I’m not sure why, but when sports fans assemble in front of their TVs to watch the Super Bowl, major sustenance seems to be required. The big game clearly inspires its viewers to go big.

This recipe is made to order for the occasion. In fact, it’s two recipes. The first is for potato skins lathered with butter and baked until crispy. The second is for a dip made with onion and kale, spiked with fresh chilies (a variation of the classic spinach and onion dip).

You can bake and scoop out the potatoes a day ahead of time — saving the innards for delights such as hash browns or shepherd’s pie — then just slather the skins with the butter and pop them into the oven about 15 minutes before the game starts. You can also prepare the dip the day before. Convenience aside, the dip’s flavor will improve if it’s allowed to sit in the refrigerator for a while.

Both dishes can be made healthier. Brush the potato skins with olive oil (mixed with garlic and rosemary) instead of butter and in the dip half of the sour cream can be swapped with non-fat Greek yogurt. As for the chilies, I call for chopped fresh jalapenos, but you can replace them with pickled jalapenos, minced chipotles in adobo or hot sauce. And if you don’t like spicy food, leave out the chilies entirely.

Either of these recipes is more than capable of standing on its own (although if you roll with the dip, you’ll need to serve your favorite chips or crackers in place of the potato skins). But together? Touchdown!

POTATO SKINS WITH ROASTED GARLIC AND ROSEMARY BUTTER

By Sara Moulton

• 3 pounds russet potatoes
• 1 head garlic (about 2 inches across)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Prick each potato several times and arrange on a rimmed sheet pan. Cut off and discard the top quarter of the head of garlic, wrap in foil and add it to the sheet pan.

Roast in lower third of oven until potatoes are tender and garlic is very soft, 60 to 90 minutes. (Garlic may be done before potatoes.)

Let potatoes and garlic cool for 15 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut each half in thirds lengthwise. Scoop out flesh, reserving it for another use, but leave a 1/4-inch-thick layer of flesh on the skin.

Squeeze garlic out of the head into a small bowl. Add butter, rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon salt; mash with fork and mix well.

Arrange potato wedges on sheet pan, skin side down, and divide garlic butter evenly among tops of wedges, spreading it to coat all of the surface. Bake on the lower third of oven until golden and crisp, about 18 minutes.

Sprinkle lightly with salt and let cool briefly on a rack before serving. Serves 8 to 10.

ONION KALE DIP

By Sara Moulton

• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 ounces baby kale, coarsely chopped
• 2 ounces light cream cheese
• 1-1/2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
• 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno with the ribs and seeds, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt, to taste

In a large skillet, cook onion in oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add kale, increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until kale is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove pan from heat, add cream cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano and stir until cream cheese is melted.

Transfer mixture to a bowl and add sour cream, jalapeno, lemon juice and salt. Cover and chill least 1 hour.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (potato skins and dip): 227 calories,13 g total fat, 8 g saturated fats, 37 mg cholesterol, 270 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 5 g protein.