Recipe Review

Of Course Ina Garten Has the Best Cocktail Recipe for Super Bowl Sunday

updated Feb 24, 2021
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Ina Garten knows how to celebrate. The Barefoot Contessa made her name teaching people the proper way to cook up a party for any occasion, from major holidays like Christmas to lesser ones like “It’s a Saturday afternoon in summer.” So even though she seems like someone who would be more interested in watching the Puppy Bowl than football, she never misses a chance to help make her fans’ celebrations taste better. Today she offered up a cocktail recipe to pair perfectly with all the salty snacks this weekend. 

She suggests “some cool and refreshing Frozen Palomas,” which make good game-day drinks because you can make them ahead of time in a big batch and keep them in the freezer until you need a refill, rather than having to keep mixing. In fact, you’ll want to get started making it on Saturday, since the recipe, which she has on her website and comes from her most recent book Modern Comfort Food, calls for mixing grapefruit juice, tequila, lime juice, and simple syrup, then freezing it overnight. Then, when you’re ready to drink, you break it up with a fork, and blend it with ice and salt. 

Get the recipe: Frozen Palomas

A few weeks ago, she also gave her snack suggestion from the same book: a spin on the classic football fiesta food of nachos that gussies them up with lump crabmeat.  She stirs together the crab with cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream, then flavors it with scallions, chiles, lime zest, salt, and pepper. This gets spooned on top of the chips, along with two types of cheese and pickled jalapeños, then the whole thing gets baked in the oven. When they’re done, you top them with a mix of tomatoes, peppers, and avocado.

Get the recipe: Fresh Crab Nachos

As always, Ina gives the classiest spin without deviating from the traditional style for the event, though both of these would make an excellent option for any given Sunday — no big games necessary.