When I was a child, my family had a Super Bowl tradition we all cherished: we went out to dinner on Super Bowl Sunday. And did not watch the game at all.

No one in my family liked football. We didn’t like any sports at all, actually. We were not what one would call an athletic people. Everyone who knows any of us are now chuckling to themselves. Or maybe laughing out loud. Perhaps guffawing. Sometimes the truth is hilarious.

Restaurants were practically empty on Super Bowl Sundays. We could eat peacefully and pretend that there was no such thing as football at all. 

Truth be told, I’d still like to pretend this were true. 

That is, however, not what my husband and children would like to do. 

So, I’ll get on board with the Big Game by doing what makes me happy: making delicious food to eat during it.

But I’m going to do it my way. I am going to take a stand. Forget the greasy, heavy, dairy- and meat-laden football fare we all know. I want crunchy, colorful, vegetable-laden fare! I want fresh and flavorful fare!! I want all the vegan and gluten-free chips and veggie dips!!!

OK, so I wasn’t being totally truthful about forgetting the greasy stuff, because I would also like some wings and potato skins along with my vegetables, please and thanks. And maybe some cupcakes with sprinkles the colors of the playing teams. I still gotta be me. But NO BEER. I’m gonna stay strong on that one.

I've never met a tortilla chip I didn't like, but I have a particular weak spot for these homemade baked tortilla chips. They’re simple to make and a great way to use up leftover corn tortillas from enchiladas or tacos. I’ve tried this recipe with both white corn and yellow corn tortillas; the white corn tortillas were clear winners. The amount of tortillas needed depends on how many batches of chips you want to make. More chips = family size pack of tortillas. Let's be real though: if you need enough chips to feed a big crowd, just get yourself a bag of Tostitos or Late July or Xochitl chips, and focus your energy on making something delicious to dip the chips in.

I’m also including links to three of my most favorite veggie-laden dips to eat with chips. Two of them call for a food processor, but I suspect a good blender would work as well. All are vegan. 

Baked Tortilla Chips

Ingredients:
White corn tortillas
Cooking spray
Coarse salt

Directions:
Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray two large rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray and set near a cutting board.

Using a serrated knife or a pizza cutter, cut a short stack of tortillas into sixths. Repeat until you have as many cut tortillas as you'd like. Place the cut tortillas on your prepared baking sheets, making sure they don't overlap. Spray the tops of the tortillas thoroughly with cooking spray, then sprinkle liberally with one big pinch of salt per pan of tortillas. 

Place pans in oven and bake for 7 - 8 minutes, or until some of the tortillas are beginning to puff and curl up at the corners. Rotate the pans and continue baking for 7 - 8 more minutes. You'll know the chips are ready when they are completely dry, crisp, not at all shiny, and slightly browned. Keep an eye on them, as they can turn from perfectly baked to burnt quickly. Immediately remove chips from hot pans to a large bowl (they will continue to cook on the hot pan if you leave them there). If for some reason you realize your chips are not quite as crispy as you'd like once you remove them from the oven, let them sit on the hot pans for a few minutes before removing. 

If you'd like to make a second batch, there's no need to spray the pan again. Lay out the tortillas, spray the tops, sprinkle salt, then bake. The second batch may require less baking time because the pans are already hot. Repeat for as many batches as you have tortillas and the will to bake. Yield: a flexible amount of crispy chips, depending on your needs.

For Dipping: Restaurant-Style Salsa

This is, hands down, the best salsa I have ever had. Almost everyone I serve it to asks for the recipe, and I direct them straight to the trusty Pioneer Woman. I love to use the leftover salsa (and chips!) in this soup.

My notes on the recipe:

• It makes an almost obscene amount. You will want to halve it. 
• When I halve it, I use only one 14-ounce can of whole tomatoes, one can of Ro-tel, and half a jalapeño. I use the original amounts of the remaining ingredients because I like a whole lot of flavor.
• If you aren't a fan of spicy salsa, skip the jalapeño and use mild Ro-tel.
• I like to puree the salsa until it's relatively smooth. 

For Dipping: Roasted Sweet Potato Salsa

This recipe has all my favorite foods. Sweet potatoes. Avocados. Tomatoes. Cilantro. Lime. And then you dip chips in it? Heaven! I think it would also be delightful spooned over grilled chicken or seafood.

My notes on the recipe:

• Red onions are usually enormous. I found that about 1/3 of a large red onion was plenty rather than the whole red onion called for.
• The smaller you can chop everything, the easier it will be to scoop this with a chip. A good chance to practice your knife skills!
• The sweet potatoes and onions can be roasted in advance and refrigerated until you're ready to assemble the rest of the salsa. I recommend cutting and putting together the rest of the salsa fairly soon before eating it. There's a lot of lime juice in it, which should help keep the avocado green. But all that lime juice could make the tomatoes a bit mushy if made too far in advance. 

For Dipping: Roasted Eggplant Spread

My dear friend Karol introduced this recipe to me years ago. I find it absolutely addictive and equally good with pita chips as with tortilla chips. I also love it as a sandwich spread. 

My notes on the recipe: None. Ina Garten is a genius. Roast those veggies and dip away happily!