Our 16 Best Snacks for Game Day

By Food & Wine
January 30, 2019
Whether you are planning to host a big party or just watch the game from your couch, these easy snack recipes will help satisfy everybody's appetizer cravings. From traditional chicken wings and nachos to a spicy spinach dip, here are F&W's best football-watching snacks.
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Taco Dip

Abby Hocking / Food & Wine

This dip from Food & Wine’s Justin Chapple is a fun riff on seven-layer dip. Chapple takes the dip to another level by starting with a layer of super–flavorful ground beef that’s spiced with homemade taco seasoning.

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Rye Bread Dip Recipe

Abby Hocking / Food & Wine

For this dip, a rye bread boule is hollowed out and filled with a creamy, herb-packed dip. Cut the interior into chunks for dipping and serve the rye bread dip with your favorite crudités.

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Chicken Wings with Angry Sauce

This Korean-inspired recipe is fiery and a little bit sweet. Co-owner Lisa Shin of Wing Wings in San Francisco also uses the versatile sauce as a marinade for pork and as a dip for cucumber spears.

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Spicy Spinach Dip with Pine Nuts

Cayenne and chile gives this yogurt-based dip an extra touch of spice.

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Firecracker Shrimp with Blue Cheese Dressing

These Indian-spiced chicken wings from chef Ben Ford are superb on their own with a squeeze of lemon, but they're even better dipped in the thick and tangy minty yogurt sauce that's made with cream cheese.

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Pigs in a Blanket with Black Pepper Pastry

© Abby Hocking

Jen Pelka of San Francisco’s The Riddler loves serving Champagne with playful bite-size foods like pigs in a blanket. To take them up a notch, she brushes the puff pastry with a tasty mix of honey, mustard and fresh black pepper before rolling up with the hot dogs and baking.

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Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dip

These classic buffalo wings pair perfectly with a creamy homemade blue cheese dip.

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Tandoori Chicken Wings with Yogurt Sauce

© Peden + Munk

These Indian-spiced chicken wings from chef Ben Ford are superb on their own with a squeeze of lemon, but they're even better dipped in the thick and tangy minty yogurt sauce that's made with cream cheese.

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Crispy Cheese Sticks

© John Kernick

These Indian-spiced chicken wings from chef Ben Ford are superb on their own with a squeeze of lemon, but they're even better dipped in the thick and tangy minty yogurt sauce that's made with cream cheese.

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Mayan Pumpkin-Seed Dip

This supereasy, thick pumpkin seed spread from the Yucatan, called sikil pak, might just be the new guacamole—it seems to be on Mexican menus all over the US. This orange zest-scented version comes from Bandalero in Washington, DC, owned by Top Chef finalist Mike Isabella.

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Mini Brioche Lobster Rolls

These rolls, which are a delightful play on the traditional lobster roll, are quite substantial, so one per person is plenty, especially if you're serving additional hors d'oeuvres. Cooked shrimp or lump crab is a fine alternative to lobster.

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Chorizo-Filled Dates Wrapped in Bacon

This timeless tapa from Spanish cookbook author Penelope Casas has everything going for it—it's sweet, smoky and savory, all in one bite.

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Asian Sloppy Joe Sliders

At his Boston gastropub, Blue Dragon, star chef Ming Tsai will serve these Asian-accented sliders. They're based on a recipe his mother made for him when he was young: She'd fill his thermos with the chile-sauce-and-ginger-flavored ground meat and include the slider buns in his lunch box. "Everyone at school wanted them, so I'd usually trade a little slider for a complete lunch," says Tsai.

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Ultimate Veggie Skillet Nachos

© The Food Gays

Nachos are an easy dish to make, but it's amazing how many restaurants and bars just don't get it right. The key to success? Good quality ingredients, and tortilla chips that are layered with attention to their respective cheese-to-topping ratio. These ultimate skillet nachos are covered in lots of fresh toppings after they've emerged from the oven, which give them a great contrast of hot and cold.

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Potato Chips with Whipped Beurre Blanc

© Con Poulos

Chef Dave Beran loves the combination of Champagne and potato chips. For this dip, he took inspiration from the classic French butter sauce beurre blanc, spiked with shallots, wine vinegar and herbs.

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Honey Chile Chicken Wings

Tim Wood, the chef at Carmel Valley Ranch in California, avoids the deep fryer and opts to broil or grill his chicken wings, which turns them supercrispy. 

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