26 of the Best Super Bowl Foods, Even If You’re Only Watching the Halftime Show

Here at MUNCHIES, we know that not all Super Bowl viewers are actually tuning in to appreciate the displays of athleticism. Some of us are just here for the junk food and the half-time show. And look, we know the NFL has its problems—*cough* late capitalism and exploitation of athletes *cough*—but that doesn't mean we don't love the Super Bowl snacks.

It's time to revel in this nachos-and-pizza-and-way-too-many-cans-of-cheap-beer pseudo-holiday. If you make your own finger foods, you won't be throwing your money at brands that are trying way too hard with their cringe-worthy Super Bowl commercials, and no matter which team makes it to the top, you'll be the real winner.

The only thing you can really control on game day is the snacks, so here are some of our best Super Bowl-ready bites.

Every other Buffalo chicken dip recipe can go home. We appreciate their efforts to add to the snack food canon, but this version is the absolute winner. With three kinds of cheese and a topping of crispy fried chicken skin, this Buffalo chicken dip is the best celebration for when the game goes your way, or the perfect consolation prize if it doesn't.

The classic. The Platonic ideal of the football game chicken wing. This buffalo wing recipe calls for hot sauce that is "preferably Frank’s Red Hot," but honestly, if you’re not using Frank’s, you’re doing it all wrong.

With everyone—yourself included—ready to crush drinks and down as many snacks as possible, Super Bowl Sunday is the day to bust out your most ridiculous, most indulgent snack foods. Take two things everyone already loves and put 'em together, just as we did with these loaded baked potato quesadillas. You're welcome.

It's easier than you think to make everyone's favorite chain steakhouse appetizer: a fried blooming onion. This homemade version isn't for those with a fear of frying, but it's fun for the frying-friendly. Need pointers? Watch chef Mei Lin walk you through how to make her take on the blooming onion.

Greek pizza—so named for its method of preparation, and not its toppings—is almost solely consumed in New England, but why shouldn't it be more of a thing nationwide? This homemade pizza is easy to make, and it's chewy, buttery texture pairs well with cheap cold beer.

The homemade taco bar is the best hosting hack. All you've got to do is a little prep—in the case of these Mission-style tacos, that's just grilling a steak and cutting some vegetables—then let your guests have at it, and you don't have to fuss over who's gotten what.

When you've got plenty of snacks planned but you still want something a little more hearty, make something you can set and forget, like this easy beef chili. Put a pot on the stove and let the festivities ensue—your friends can help themselves to a bowl when they're tired of chips.

Every pizza shop in your delivery radius is gonna be slammed on game day. Instead of waiting for a delivery order that will take how long???, make this easy, homemade Grandma-style pie a la The Pizza Show host Frank Pinello. If grandma can do it, then so can you.

When you’re watching the game, you’ll want to keep one hand free for fist pumping when something good happens (or when J. Lo comes on for the halftime show). It’s much easier to do that with a perfectly sized homemade bagel bite.

You know you’re going to be serving dips on dips on dips. Why not go all out and make your own potato chips to take the game day experience to a new level? Learning how to fry potato chips might seem stressful, but do it once and you've got a lifelong skill to step up all your snacking.

There's so much indulgence in this homemade cheese dip that you might not have even noticed the artichokes if we hadn’t brought it up. Now that we have, consider this your vegetable side for this game day of decadence. (We’ve also got a vegan version that’s pretty awesome, too.)

We have no idea what football team Boston-based chef Jamie Bissonette roots for (since he also lives and works part time in New York City), but this seven-layer dip should be on offer at everyone’s party, no matter your team loyalties.

There are plenty of snack foods that are perfectly serviceable when you buy them frozen or jarred, but that doesn't apply to queso. Homemade Texas-style queso is one of those things that is so much better if you make it yourself, so don’t deny yourself the joy of this dip.

This creamy, cheesy, loaded-with-Old-Bay-seasoning crab dip is basically a crab cake that you can eat with chips, which makes it much easier to consume while keeping your eyes glued to the tv. It’s basically designed for football watching.

You thought we were joking about "dips on dips on dips?" Nah. It’s not a Super Bowl Sunday snack experience if the entire surface of your coffee table isn’t covered in bowls and bowls of dips and chips. Get scooping with this homemade onion dip that's even better than the soup mix version you grew up with.

In case queso wasn't enough dippable liquid cheese for your crowd, give your guests an old school option with a big vat of homemade fondue. Even if your friends disagree about the way the game is going, everyone can come together over a pot of melted cheese.

Kill two party snack birds with one stone by putting pizza toppings on your nachos. When the game gets tense and the rivalries amp up, think of these supreme pizza nachos as snack diplomacy because everyone agrees on pizza and nachos.

Yeah, you could serve all of the parts of these carne asada fries separately: perfect homemade fries, some steak, a bowl of guacamole. But then again, what did we say about going big on game day? Do it up with these loaded fries as you cheer your team—and your appetite—to victory.

This slider recipe yields 22 mini-burgers, but we’ll let you decide how many full-size burgers that equates to. Scale this recipe up to your heart’s content but make more than you think you'll need—once the game gets going, you'll quickly lose track of how many sliders you've had.

Why is it so satisfying to eat potato skins as bar snacks? The answer is unclear, but we do know that we'll never turn down a potato loaded with bacon and cheese. Make a heaping tray of these potato skin nachos, and get your appetite ready.

From the masterminds at Chicago's Fat Rice, these pork and shrimp potstickers are the ideal crowd-pleasing snack. Crispy, perfect for dipping, and not more than a bite or two (so you've still got room for all the other snacks), they're perfect for a party.

For the sophisticated sports fans out there, make some steak and potato nachos and feel fancy AF. Not your average game day snack, these nachos are made with homemade potato chips, flank steak, dollops of sour cream and blue cheese, and a dash of scallions to make it look nice. You'll be impressed, and so will your friends.

Sports are a great excuse to eat deep-fried cheese, and these easy mozzarella sticks are the best version you'll ever make at home. Tired of disappointing delivery mozz sticks? Make these whenever that cheese craving hits.

To be fair, nobody's going to turn down a good chicken tender, but that's just food for a typical night and Super Bowl Sunday deserves kicking it up a notch. These super crispy pork tenders will have you rethinking your chicken habit and thinking up all the other things you can bread with cornflakes.

If you need some alternatives to all this meat-filled nonsense, try some spicy jackfruit nachos with pickled veggies, lime crema, and fresh guac. New to jackfruit? Its shreddy texture makes it a great alternative for pulled pork.

You'd never guess from eating it, but these fully vegan nachos are surprisingly plant-based. Cashews, carrots, sweet potatoes, and nutritional yeast turn into a sauce so inexplicably cheese-like that you can even eat it alone like queso, but add it to loaded nachos, and even meat-eaters will go in for more.

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