23 Super Bowl Party Foods That Never Make It To Halftime

The Super Bowl may be about football, but anyone who's ever attended a viewing party knows the real competition is bringing the best dish. Super Bowl party food has to strike the right balance between indulgence and convenience. It should be delicious enough that attendees go back for seconds (or thirds) and easy to eat with one hand while watching the game.

Traditional bar food is a great place to start. These comfort foods will make attendees feel like they're at their favorite sports bar and create the perfect atmosphere for watching touchdowns and fumbles. From savory dips to hearty appetizers, there are so many familiar comfort foods to choose from.

Need help picking the winning lineup for your Super Bowl party? We have you covered. Sit back and check out these party foods that are guaranteed to score big with any crowd.

If Super Bowl spreads had an MVP, chicken wings would be the undisputed champ every year. And there's no denying that Buffalo Wild Wings is a fan favorite. This copycat Buffalo Wild Wings recipe brings that signature flavor to your event without forcing anyone to miss part of the game to grab takeout.

Bone-in wings are fried until the skin is crispy. Then they're tossed in a sauce thickened with cornstarch and an egg yolk to give it a restaurant-worthy velvety texture that really sticks to the wings. While the recipe recreates Buffalo Wild Wings' medium sauce, the heat level can easily be adjusted by adding more or less cayenne.

Recipe: Copycat Buffalo Wild Wings

Hamburger sliders are a perfect option to give your guests something heartier than chips and pretzels. But who wants to spend precious game time grilling patties? Thankfully, there is another option.

This oven-baked hamburger slider recipe has you bake all the seasoned ground beef in one slab, which saves time and effort compared to making individual patties. Once the beef is cooked, place it into sliced Hawaiian rolls, and pour a butter-onion spread over the top. Finally, bake the dish again to keep the sliders warm and golden brown.

Recipe: Oven Baked Hamburger Sliders

Nachos are one of the ultimate crowd-feeding Super Bowl dishes. And this sheet-pan nacho recipe makes it easier than ever to serve classic nachos in a large portion. It contains everything you would expect from restaurant-style nachos: seasoned ground beef, crispy tortilla chips, plenty of cheese, and fresh veggies sprinkled on top. Once the ground beef is browned and the produce is chopped, it's just a matter of layering everything on a sheet pan and popping it in the oven. The whole recipe can be completed in about 30 minutes, but much of the prep work can even be done the day before.

Recipe: Sheet Pan Nachos

Who says nachos have to be savory? Dessert nachos turn the classic Tex-Mex favorite into a festive, crowd-pleasing treat. It's also easy to prepare in bulk, making it a great option for your Super Bowl party.

These sweet nachos begin by whipping up two sauces: a rich fudge sauce and a bright raspberry sauce. Then, pita chips are cut, coated in cinnamon sugar, and baked to make homemade dessert chips. To prepare the nachos, just drizzle the sauces over the chips and top them with some homemade whipped cream. You can also add ice cream and crushed candies to take this dish to the next level.

Recipe: Sweet Dessert Nachos

Mozzarella sticks are a classic game day appetizer. But that doesn't mean they have to be predictable. This recipe adds its own twist by using a beer batter instead of the traditional breadcrumbs.

The beer batter is a combination of flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, and a dark beer. Cheese sticks are then dipped in the batter and deep fried. The result is mozzarella sticks that are gooey in the middle but light and crispy on the outside. As with the traditional snack, this variation pairs well with marinara sauce.

Recipe: Beer Battered Mozzarella Sticks

Spinach artichoke bites take the creamy and savory flavor of the classic dip and turn it into a flaky handheld snack. Puff pastry is cut into small squares, and each one is tucked into a cupcake pan. Then they're filled with spinach artichoke dip and baked until golden brown. While any dip will work (including store-bought for a hassle-free dish), the recipe includes steps for a homemade version with marinated artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, and Neufchatel cheese. Whatever you use, you're sure to end up with a crispy, creamy appetizer that everyone loves.

Recipe: Spinach Artichoke Bites

No game day spread feels complete without something fried and crispy. While you could serve onion rings or fries, the Super Bowl calls for something extra special. To really wow your guests, try this copycat recipe for Outback's Bloomin' Onion.

A large, sweet onion is cut and fanned out to get that signature flower-like appearance. It's then dredged in seasoned flour, battered, and deep fried. The recipe even includes a copycat of Outback's famous sauce, which is a simple combination of mayo, ketchup, creamy horseradish, paprika, salt, and black pepper.

Recipe: Outback's Bloomin' Onion

A lot of savory Super Bowl foods end up being greasy. If you want something packed with flavor but lighter on the oil, these easy taquitos are the answer. They're light, crispy, and easy to make in big batches.

The filling is made from cooked, shredded chicken that's been combined with green chiles, cheese, green onions, cilantro, and a spice mixture. The filling is spooned onto flour tortillas, which are rolled up and baked until crispy. While they can be eaten plain, they're even better when dipped in salsa, sour cream, or guacamole.

Recipe: Easy Taquitos

Every great Super Bowl spread needs a classic chip-and-dip combo. This dill onion dip fits the bill perfectly. It's creamy and delicate, making it easy to pair with both chips and veggies. To make it, all you have to do is chop up some fresh dill and mix it with mayo, sour cream, dried parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Because it doesn't require any cooking, it's easy to make ahead of time, so you have one less thing to do on game day.

Recipe: Dill Onion Dip

Totchos are an irresistible mashup of tater tots and nachos. Crispy tater tots serve as the base of the dish. They're covered with all the classic nacho toppings to create a delicious appetizer perfect for a Super Bowl party.

This particular totcho recipe puts a new spin on things by leaning into the tot's potato flavor and opting for loaded baked-potato toppings. The best part is that it's very easy to make. All you have to do is pop frozen tater tots into the oven, cover them with cheese toward the end of the bake, and top them with chopped bacon, scallions, and a drizzle of sour cream.

Recipe: Loaded Baked Potato Totchos

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when hosting a game day party is to get so focused on the fried appetizers that you forget the desserts. And what better dessert for the Super Bowl than Guinness brownies? While the Irish stout is a unique addition, it doesn't make the brownies taste like beer. Instead, it deepens the chocolate flavor, giving you a richer dessert.

The recipe calls for flour, cocoa powder, salt, melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, and, of course, Guinness. Once those ingredients are well combined, bake them until the center is set. You could stop here, but the recipe also includes a ganache topping for extra indulgence.

Recipe: Guinness Brownies

When you're hosting a large party, it can be hard to time all your dishes just right. But adding a dump-and-go slow cooker dish is a great way to alleviate some of that pressure. These easy, slow-cooked little smokies are perfect for your Super Bowl get-together.

All you have to do is throw a package of little smokies into the slow cooker along with a marinade made from brown sugar, ketchup, Dijon mustard, onion and garlic powder, and barbecue and Worcestershire sauces. Then, cook everything on high for one to two hours while you finish up the rest of your party prep. They're tangy, smoky, and effortless to make.

Recipe: Easy Slow Cooked Little Smokies

If you want a lighter dish for your Super Bowl spread that still feels classic and crowd-pleasing, a homemade shrimp cocktail is a smart pick. It's also surprisingly easy to make and can be completed in about 10 minutes. This recipe begins by boiling water that's been seasoned with salt, sugar, peppercorns, parsley, garlic, and lemon. Then, remove the pot from the heat and add the shrimp until cooked. There are even instructions for homemade cocktail sauce, which you can create by combining ketchup, horseradish, and lemon juice, along with chili, Worcestershire, and hot pepper sauces.

Recipe: Homemade Shrimp Cocktail

Pigs in a blanket are a classic party food. But why not switch things up by serving mini sausage rolls instead? They're similar to pigs in a blanket, but the sausage adds a juicier and more flavorful bite, making them irresistible.

This easy recipe calls for just five ingredients: ready-made puff pastry, pork sausages, an egg, mixed herbs, and Dijon mustard. All you have to do is cut the puff pastry in half lengthwise, brush each half with Dijon mustard, line the sausages down the centers, and sprinkle mixed herbs on top. Then, roll the puff pastries up, cut them into bite-sized pieces, and bake until golden and flaky.

Recipe: Easy Mini Sausage Rolls

Buffalo chicken dip delivers big game-day flavors with minimal effort. It's also a perfect alternative to traditional chicken wings if you don't have time to fry multiple batches of wings. This easy dip recipe combines mayonnaise, cream cheese, hot wing sauce, chopped cooked chicken, and blue cheese crumbles. Once everything is combined, you just need to bake it until bubbly. While it's typically served with tortilla chips, it also goes great with crackers, celery, or bread.

Recipe: Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip

No Super Bowl party would be complete without jalapeño poppers. These appetizers are the perfect mixture of spicy, creamy, and savory. This recipe starts by cooking bacon until crispy and prepping jalapeños by cutting them lengthwise and scraping out the seeds. Then, the peppers are filled with a mixture of cream cheese, milk, Sriracha sauce, and bacon. The jalapeños are then dipped in breadcrumbs and baked until softened and the filling is warm.

Recipe: Jalapeño Poppers

Ham and cheese sliders are a lighter option that will still satisfy your guests. They're also quick and easy to make. In fact, the whole dish can be completed in about 15 minutes. All you have to do is cut slider buns in half, spread a mustard and pickle juice sauce across the bottoms, layer your fillings, and close the sliders with the top halves of the buns. Then brush the top with some melted butter and bake until the cheese is melted.

Recipe: Ham and Cheese Sliders

Mini pretzel hot dogs combine two classic game day foods into one easy-to-eat snack. Making the dough from scratch might sound fancy, but it can be whipped up in just over 30 minutes. In this recipe, a simple pretzel dough is made from flour, sugar, salt, oil, yeast, and warm water.

Once proofed, the dough is wrapped around bite-sized hot dog pieces, dunked into a mixture of warm water and baking soda, then removed and baked. While it might be tempting to skip the water and baking soda bath to save time, it's an integral step to giving the pretzels that signature chewy outside.

Recipe: Mini Pretzel Dogs

7-layer dip is a true Super Bowl party classic that delivers maximum flavor with minimal effort, and it's almost guaranteed to be one of the first things your guests dive into. Best of all, it doesn't require any cooking. As the name suggests, there are seven distinct layers: refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, lettuce, and olives.

The first layer, or bean layer, is the most involved. It's made by combining refried beans, cream cheese, sour cream, and seasonings. Once that is spread across the bottom of a baking dish, the remaining layers get spread on top of one another, and, just like that, the dip is done.

Recipe: 7-Layer Dip

A staple at sports bars across the country, deep-fried pickles bring a salty, tangy crunch to any Super Bowl spread. Plus, they don't take a lot of time or energy to make. This recipe starts with a batter of flour, milk, paprika, black pepper, and an egg. Then all you have to do is dip pickle slices in the batter and breadcrumbs, then fry them for about three minutes. They can be eaten as-is, but are even better dipped in a creamy ranch or onion dip.

Recipe: Deep-Fried Dill Pickles

While there are store-bought frozen pretzel options to choose from, they tend to lack either flavor or texture. Thankfully, this homemade recipe will leave you with perfectly chewy and buttery pretzels.

The recipe calls for a simple pretzel dough made out of flour, salt, sugar, vegetable oil, warm water, and yeast. After kneading and proofing the dough, cut it into bite-sized pieces. Dip each section into a warm water and baking soda solution, brush them with egg yolk, sprinkle with salt, and bake until golden brown.

Recipe: Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites

You can't serve soft pretzel bites without the right dipper. And this easy beer cheese sauce is the perfect option. It all starts with a roux that will help thicken the dip. Then, milk, beer, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce get stirred in.

Once those ingredients are combined, it's time to add the cheese. This recipe calls for a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar, giving it a milder bite. This makes it a great dipper for a wide range of foods, including pretzel bites, broccoli florets, and baguette cubes.

Recipe: Easy Beer Cheese Sauce

This meaty Rotel queso dip hits all the right notes. It's cheesy, salty, and hearty all at once. And it comes together in just three quick steps. First, cook some ground chorizo in a skillet, breaking it into small pieces as you go. Then, add Velveeta and Rotel to the same skillet and stir until everything is melted. After that, it just needs to be plated with some tortilla chips on the side.

Recipe: Meaty Rotel Queso Dip