Sporked recently published a list of ten great game day snacks, and we’re willing to admit it was a little light on something important: dips. Let us be clear: You should never host a game day party (or any gathering, really) without a solid dip spread. You can run yourself ragged deep frying frozen chicken wings and wrapping mini franks in crescent roll dough to make pigs in a blanket, but if you don’t have the best dips, you’re setting yourself up for a big game-day-party L. So let’s celebrate these game day party food superstars—the Super Bowl winners of any football party, the World Series champs of the snack table, the substances I would fill the Stanley Cup with if I ever got near that massive vessel. These are five of the best dips for your next game day party.
- Rojo’s Classic 5 Layer Dip
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Rojo’s looked the classic seven layer bean dip in the face and said, sit down, I can name that tune in just five ingredients. Sorry, black olives and scallions, you got nixed. Rojo’s 5 Layer Dip has all you really need: refried beans, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese. Plus, lots of people don’t like onions and lots of people don’t like olives, so even though we sort of missed them, this dip is a more crowd-friendly game day food for excluding those ingredients.
Read the full ranking of the best 7 layer dip
- Everything and the Elote Greek Style Yogurt Dip
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Some of the best dips turn otherwise hard-to-eat dishes into tidy containers of delicious goop you can scoop up with corn chips. Basically, if you don’t want people eating corn on the cob in your house and getting kernels all over the carpet, this elote-style dip from Trader Joe’s is a perfect game day party snack. It’s a little roasty, has lots of crunchy corn, and is bursting with a deep, cheesy flavor that’ll keep people hovering over the snack table instead of flipping over the coffee table when their team does something dumb. We won’t stop you from putting elotes on your game day snack table, but if you’re looking for a dip that channels all those flavors, this is your jam.
Read the full ranking of the best Trader Joe’s dips
- Marketside Buffalo Style Chicken Dip
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Would any game day food spread be complete without Buffalo chicken wings in some format? If you want all that flavor minus the bones people will be compelled to leave on any available surface, Marketside Buffalo Style Chicken Dip absolutely slaps. It takes the super tangy, slightly spicy flavor of buffalo sauce and swirls it into a really creamy dip that’s packed with chunks of celery and chicken. You’re gonna need a sturdy chip for this stuff, but it’s worth it.
Read the full ranking of the best Buffalo chicken dip
- On the Border Salsa Con Queso
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Gotta give my girl Jessica Block props for including On the Border Salsa Con Queso in her roundup of game day snacks. If there’s one absolutely essential game day party dip, it’s queso. This stuff is super creamy, has a kick of bright peppery flavor, and it’s pretty cheap, too. It’s perfect for tortilla chips (duh), but it’s also an ideal dip for finger foods like frozen taquitos and it even works as a drizzle for that crock pot of chili on your game day party table. You’re gonna want to pick up a few jars of this. Trust us.
Read the full ranking of the best queso
- Roasted Green Chile & Pepita Bitchin’ Sauce
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Bitchin’ Sauce really is the ultimate sauce. It comes in a wide range of flavors, it’s vegan so everyone can enjoy, and it’s one of the most savory, flavorful, and creamy concoctions that’ll ever grace a pita chip. If you don’t know where to start, Sporked’s favorite, Roasted Green Chile & Pepita, is a great entry point. Senior writer Jordan Myrick found that the flavor of the roasted chiles and the pumpkin seeds goes great with the nut base of the Bitchin’ Sauce. Introduce your pals to this stuff and we guarantee you’ll see it on the table when it’s their turn to host the game day shindig.
Read the full ranking of the best Bitchin’ Sauce
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!