Super Bowl Food that Scores

It doesn’t matter if you’re in it for the love of football or the crazy commercials—the Super Bowl is a great excuse to throw a party. Creating a spread that goes beyond the typical fare will be appreciated by all of your guests. So whether you’re glued to the TV or just hanging out, here are some great ideas to make food the main event.—Denise Shoukas

Snack Attack.

Drop a bowl of Mom’s Mix ($7.25/8-oz. bag; momsoriginals.com) on the coffee table and watch it disappear. A hearty mix of pretzels, peanuts, rice and corn cereals, and candy-coated chocolates all drizzled in white chocolate, this mix is an irresistible balance of salty and sweet.

Nachos Supreme.

Don’t ruin the nachos with that mystery faux cheese dip. Instead, top them with Pineland Farms Salsa Jack ($4.29/8-oz. bar; pinelandfarms.org), an award-winning classic Jack flavored with a zesty southwestern-style salsa. This artisanal cheese is made in Maine using no growth hormones or antibiotics.

Chips to Your Health.

Throw in some healthy options without throwing a wrench in the fun. Beanitos Bean Chips ($3.30/6-oz. bag; beanitos.com) are made with five simple (non-GMO) ingredients, including whole black or pinto beans, whole grain rice, sunflower oil and sea salt. They’re corn- and gluten-free and loaded with fiber and protein, meaning health-conscious guests can stick to their diet without drawing attention. Available in Black Bean (Original or Chipotle BBQ) and Pinto Bean & Flax (Original and Cheddar Cheese).

A Dip to Dig Into. Swap out the ranch or blue-cheese dips for this unique spread: Alive Organic, Sundried Tomato n’ Almond Pesto ($8.99/8-oz. jar; livingtreecommunity.com) is hand-crafted in small batches with California almonds and sun-dried tomatoes as well as sesame seeds, Living Tree Community Food’s Alive Olive Oil and a pinch of Royal Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt. Serve with veggies or crackers, and no one will miss the other stuff.

Pass the Buffalo Wings. Make authentic Buffalo wings with Wing-Time’s Buffalo Wing Sauce ($4.50/12.75-oz. bottle; wingtime.com). This original recipe comes in Mild, Medium, Hot, Garlic and Super Hot. Or order the gift pack and host a heat challenge for some real halftime entertainment.

Wild Card Condiment Bar. Create a customized condiment bar of Dulcet Cuisine's mustards and ketchups ($6/bottle; dulcetcuisine.com) to douse on sliders, gourmet hot dogs and oven-baked fries. Spiced-up ketchups like Peppery Moroccan, Sweet Orange Chile and Mild Indian ketchups, and exotic mustards like Madras Curry, Creole, Moroccan and Orange Chile are so good they might distract from the game.

Gourmet Dips and Salsas.

Robert Rothschild Farm focuses on entertaining made simple with dips and salsas that are open and serve ($9.49-$10.49/12-oz. jar, robertrothschild.com). Pair with Rothschild Pretzel Dippers, Pretzel Twists, Tortilla Chips, Mini Fillo Shells or Baguette Bites for simple Super Bowl appetizers.