A Candid Guide To Super Bowl Edibles

The professional sports event of the month, Super Bowl LV, is set to take place on Sunday, February 7.

The Kansas City Chiefs will face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

While 25,000 fans will fill the stadium during the game, millions of others will watch from the comfort of their homes.

And regardless of what action is happening on the field or what funny new commercials are playing, the food is always the real star of Super Bowl parties, large or small.

If you want to put a little cannabis kick in your championship gridiron grub game, dig into some of the recipes below.

We’ll also tackle some cannabis-infused topicals for the post-game recovery session.

Safety First

Appetizers are a staple of Super Bowl parties, so the more there are on the buffet table, the better.

But remember to be careful with edible doses if you are an inexperienced user because you can always eat more, but you can never eat less.

The THC content of the recipes below can be adjusted as desired.

The Warmup

Today’s edible game begins with some cannabutter, the THC-enriched base of a wide range of edibles.

To bring out the full high potential of the THC, we will decarboxylate the cannabis, a process involving heat to enhance the cannabinoid’s interactivity with the human body.

Cannabutter
• Cannabis, coarsely ground
• Baking tray
• Aluminum foil
• ½ ounce cannabis
• 8 ounces butter
• 1 ½ cup water
• Medium saucepan or slow cooker
• Cheesecloth
• Glass bowl
• 190 proof grain alcohol such as Everclear (optional)

1. Set oven to 230° Fahrenheit (108° C), place the rack in the center.
2. On the baking tray, place a layer of aluminum foil, lightly crumpled to minimize the plant material’s direct contact with the baking tray
3. Spread ground cannabis across the aluminum foil
4. Optional step: Spritz cannabis with grain alcohol to break down plant cellulose and maximize cannabinoid transfer to the butter
5. Place tray in oven on center rack, remove after 30 minutes
6. Melt butter in saucepan heated to 180°
7. Add water and decarboxylated cannabis and mix together
   
8. Allow the mixture to simmer for 1-2 hours
9. Strain mixture through cheesecloth into glass bowl and cover
10. Cool mixture in refrigerator, water and cannabutter will separate

Now that we have some cannabutter, it is time to put it into some Super Bowl snacks.

To reduce the THC content of any recipe, substitute regular butter for cannabutter.

The Kickoff

Let’s begin our edible game with a starting lineup of fan favorites that are always sure to please a crowd.

Nacho cheese sauce is a versatile delight that can enhance tortilla chips, chili, hot dogs, and French fries for real classic flavor combos.

Adding THC to the mix makes for a winning play.

Nacho Cheese Sauce/Dip

• 2 Tbsp cannabutter
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• 6 oz shredded cheddar cheese
  
• Small saucepan

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine cannabutter and flour
2. Whisk mixture together until bubbly, continue to whisk for one additional minute
3. Add milk to the mixture and continue to whisk
4. Increase heat until mixture begins to thicken slightly
5. Gradually add shredded cheddar cheese, continuing to stir mixture until fully melted
6. Serve hot

If your tortilla chip trajectory requires something different, here are some flavorful frijoles with a little extra fire.

Infused Bean Dip

• ½ cup cannabutter
• 16 oz can refried beans
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup salsa
• 2 tsp chili powder

1. In a crockpot or medium saucepan, combine all ingredients
2. Heat until cheese is thoroughly melted and mixture is fully blended

Power Plays

Pizza and hot wings love Super Bowl parties like peanut butter loves jelly, so here are some hot and tasty mini munchables.

Lit English Muffin Pizzas

• 2 Tbsp cannabutter
• 4 English muffins
• 1 Jar pizza sauce
• 8 oz shredded mozzarella
• 6 oz pepperoni, any additional toppings

1. Melt cannabutter and brush muffins evenly.
2. Top muffins with sauce, cheese, pepperoni, and other additional toppings.
3. Broil for 5-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

The Super Bowl and hot wings are a match made in Heaven, and with these infused wings, you should be flying a little higher.

Infused Hot Wings

• ¼ cup buffalo/hot wing sauce
• ¼ cup cannabutter
• 1/8 tsp finely ground pepper
• 1 lb chicken wings (bone-in or boneless)

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Melt cannabutter over medium-low heat, add wing sauce and black pepper
3. Whisk mixture together until fully blended
4. Place wings on baking sheet, put in oven
5. Bake until wings are browned, approx. 10 minutes
6. Remove baking tray from oven and transfer wings to slow cooker
7. Coat wings with wing sauce
8. Simmer in slow cooker for at 180-200° for 1 hour
9. Serve with celery sticks and ranch dressing

Sweet Taste of Victory

When your savory cravings have been satisfied on game day, it’s time for dessert to step in to make the final play.

Here are some sweet selections to tempt your taste buds.

Infused Apple Cinnamon Puff Pastry Turnovers

• 4 Granny Smith apples
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup granulated white sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• 4 Tbsp melted cannabutter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 two-sheet box puff pastry dough, cut into 4 sheets
• 1 Tbsp flour

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Peel and cut apples into cubes, place in bowl
3. Lay puff pastry sheet on floured cutting board, roll out to 11” square
4. Melt cannabutter and brush on top side of puff pastry dough, repeat on remaining sheets
5. Combine granulated white sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg with apple cubes in bowl
6. Spoon filling onto one half of each puff pastry sheet
7. Fold puff pastry sheet over filling into a triangle, seal with fingers or fork
8. Slit the top of each turnover and brush with egg wash
9. Bake for 20-23 until golden brown.
10. Top with powdered sugar.

Rice Krispie Treats are an easy edible go-to that will be a hit at your Super Bowl party.

If you are the adventurous type, substitute your favorite cereal for the Rice Krispies and add sprinkles and other toppings and tasty mix-ins.

Canna-Rice Krispies Treats

• 3 Tbsp cannabutter
• 10 oz package marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal, or other cereal if desired

1. Coat 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan with cooking spray
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over a low heat
3. Add marshmallows and stir until fully mixed
4. Remove from heat and add cereal
5. Stir until cereal is well-coated
6. Transfer mixture to baking pan
7. Press into place evenly with buttered spatula or wax paper
8. Cool and cut into squares

And what cannabis-infused Super Bowl party would be complete without the delicious longtime champion of edibles, the pot brownie.

This recipe is a definite power play.

Long Bomb Brownies

• 1 cup cannabutter
• 2 ¼ cups sugar
• 1 ¼ cups Dutch-process cocoa
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, substitute gluten-free flour if needed (may need to add xanthan gum)
• 2 cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Coat 9 x 13 baking pan with butter or cooking spray
3. In a medium saucepan, melt cannabutter over low heat, add sugar and fully combine
4. Heat mixture until it is hot but not bubbling, mixture should appear shiny as you stir
5. Transfer mixture to mixing bowl
6. Stir in cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla
7. Add eggs, beat until smooth
8. Add flour and chocolate chips, beat until well-combined
9. Spoon mixture into baking pan
10. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, test with toothpick or cake tester
11. If tester or toothpick comes is dry, remove brownies from oven
12. Loosen edges with table knife after 5 minutes to prevent center from sinking during cooling
13. Once cool, cut and serve

The Recovery

If your Super Bowl plans involve throwing a football around the backyard and possibly getting tackled, here are some cannabis-infused products that can help you recover.

I recently received a few sample items from Papa & Barkley and Curaleaf, a muscle cream, a tincture, and a balm; perfect items for the occasion.

Curaleaf’s Relieve Muscle Cream

I first topical that I tried was the Curaleaf Relieve Muscle Cream, made with menthol, shea butter aloe vera leaf juice, and 600 milligrams of cannabidiol (CBD)

While I don’t play football, but I do keep busy with a healthy amount of exercise and outdoor activity, which sometimes comes with minor injuries.

I applied a small amount to problem areas on my left elbow and bicep that have been bothering me for some time.

I noticed a reduction in discomfort in my elbow and bicep within 10-20 minutes of applying the muscle cream.

I expect to experience similar results with continued use.

Throw the Long Balm

The next product that I tried was Papa &

Papa & Barkley’s Releaf Balm

Barkey’s Releaf Balm, made with a blend of essential oils, Vitamin E oil, coconut oil, beeswax, and a 1:3 mixture of THC and CBD.

I applied a small amount of Releaf Balm to the joints on my left hand, where I experience some chronic pain and stiffness from my years of playing music, grading diamonds, and other physical activities.

The balm appeared to work very quickly as I noticed that my fingers were less stiff and sore after about fifteen minutes.

I experienced positive results with the Curaleaf Muscle Cream and Papa & Barkley’s Releaf Balm, with both products providing relief for muscle and joint pain.

Tincture Time

I also received a small bottle of Papa & Barkley’s whole plant, solvent-free Releaf Tincture, which is infused with CBD and THC.

Papa & Barkley’s Releaf Tincture

While there is THC along with the CBD in the Releaf Tincture, don’t expect to get much of a high off it as it is in a 30:1 ratio.

A single 0.25-milliliter dose of the tincture contains approximately 8 milligrams of CBD and 0.25 milligrams of THC.

I held a single dropper-full of the tincture under my tongue for 15 seconds before swallowing.

The alcohol-free tincture had a bit of a nutty flavor, but the taste was smooth, and the effects were subtle once they kicked in.

Though there is not enough THC in a dose to get anyone high, the CBD does facilitate an elevated sense of relaxation.

The football game on Sunday will not end in a tie, but with edibles at your party, it will end with you high.