All the Snack Food You Need for the Super Bowl

The Big Game is this weekend and you need snacks, lots of snacks, enough to feed the masses for a couple of quarters if the game is boring.  So I've compiled a bunch of appetizer recipes that will earn you some cooking credit from the football fans.

Baked Buffalo Wings - These are the classic buffalo wings, but we're baking them instead of frying them.  Why?  Well, first I like the taste.  Second, I'm going to have so many other fatty foods on that Sunday, I thought I would cut down on the grease by not frying.  And third, they can be cooked at the party, even if it's not at your house.  Just prep them and place them on some cookie sheets, arrive at the party a little early and pop these in the oven so they'll be ready a few minutes before kickoff.

Chicken Tenders - These tenders are GREAT!  The breading is tasty and depending on how much baking powder is added, they can be extremely crispy and craggy, perfect for collecting whatever dipping sauce you want to add.  You can also cut them into smaller bits and make then chicken nuggets instead.  I like frying them at the party, but if that's not an option, fry them ahead of time and then pop them in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes at the party to warm them up.

Cream Cheese Wontons - These Asian appetizers are very easy to make and can be made before leaving the house.  The recipe also gives you a few different folding options, so you can make them look any way you want.  If you want to add more flavor, add in some crab meat and use the dipping sauce recipe that's listed as well.

Buffalo Wontons - An extension of the Cream Cheese Wonton recipe.  Just prepare the filling, load it into the wontons, fry them up and you're ready to go.  You don't have to limit yourself to buffalo sauce.  You could sub out barbecue sauce, orange chicken sauce, or any other flavor you'd like.  Make a bunch of different flavored wontons and just fold them according to filling to differentiate between them all.

Jalapeno Poppers - Here's your customary appetizer.  They're pretty easy to build and fry.  Just make sure that the breading covers all of the pepper.  If you have breaks in the breading over the cheese, you could lose some of it during the frying process.

Egg Rolls - While this is great as a side dish for any of our Asian recipes, they also make a great appetizer at a party.  This is one I'd recommend making "day of" so they stay crispy.  Just make them before you go to the party, then pop them in a 400 degree oven for 6-8 minutes to warm them up just in time.

Southwest Egg Rolls - If you've been to Chili's, you're familiar to these little nuggets.  Well, these are better and they're great with a side of queso or salsa.  If you want a really nice kick, make a half batch of enchilada sauce from our Beef Enchilada recipe and serve that as a dipping sauce. They can be warmed up just like the other egg rolls, so they're toasty warm just in time.

Lettuce Wraps - If you're looking for something with a vegetable...  OK, it's not much of a vegetable, but it's delicious and something different than all of the other fare you'll find on the snack table.  It's a self-assemble item and some people really like tailoring it to their liking.   Just nuke the filling as you arrive to the party and you're ready to go

Fruit-Cupine - OK, if you really want a healthier option, this it it.  It's a pineapple with a few dozen skewers of fruit stabbed into it.  I added a face just so the kids would get a laugh, and it was the hit of the party.  Use any type of fruit you'd like or whatever you can find at Costco at a reasonable price.