"This is a staple at all of our family functions. But we especially like it when we have folks over for a Steelers game," writes Dottie Ward.

The Baldwin Borough woman says her late husband "was a city of Pittsburgh firefighter for 27 years and kielbasa was one of the things that they served regularly at the engine house. So, this adaptation of it was a welcome addition in our home."

• 2 pounds kielbasa
• 1 jar Heinz Chili Sauce
• 1 jar grape jelly (not jam)

Cut kielbasa into 1-inch pieces. Mix in a crock pot with the Chili Sauce and grape jelly.

Let simmer for 3 to 4 hours.

Serve hot.

And â€" Go Steelers!!!

-- Dottie Ward, Baldwin Borough

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"I make this dip for every Super Bowl," writes Gayle Dye of Houston, Texas, not the only person to send this recipe. "I made it for the Stillers/Seahawks and I will make it for the historical Super Bowl where the Stillers are the first team to win six SBs." She notes, "This is spicy. If you're not a fan of spicy food, you may want to try medium or mild picante sauce."

• 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese (softened)
• 1 cup Pace picante sauce (hot)

Mix together the night before and place in refrigerator. Serve with chips.

GO STILLERS!!!

-- Gayle Dye, Houston, Texas

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"This is a great Steelers fan recipe," writes Tracy Baton of Park Place. "It has the big taste that football requires, it's good with meat as well as satisfying to vegetarians. Most importantly, it is black (the mustard seeds) and gold (the rice plus turmeric). If you are feeding all vegetarian Steelers fans, a can of garbanzo beans can be stirred in with the rice. It is still good at room temperature so you can have some more at halftime."

• 6 cups cooked basmati rice (regular white rice will do but it will not be as good)
• 10 tablespoons vegetable oil (any kind)
• 3 to 4 teaspoons mustard seeds (the brown/black Indian kind, not the yellow kind)
• 3 to 4 curry leaves (optional)
• 2 green chilies slit lengthwise (if you like heat, use a hot chili; if not use a green pepper or nothing)
• 3-inch piece of ginger, grated
• 1 1/2 cups peanuts, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or cashews (roasted and unsalted)
• 3 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• Juice of 6 lemons (you can use the juice from the two lemons below and make up the rest with bottled lemon juice)
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup butter or ghee
• Salt to taste
• Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, curry leav es and green chilies. Fry till the spluttering stops and the mustard seeds have turned from black-brown to a slate black color (the color of a pencil tip). Add the ginger and peanuts or other nuts. Fry for another minute.

Add the turmeric and coriander powder and turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice and zest, butter and mix well. Add the rice and salt to taste and mix thoroughly but gently to not break up the rice. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

-- Tracy Baton, Park Place

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• 10 pierogies
• 1 medium onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 package of cheddar cheese (use 2-per-cent fat cheese or fat free to reduce fat)
• 1 Boboli Original Pizza Crust

Boil pierogies until heated through. After heating, place pierogies in a bowl and chop up so that the mixture is spreadable.

In sauce pan, saute onion to desired softness.

Spread olive oil on Boboli Original Pizza Crust, then top with sautéed onions.

Spread pierogi mix over pizza shell. Sprinkle pepper, then top with cheese.

Put in oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

-- Joe Brinsky, Bethel Park

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Chrissy Witt sent this nostalgiac (get it, Jack Hamm?) recipe. She notes, "This can be made ahead and refrigerated until time to bake!"

• 1/2 pound chipped ham
• 1 cup grated sharp cheese
• 1/3 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 12 to 15 sandwich buns

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix all filling ingredients. Spoon mixture into sandwich buns. Wrap in foil.

Bake for 10 minutes.

-- Chrissy Witt, Whitehall

• 2 6-ounce cans crabmeat, drained and flaked
• 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1Â 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small baking dish, mix crabmeat, cream cheese, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, sour cream and garlic. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

-- Carolyn Conn, Baltimore

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McCandless' Kim Laird describes this recipe, from her sister, as "SUPER easy, SUPER cheesey" and says "I did make this on the Steelers' last trip to the Super Bowl in 2005, for a party at my in-laws' house. Most likely it will be on the menu again, because it can easily be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge until ready to bake."

• 1-pound loaf cocktail rye
• 15-ounce jar Cheez Whiz
• 8-ounce package Hormel pepperoni

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread each piece of the cocktail rye with a spoonful of Cheez Whiz. Top with 2 slices of pepperoni. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they slightly brown. Serve immediately. YUM!!!!

-- Kim Laird, McCandless

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"I have been making this dip for about five years and it was on hand as we lofted Super Bowl trophy No. 5 in 2006," writes Peter Selednik of Plum. "It was there again for the AFC Championship and it will surely be enjoyed on Feb. 1!"

• 6.5-ounce jar artichoke hearts, drained
• Can of spinach, drained
• 8-ounce package cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Chop artichoke hearts into small chunks (you can chop spinach, too). Combine the artichoke hearts and spinach with cream cheese and cheddar cheese in a small crock pot.

Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top and season with salt and pepper. Set the crock pot to low for about 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

Switch the crock pot to warm for game time and enjoy the dip with bread, crackers or pita chips.

-- Peter Selednik, Plum

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"I have been making this dip for about five years and it was on hand as we lofted Super Bowl trophy No. 5 in 2006," writes Peter Selednik of Plum. "It was there again last Sunday for the AFC Championship and it will surely be enjoyed on Feb. 1!"

• 6.5-ounce jar artichoke hearts, drained
• Can of spinach, drained
• 8-ounce package cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Chop artichoke hearts into small chunks (you can chop spinach, too). Combine the artichoke hearts and spinach with cream cheese and cheddar cheese in a small crock pot. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top and season with salt and pepper. Set the crock pot to low for about 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Switch the crock pot to warm for game time and enjoy the dip with bread, crackers or pita chips.

-- Peter Selednik, Plum

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"This is a Steelers game favorite for us," writes Pittsburgh native Brian Kane, who lives in Philadelphia (and hopes to go to this year's Super Bowl). Taking 120 seconds to prep and two to 10 hours to cook, "This is the easiest, most delicious meal you'll ever taste. Chefs recommend browning beef and cooking in broth or stock. I haven't noticed any difference from the above method, and my kitchen is much cleaner! The Sweet Baby Ray's is the secret!"

• 2- to 3-pound chuck roast (or pork butt roast)
• Water to cover
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 medium-to-large onion, quartered (optional)
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, whole or minced (optional)
• 1 18-ounce bottle Sweet Baby Ray's regular BBQ sauce
• 8 rolls (hamburger, kaiser, hard, soft -- your choice)

Combine all first five ingredients but BBQ sauce in crock pot. Cook on low 4-plus hours, or cook on high 2-plus hours.

Drain all but meat.

Using two forks, shred beef in crock pot.

Add BBQ sauce and stir.

Serve on rolls.

If you want to get fancy, top with cole slaw.

-- Brian Kane

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Ray Lenzi, a Ford City native now living in Centreville, Md., spells this old Italian recipe for bagna calda cauda the way it is pronounced. "We have had it on game day at our fan club get-togethers during the month of December for several years. This fondue-type delicacy is served by dipping crusty Italian bread, raw green pepper strips and cabbage strips into the mixture."

• 16 ounces of olive oil
• 4 sticks of butter
• 4 cans of flat anchovies
• 2 cans of tuna in oil
• As much crushed garlic as you can stand

Place all these ingredients in a pot and cook until the anchovies, tuna and garlic reach a paste consistency.

-- Ray Lenzi

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Canonsburg's Elle Cowser says she's always asked to make this for parties.

• 1 container grape tomatoes sliced in half
• 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts sliced in chunks
• 1 small can black olives, drained and chopped
• 1???2 jar Italian pepper rings, drained and chopped
• 5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil plus some for brushing on bread
• 5 to 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Garlic powder, garlic salt, salt, pepper, oregano to taste
• 1 loaf crusty French bread sliced on diagonal
• 1???2 bag shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1???2 cup parmesan cheese

Mix together all the vegetables with the 5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil and vinegar. Add spices to taste. Set aside.

Take bread and brush with olive oil;, sprinkle with the garlic powder and oregano. Grill until lightly browned with nice grill marks. Place bread on cookie sheet close together, with large spoon. Top with marinated vegetable mixture. Leave remaining dressing in the bowl so the bread does not get soggy. On top of the marinated vegetables, add the parmesan cheeseand mozzarella cheese.

Bake in the 350-degree oven on 350 until the cheese melts.

Serve immediately or you can keep on very low until ready to serve.Go Steelers!

-- Elle Cowser

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North Versailles' LaVerne Johnston is doubling this recipe for her Super Bowl party. "It's always a big hit," she says, adding, "Men especially like this."

• 2 pounds polski kielbasi (sliced)
• l cup Heinz Chili Sauce
• l cup whiskey or bourbon
• l cup brown sugar

Mix all together;, put in a casserole dish. Put in oven at 300 degrees until slices are glazed (2 to 3 hours). Serve with toothpicks if desired.

-- LaVerne Johnston

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Rochester's J.P. Hamilton writes, "I will make [this] Sunday with venison hot sausage that I made."

• 1 pound hot or mild Italian sausage (bulk)
• 16-ounce jar salsa
• 1 block of Velveeta cheese
• Scooping corn chips

Crumble and cook the sausage in a skillet.

Cube the Velveeta and put in a microwave-safe bowl with the salsa.

Microwave for 3 minutes and stir. Repeat this step until smooth.

Add sausage to cheese and microwave 2 minutes and stir.

Serve with scoopy chips.

Reheat as necessary (depends on how hungry your Steelers fans are).

-- J.P. Hamilton

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Penn Hills' Lisa Newell sent this.

• 2 8-ounce blocks cream cheese, softened (can use reduced-fat)
• 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped (use whites and greens)
• Small can chopped black olives, drained
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (can use 2%-percent-fat cheddar)
• Small can chopped green chiles, drained
• 12 large flour tortillas
• Salsa, for serving

>Mix all filling ingredients. Evenly divide mixture over among tortillas; roll up tightly. Place seam-side down on a pan or large plate. Tightly cover with plastic wrap. Chill until rolls are firm. Slice rolls and serve with salsa for dipping.

-- Lisa Newell

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Western Pennsylvania native Carolyn Conn, now living in Baltimore (where she gets a lot of grief for her Steelers mittens), writes:, "When the Steelers are in the Super Bowl, I'm too nervous to eat. My stomach gets in knots." But she kindly offered this Arizona-appropriate recipe and two others that follow. She notes: "I'm sure it goes without saying, but Bitter Baltimore is pulling for the Cards."

• 3???4 cup butter, divided
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4-ounce can diced green chilies
• 5 chicken breasts (cooked and cubed/shredded)
• 1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 9 tablespoons flour
• 3???4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 4 teaspoons cumin
• 30 ounces chicken broth
• 2 1???2 cups Monterey jack cheese
• 12 8-inch flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown onion in 2 tablespoons of butter; add chilis, and mix in chicken and black beans.

Set aside.

In another pan, melt remaining butter and add flour, pepper and cumin.

Gradually add chicken broth and cook until thickened.

Add 3???4 cup of the butter sauce and 1 cup cheese to the chicken mixture.

Pour 1/2 of the remaining butter sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan.

Fill tortillas with chicken mixture, roll up, set in pan and cover with remaining sauce and cheese.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve with salsa or hot sauce.

-- Carolyn Conn

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This recipe, in different variations, was the most-sent to our query for readers' Super Bowl recipes.

• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 3???4 cup pepper sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot
• 1 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and hot pepper sauce until well blended. Mix in the blue cheese/ranch dressing, chicken and cheddar cheese. Spread into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. If oil collects on the top, dab it off using a paper towel.

Serve with tortilla chips.

-- Carolyn Conn