If you’re like me, you consider Super Bowl Sunday the pinnacle of annual food holidays (apologies, Thanksgiving). Planning and crafting a menu full of appetizers and party food is as good as it gets, both as a cook and a diner. That said, it’s easy to drop the ball when it comes to a spread like this. Classics like nachos, dips and various meats-in-blankets are wildly prevalent but, if I am being honest, a little bit played out. This is a real shame because the best gameday spreads need classics as a culinary anchor, which is why I’m here to explain how to revamp potential duds into dishes you’ll be thinking about long after the game is over. Here’s how to upgrade four classic Super Bowl snacks.
Nachos
Every Super Bowl party I’ve hosted features a massive platter of classic nachos, featuring — you know the drill — corn chips, salsa, meat, beans and more than one type of solid and/or liquid cheese. Nachos are truly amazing for about five minutes. Anyone who’s been late to the plate can tell you that Father Time eventually turns every tray of nachos into a soggy, lukewarm mess; corn chips disintegrate, cheese coagulates and everything ultimately sits at the wrong temperature.
The secret to upgrading nachos is to consider that last part — temperature. A traditional plate features hot, cold and room temperature ingredients, all of which invariably don’t last. By picking a culinary lane, you can delay some of the textural decay and elevate the dish in the process. Consider, then, a version that’s served completely cold, like ahi tuna wonton nachos. Here, toppings like marinated sushi-grade tuna, avocado, radish and green onion are laid over crispy wonton chips. Finished with a drizzle of wasabi mayo, they can be kept on a tray of ice to keep them cool and crisp throughout the entire game (not that they will last that long). The other advantage is batching; you can have one on the spread and another in the refrigerator, something a traditional plate of nachos could only dream of.
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The Midwestern cousin of nachos is the seven layer dip, a Tex-Mex casserole of meat, refried beans, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, olives and cheese. It’s classic, delicious and, after an hour of sitting out, a textural nightmare. Like nachos, the dichotomy of temperatures and textures is eventually lost, resulting in a half-eaten pan of food every time. Luckily, it can be easily transformed.
This time, we’ll go in the opposite direction and focus on foods that are best served hot, which is where chipotle black bean dip comes in. Start with a base of black beans spiked with smoky chipotle peppers and layer on roasted corn, charred red peppers and queso fresco (a fresh Mexican cheese that doesn’t readily melt, holding its texture). The remaining layers of avocado, diced tomatoes and crema can be kept cold and served as garnishes, rather than thrown on top of the hot dip. This way everything is at the optimal temperature, flavor and texture.
Pigs in a Blanket
I’d be willing to bet that pigs in a blanket were featured as one of the first Super Bowl snacks. A true game day staple, they check all the boxes — warm, buttery, bite-sized and undeniably snackable. But the harsh truth is that a basic cocktail weenie wrapped in soft dough lacks punch, spice and excitement. To take this classic from forgettable to first-round pick, we need to bring in a little heat, bolder flavors and an elevated texture. Enter chorizo jalapeño bites, a fiery, flavorful snack that all the little piggies wish they could be.
Instead of a standard mini sausage, consider subbing in spicy, smoky chorizo, which packs far more flavor. Then wrap it in buttery, flaky puff pastry, elevating the texture from doughy to crispy. But the real gamechanger is a slice of pickled jalapeño tucked inside each one, delivering a tangy, spicy kick that cuts through the richness. To finish, a light drizzle of honey or a dot of smoked paprika aioli balances out the heat with a hint of sweetness. Not only do these bites deliver way more personality than their predecessors, but they also reheat well, making them perfect for late game snacking (because no one actually stops eating during the fourth quarter).
Crockpot Meatballs
If there’s one dish that always seems to show up on a table of Super Bowl snacks, it’s the infamous crockpot jelly meatballs. You know the ones — frozen meatballs slowly cooked in a mix of grape jelly and some kind of chili sauce, resulting in a sticky, syrupy concoction that’s somehow both too sweet and too bland. They’re easy, cheap and replaceable, and we’re replacing them with Korean glazed pork meatballs.
A mixture of ground pork, garlic, ginger, scallions and a touch of sesame oil makes a perfectly-balanced meatball that shines when oven roasted. Instead of grape jelly, opt for a spicy-sweet gochujang glaze, made with Korean chili paste, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and a touch of garlic. The result is a sauce that’s bold, balanced and packed with umami depth. The best part is these meatballs still deliver on the convenience factor. You can make them ahead, keep them warm in a slow cooker or even serve them skewered for easy snacking. Unlike the old-school version, these are the kind of meatballs people will actually remember when the game is over.
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