The only guacamole you need, plus recipes for using those extra avocados

If you wake up this morning and think to yourself, “Oh yeah, it’s the Super Bowl and I have nothing to serve!” don’t worry; the easiest thing you can do is go out and buy some guacamole and tortilla chips. And luckily for you, I’ve done the very hard work of tasting a variety of grocery deli guacamoles so you can pick the one that’s right for you.

But if you’re like, “Please, I’ll make my own,” then I’ve also got you covered with my partner’s recipe for guacamole that’s so packed with lime juice, your cheeks will tingle with each bite. To make that guacamole day-of, you’re going to have to do the usual song-and-dance of buying too many avocados in the hopes of getting some ripe ones. So once you’ve made your guac (and it makes a lot), take those leftover less-than-ripe avocados and put them to use the rest of the week, which, by the time you need them, will be perfectly ripe.

Spoon some chunks of avocados over chicken thighs and kale in this simple braise. Purée some with garlic, lemon juice and tahini to make a hummus-inspired spread for toast. Chop one up and fold it into a warm breakfast burrito. Or toss one with big chunks of tomato and red onion to make a salad-like version of guacamole to serve with thinly sliced steak and tortillas.

Extra Limey Guacamole

The aggressive acidity of the lime juice and the pungency of the raw red onions work together to cut through the fattiness of the avocados, and all of that is balanced by the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes. The amount of lime juice here also keeps the guacamole bright green for a long time.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 15 minutes.

(Silvia Razgova/For The Times)

Brine-Braised Chicken Thighs With Kale And Avocado

The chicken in this dish is baked in olive brine, so it doesn’t need extra salt. (Be sure to taste the dish before adding any salt at the end.) If you have mixed olives you want to use but no brine, simply season the chicken with salt before adding to the dish and pour over ½ cup chicken stock or water in its place.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes.

(Silvia Razgova/For The Times)

Momed’s Avocado Hummus

At the modern Mediterranean restaurant Momed, avocado hummus is one of the classic dishes that remains from when the first restaurant opened almost 10 years ago. The recipe flavors puréed avocados simply with garlic, lime and lemon juice, tahini, cumin and a touch of salt.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 25 minutes.

Weekday Breakfast Burritos With Seared Tomatoes And Avocado

On a busy weekday morning, you can wrap and roll your own burrito in the kitchen in minutes and have only a cutting board and a pan to wash. Press a warm tortilla directly onto the cheesy egg mixture while it’s still cooking in the pan like a quesadilla. The eggs set in the process, and the cheese clings to the tortilla, so the whole thing can be flipped out of the pan. When rolled, the tortilla and filling spiral together for perfectly balanced bites of charred vegetables, cheesy eggs and tender wrapper.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 15 minutes.

(Leslie Grow / For the Times)

Grilled Steak With Chunky Guacamole Salad

Using a packet of taco seasoning is a great way to get more bang for your buck at the grocery store. It already has a bunch of different spices and herbs mixed up for you, so you don’t have to buy them separately. Just make sure to grab the low-sodium variety so you can control the amount of salt.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour.

(Jonathan Melendez / For the Times)