Super Bowl Sunday at my house has always meant lounging as a family and voting for the best advertisements. It fits into a genre of low-key, non-holiday family holidays (along with Pajama Day, the sacred day after Christmas, when we all stay in our pajamas and play games) that are all about relaxing, being together, and eating. Just as my family’s favorite holidays are not actually holidays at all, just designated days all about family and celebrating because we can, our favorite recipes come from friends. Both recipes this week come from dear friends — my mom adapted the enchilada recipe to perfection after years of testing, and we fell in love with this salsa recipe from our friend Melanie just this year. Like our favorite unholidays, the recipes are simple, the type of food that lets the ingredients shine.

Avocado Salsa

I am crazy about this salsa because it is so different from basic salsa and guacamole but provides the best of both worlds. It is fresh from a splash of citrus, and you can spice it up with as many pepper flakes as you like — and in case you needed more convincing, the buttery avocado and popping corn make for a brilliant interplay of texture.

1 2 oz. can of chopped olives

1 can of corn, drained

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

4 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped

A sprinkling of red pepper flakes

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1-1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. ground salt and ground pepper

4 medium avocados, chopped

Combine all ingredients, except for avocado, in a medium-sized bowl. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve, for at least 30 minutes. Fold in avocado just before serving.

Serve with corn or tortilla scoop chips.

Chicken Enchiladas 

My mom is the master cook of my family, and her enchilada recipe is the result of years of recipe testing. These enchiladas have just the right balance of mild chicken and Mexican spice — they are creamy and covered in melted cheese, the perfect comfort or celebration food.

5 tablespoons butter

1 large Walla Walla sweet onion, quartered and thinly sliced

1 or 2 jalapeño peppers, diced

1 small can green chiles

8 oz. cream cheese

1 large whole chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken, shredded

3/4 cup half and half

12 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

12 to 14 fresh uncooked tortillas

Garnish with sour cream, salsa, olives, green onions, and guacamole.

Melt the butter in a frying pan, add sliced onions, and sauté the onions and the jalapeños until the onion is tender, but not brown. Add the cream cheese and stir until the cream cheese melts and becomes smooth. Add the green chiles and the chicken breast. Stir until all the ingredients are incorporated. Preheat a non-stick pan. Cook tortillas one at a time by placing a tortilla in the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Turn tortilla over and cook an additional 30 seconds until slightly golden and tortilla begins to puff. Spray two 9×13 baking dishes with canola cooking spray. Fill a tortilla with about a half a cup of chicken filling, roll up the tortilla, and place seam-down in the prepared pan. Put six or seven enchiladas in each pan. Top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and pour half-and-half over the enchiladas. Bake at 375 degrees, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until bubbling and just golden. Garnish with sour cream, olives, green onions, salsa, and guacamole.