Have an Award-Worthy Spread of Snacks at Your Next Game-Day Party

If you’re the one who’s hosting this year’s game-day party, you’ll need more than just some chips and a veggie tray. Some people love to watch the big game for the plays, others for the commercials, some for the halftime show, and there are a few who just want to enjoy the snacks. So, your snack and drink spread needs to be top-notch. We’re not talking about anything super crazy, but having some variety, cold drinks and a good presentation are the key to a great game-day party. Here are a few things to consider as you make your plans.

Consider People’s Likes and Dislikes as Well as Allergies

Here’s the thing, you could make or buy all of the best snacks in the world, but your guests might not enjoy them. Why? Everyone has different preferences and food limitations. You might love spinach dip, ham sandwiches and sugary desserts. However, if your guests like queso, have a gluten intolerance or maybe have conditions like diabetes, they might not want or even be able to eat what you’re serving. While you don’t need to take a survey of what people like and don’t like, you’ll probably want to offer a wide variety of snacks so everyone can find something they like.

It’s also good to double-check if anyone has allergies or intolerances. While you don’t necessarily need to cater all of the snacks to someone with an allergy or intolerance, it might be nice to give them an option. For example, if you have a friend with Celiac, maybe make sure your chips are gluten-free so they can enjoy the dips and chips, too. If someone has a severe allergy, it might be good to ask them to bring a snack to share. That way they’ll for sure have something they can enjoy and others can try.

Have a Good Ratio

If you love serving wings at your game-day party, that’s a great start. However, it can be good to offer a variety of snacks. So, maybe go with a few classics and maybe a new snack or two. According to Fox 11 out of Los Angeles, Instacart says some of the most popular snacks for the big game include:

Chips
Wings
Beer
Pizza

So, if you decide to serve wings and chips, maybe offer a few variations. Then add in some other options like sweets, vegetables or even a sandwich tray. If you’re unsure what to do, sometimes having friends bring their favorite snacks can be a lifesaver as well. It’ll take the pressure off you to come up with all of the food and ensure that everyone likes at least one thing on the snack table.

To Bake or Buy?

Do you love to cook or prepare food? Maybe it’s your thing, or maybe it’s just something you enjoy doing for the big game. If cooking or preparing isn’t your thing, though, don’t worry. You can also buy premade or ready-to-cook items for the big game. For example, if you want to serve pizza, you can buy it frozen or have it delivered. If you go the delivery route for any item (pizza, wings, etc.) you’ll want to order in advance and perhaps ask the restaurant or grocery store about the best way to do so. Wait and delivery times get crazy long on the big game day. So, keep this in mind.

You can also make food dishes from scratch, or even order your snacks online to be picked up or delivered to your home. Many companies offer frozen options like wings, pizza and desserts that you can buy at the store well in advance. You’ll need prep time on the day of the big game, though.

A Place to Serve All of the Food

Once you’ve figured out the snacks, you’ll also want to consider how to serve them. Presentation matters, and not having the snacks in a spot that’s going to block the TV is key, too. So, if you have a huge kitchen island, you might be set. However, you might need a little more space so everything isn’t crammed together. In this instance, we’d suggest getting a utility cart and using that for food placement.

This kitchen utility cart from Keter can be used both indoors and outdoors. It’s fade-resistant, easy to clean and it has wheels so it can be moved around. In addition to all of this, it includes a paper towel holder, a bottle opener, storage and many other features. All of this makes it the perfect addition to your game-day party. So, whether you’re hosting guests indoors and need more space for the spread of snacks, or you need a little serving or prep space by the barbecue, these utility carts are the best addition.

A Cooler for Your Drinks

What would a game-day party be without ice-cold beverages? Even if it’s chilly outside, people expect their drinks to be chilled. You could just keep drinks on ice in a bucket or the big blue cooler you took camping last week, but you can add some style and make drinks easier to access with the patio cooler and beverage cart from Keter. While you might usually find this cart outside at pool parties and barbecues, it has wheels and can be moved inside your home for your game-day festivities. The cart holds many drinks and has counter space as well as shelves for cups and mixing drinks. So, no matter what beverages you’re serving, they’ll be close at hand and easy for your guests to access.

Hopefully this has given you a few ideas to help spice up the food situation at your next game-day party. As long as you plan ahead and get everything configured in a good way, you should be all set to make memories while watching the big game with your closest family members and friends.