Super Bowl Sunday is a day for indulgence. The football holiday will see a crazy amount of pizza, chips, and chicken wings gorged on. Along with millions and millions of gallons of beer to wash it all down. The thing is, there are a lot of classic options out there. So knowing what to indulge in this Sunday is sorta hard (not in the cosmic sense, but sorta). Do you go all-in on the pizza or do you save some room for sliders and nachos?
To find an answer, we popped over to Ranker. Nearly 3,000 folks had an opinion about what you should be devouring during the big game. The final top ten are unarguably stone-cold classics, although a few favorites like tortilla chips and chili only made the top 20. Real talk — chili should be in the top five but we can’t always get what we want.
The low placement of chili aside (madness), there are plenty of great options, according to the masses. Let’s dive in and start planning our Super Bowl parties.
10. Jalapeño Poppers
This feels like the perfect spot for jalapeño poppers. The convergence of slight spiciness, creamy cheese, and crunchy fried breading is a great combo. But, if we’re being honest, they’re a bit filling. Now, if you take away the heavy crust and replace it with wrapped bacon, we’re back in. Bacon, pepper, and cheese is always a win.
DO IT RIGHT: Check out this recipe from Byron Talbott!
9. Quesadillas
A quesadilla is a solid choice. Hell, it can even be a plain cheese quesadilla and it’ll still put a smile on your face. Add in some braised meats, more melty cheese, a little avo, a squirt of crema, maybe some pico on top and you have a masterpiece of a meal. The best part is that quesadillas are shareable. They slice just like a pizza and everyone can dig in.
DO IT RIGHT: Check out this recipe from Binging with Babish!
8. Sliders
Sliders are very hit or miss. On the one hand, you have a mini hamburger that doesn’t pack as many calories as a full-on burger. So, we guess, you don’t get as full. On the other hand, who eats only one of these? How often do you end up eating, like, four or five sliders, which then ends up being the same amount of food as two full burgers?
Sliders are sneaky is what we’re saying. Also, sliders are not chili.
DO IT RIGHT: Check out this recipe from Gordon Ramsay!
7. Guacamole
Look, we love guac around these parts. However, it can be very hit and miss. For one, people’s recipes vary massively from the addition of garlic and (gasp) iceberg lettuce to the lack of cumin and red onion or even cilantro (more madness). That’s before we even get into the doldrums of a lot of the store-bought tubs out there. Still, when done right (a minced red onion, four or five Haas avocados, a bunch of diced cilantro, two whole limes of juice, pinches of salt and cumin, diced tomato, and an optional, de-seeded habanero), a bowl of guacamole can be divine.
DO IT RIGHT: Check out this recipe from Aarón Sánchez!
6. Mozzarella Sticks
Fried cheese is never wrong. A little hard mozzarella stick, breaded, and then deep fried served with a spicy tomato dipping sauce is an easy win on Super Bowl Sunday. This option does lean on the heavier side of things but feels worth it because cheese.
If there’s a day in the dead of winter to gorge on cheese, it’s Superbowl Sunday.
DO IT RIGHT: Check out this recipe by Farideh Sadeghin!
5. Salsa
How can salsa be number five and tortilla chips be, checks notes, 17th! People, people, people, you know you need one for the other, right? Are there people chugging salsa out there sans tortilla chips? Or (shudder) dipping potato chips in salsa? We’re honestly too afraid to look on Twitter to see if chugging salsa is a thing.
Still, we call shenanigans on salsa being number five without tortilla chips.
DO IT RIGHT: Check out this recipe by Jauja Cocina Mexicana!
4. Potato Chips
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbSqNgMDCqq/
This isn’t tortilla chips. That leads us to believe Americans are dipping potato chips in both guacamole and salsa. Heresy. Don’t get us wrong, we love a bag of potato chips on Super Bowl Sunday (sea salt and vinegar, anyone?). So this sitting at fourth makes sense. We’re just dubious, America.
DO IT RIGHT: Check out this recipe by America’s Test Kitchen!
3. Nachos
The top three shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Nachos are the perfect food delivery system. Melted cheese over stewed meats and peppers heaped with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa on a bed of tortilla chips will never fail you. This is the sort of dish that shines even when its made of neon orange cheese sauce pumped out of a jug. It also goes well with chili, yo!
DO IT RIGHT: Check out these recipes by Guy Fieri!
2. Pizza
Americans eat more pizza on Super Bowl Sunday than any other day of the year. What more is there to say? Pizza is great. Order it from your favorite local shop to support small businesses in your community. Or order a Brooklyn style from Domino’s or a Supreme from Costco. We won’t judge.
DO IT RIGHT: Check out this recipe by Binging with Babish!
1. Chicken Wings
Chicken wings at number one make a lot of sense. Like pizza, chicken wings are almost endlessly customizable: Spicy, sweet, crunchy, succulent, fruity, rich… you name it. Plus, you can order a lot for a small price. That means everyone can eat heaps of wings without breaking the bank. All of this a win-win for your Super Bowl Party.
DO IT RIGHT: Check out this recipe with Maangchi and Sean Evans!
