The Super Bowl is notorious for many things, particularly the parties as it is the ultimate football game of the year. However, the most important part that pulls it all together is the snacks that are served on the big night. As it starts to approach, fans are not only excited about the annual football spectacle, but they are also excited for the snacks and get-togethers that come with it.
“The Super Bowl is one of my favorite times of the year for football,” WCHS junior Lia Kudelko said. “Even if my team did not make it to the Super Bowl, it is overall still such a super fun time because of the huge get-togethers my family and I always go to.”
The Super Bowl is arguably one of the biggest food events of the year right behind Thanksgiving. While Thanksgiving is a full-course meal with over 10 dishes, Super Bowl celebrations and watch parties do not go stingy with snack options.
“As someone who loves to cook and try new recipes, the Super Bowl is such a fun time for me to experiment new recipes and see which ones are my favorite,” WCHS junior Ellie Acheson said.
Due to the wide variety of Super Bowl snacks, there are fan favorites as well as ones that are overhyped. Some staple snacks that could be spotted at almost any Super Bowl party include variations of chips and dip, chicken wings, pigs in a blanket and charcuterie boards.
“The most overrated Super Bowl snack would have to be pigs in a blanket,” Kudelko said.“It is so popular because it is easy and bite-sized which makes it really convenient but they are always really underwhelming and don’t match the other foods served.”
Many snacks that are served are chosen because of their minimal prep time or because they are easy to make. However, there are certain ones that are overhyped and should be replaced with other fan favorites. Some easy snacks like veggies and hummus or charcuterie boards are easy to assemble and require no cooking, but they are often only lightly picked at and don’t attract much attention.
“I really love testing out different types of dip because there are many that are not too complicated but taste really good,” Acheson said. “They are also just super easy to eat either watching the game or just standing around which is nice because it doesn’t require any plates or utensils.”
As much as dips are a popular Super Bowl snack, certain ones do not receive enough attention for how good they are. Crab dip, artichoke and spinach dip and french onion dip are not common at these events but steal the show whenever served.
“My favorite Super Bowl snack of all time that I look forward to every year is the buffalo chicken dip,” Kudelko said. “I feel like the wings are the classic Super Bowl snack but I prefer the dip over the wings.”
More recently, Super Bowl snacks are taking a turn for healthier alternatives including kale chips, salads and fruit bowls. While these are great choices in theory, they are not ideal for the Super Bowl because they can take a lot of preparations and often require utensils instead of the classic finger food options.
“Even though I prefer certain snacks over others, the superbowl still brings friends and family together no matter what food is served and what teams are playing,” Acheson said.
