeps warm); breads, desserts and cold dishes can finish any time that day. When a dish doesn't fit near dinner and its recipe says how to reheat it, it's cooked earlier and reheated.
  • Untimed steps share the recipe's prep time; ovens get 15 minutes to heat. Real kitchens vary, so check doneness as each recipe says.