The Best Game Day Snacks

Now I’ve never been a “game day, watch the football, go-team-go” kind of gal, but there is one part of game day—whether it’s NFL, MLB, NBA, the UCLA (yay!!) vs. USC (booo) football game—that I can totally get behind: the patriarchy. 

I’M JUST KIDDING IT’S THE SNACKS, OF COURSE!

Oh my lordy, the best game day snacks hit like no other, potentially just because I have nothing else to occupy me. (What am I supposed to do, watch the game? Ahahahaha, you’re so silly.) But, yes, any sort of game day watch party I get roped into inevitably turns into me getting the rare privilege of enjoying three uninterrupted hours of snacking on the best junk food the good ol’ U.S. of A. has to offer. That’s a win in my book. And if there is one thing I know about sports game activities, it’s that they have winners. So, without further ado, here are ten of the best snacks for game day. They’re true winners.

Foster Farms Hot & Spicy Chicken Wings

It ain’t game day without a gagillion and three chicken wings. Now, I’m down with any sort of chicken wing, from BBQ to Buffalo, but when it comes to quick and easy frozen wings, Sporked found this offering from Foster Farms to be an amazing option. With their “even balance of crispy texture, tender meat, and amazing flavor,” as well as the inclusion of “aged cayenne peppers and a bit of vinegar,” these wings are a spicy, zesty, umami ace in the hole you can (and should) whip up at your next sportin’ soiree.

Related: Best Frozen Wings: 7 Best Frozen Chicken Wing Brands

Marketside Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Would it really be game day without a warmed-up bowl of spinach and artichoke dip and some tortilla chips? The answer is “HECK NO!” Also how often do you get to eat something that is essentially made of cheese mixed with cheese and cheese and call it a vegetable? This Marketside Spinach & Artichoke dip was Sporked’s favorite spinach dip because it contains four cheeses and delightful chunks of artichoke that balance out the decadence of the small army of cheeses within. Even people who are babies about veggies will agree that this dip is one of the best game day snacks.

Related: The 5 Best Spinach Dips Are Bread Bowl Ready

On the Border Salsa con Queso

Ah, queso. The game day snack I am most likely to camp out next to with a plate of corn chips, just going at it for hours. I mean it’s liquid cheese for heaven’s sake, it is there to be delightful, so you may as well be delighted by it. Now if you are a queso connoisseur, you may immediately pooh-pooh a store bought option. But Sporked found that On the Border lived up to the hype and even exceeded expectations what with its dreamy creaminess, the “fruitiness from the jalapeño,” and the fact that it can be eaten hot or cold and is literally still delicious both ways.

Related: Get Cheesy with the 5 Best Store-Bought Quesos

Chicas Lime Tortilla Chips

I know what you are thinking. “Chicas Lime tortilla Chips?!? That’s not Tostitos Hint of Lime! Jessica, you are crazy with a capital Y.” And you’d be correct on both counts. I am just a touch out-there and these are no Tostitos Hint of Lime. They are so much better. Why are they better? As Sporked managing editor Gwynedd Stuart put it, “The quality of the chips themselves is so outrageously good.” They are “flaky and crispy but sturdy enough to dip,” and they truly taste like they were fried minutes ago in  a restaurant kitchen. Plus, the lime flavor is so accurate that “you’d really think they’d just been doused in fresh lime juice.” Update your list of the best football game day snacks and try these with guac at your next football fête. 

Related: The Best Lime Tortilla Chips

Trader Joe’s Parmesan Pastry Pups

Pigs in a blanket are one of the best game day finger foods. And Trader Joe’s Parmesan Pastry Pups are basically their buttery, fancy, Tesla-driving older cousins. In other words, the perfect addition to a sophisticated, adult football watch party. Trust us, put a plate of these out and no one is focused on the football until they are all gone. They taste like delicious mini beef franks wrapped in puff pastry and sprinkled with crispy, melted, parmesan cheese because…well…that’s exactly wha they are. Gwynedd noted that the “juicy mini hot dogs and buttery puff pastry combine to create a delicious, greasy slurry, and the parm on top gives them even more savory flavor.” Go get some of these (parmesan pastry) puppies and serve ‘em to your sports guests—they are truly an MVP on the roster of the best game day snacks.

Related: Best Trader Joe’s Frozen Appetizers: 7 to Pick Up for Your Next Party

Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup & Dip Mix 

This one was a staple in my house growing up. If you’ve never taken a packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix, mixed it with a whole tub of sour cream, and dipped veggies and Ruffles in it, have you really lived? I would argue perhaps you have not! There was not a single Super Bowl party, dinner party, or other party my mom attended without bringing a bowl of this dip with some potato chips and veggies. And if you are still struggling to picture this stuff, Sporked contributor Danny Palumbo put it beautifully when he said, “It’s got a creamy, cheese-like consistency to it once you mix in the proper amount of sour cream, and the onion flavor is rich.” He also noted that it contains MSG and soy, making it “savory as all get out,” and I couldn’t agree more. If you’re a savory kind of gal, definitely give this game day snack a try the next time you’re watching that puck-and-goal game.

Related: Best Dip Mixes: Ranch Mix, French Onion Mix & Beyond

“Thank goodness it’s TGI Friday’s Mozzarella sticks.” That’s what I say to myself every time I see these, because I think that is a hilarious thing to say. I also say, “Hey, gimme those!” and proceed to eat a whole lot of them because, gosh darn, are these things a cheesy, crispy, ooey-gooey, deep fried delight. They are salty, the cheese isn’t plasticky at all (unlike some other frozen mozz sticks), and they have “good flavor and a crispy, crunchy panko breading.” You really can’t ask for much more when it comes to mozz sticks, so if you are looking for the mozz sticks to make the mo(zz)st people stick around the snack table, stick with these ones. You’ll mozz likely really enjoy them and so will everyone else. And don’t forget the dipping sauce.

Related: The 5 Best Frozen Mozzarella Sticks for At-Home Apps

 Good & Gather Crispy Chicken Breast Strips

Would I watch a football game from start to finish with no chicken tendies involved? Doubtful. These Good & Gather Crispy Chicken Breast Strips were hands down the best frozen tenders the Sporked team tried in their taste test. They’re a stand-out option not only because of the “nice spice in the breading that offers a welcome burst of flavor,” but also because the meat is “fresh and clean” and “actually tastes like chicken breast too, not some ungodly chicken paste.” If the game goes into overtime (groan), you’ll be grateful for the game day snacks that eat like a meal.

Related: Finger Lickin’ Good: The 9 Best Frozen Chicken Tenders

Cool Ranch Doritos

I mean, they’re Cool Ranch Doritos—they’re a home run (see, I know sports idioms) and one of the best snacks for game day. They’re giving tang, they’re giving onion, they’re giving garlic, they’re giving pepperiness, they’re giving little green and red specks. They are giving perfection. Sporked senior writer Jordan Myrick agrees with me, too. When describing these they said, “Literally zero notes.”

Related: The Best Doritos Flavors, Ranked

Trader Joe’s Ode to the Classic Potato Chip

Every football-themed soiree needs a plain potato chip. They can be dipped into queso or onion dip or just eaten straight. And according to Danny, Trader Joe’s nailed these plain chips. TJ’s really does make some high-quality stuff, but if you’re looking for that plain salty chip to round out your snack selection, Trader Joe’s Ode to the Classic Potato Chip has got your back. Danny said they have “a lovely salty and greasy quality that every potato chip should have” as well as an “earthy, fresh, potato-skin flavor” that really set these apart as the best of the best and one of the best game day snacks.

Related: Tater Debater: We Rank the 11 Best Plain Potato Chips


About the Author

Jessica Block

Jessica Block is a freelance contributor to Sporked, a comedian, a baker, a food writer, and a firm believer that Trader Joe's may just be the happiest place on earth. She loves spicy snacks, Oreos, baking bread, teeny tiny avocados, and trying new foods whenever she can. Also, if you give her a bag of Takis she will be your best friend.

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