Shawn Johnson East’s Game-Day Must-Haves Prove that Simple Snacks Make the Best Snacks
In the East household, wings are the MVP of the snack spread for the Big Game.
Courtesy of Shawn Johnson / Target
Shawn Johnson East loves to host and entertain. With a background in athletics, multiple Olympic medals, and a husband with a prior NFL career, a Super Bowl watch party is always a hosting event for her.
This year, she says there’s one essential item on the menu: chicken wings. In the East household, wings are a must-have entertaining food for just about any event—so of course, the Super Bowl is no exception. The Easts aren’t particular about bone-in vs. boneless wings, as long as there’s a honey barbecue flavor ... and plenty of ranch to go around.
“My husband’s college and NFL buddies and all their wives and all their babies always come over,” Johnson East tells Better Homes & Gardens, laughing. “I’ve actually hosted a wing eating contest with all of the college football guys, so I’m sure we’ll be doing that again.”
Related: Mama Kelce’s Go-To Tailgating Recipe Will Be the MVP of Your Game-Day Party
Johnson East says when she’s hosting anything, whether it be a football watch party or game night with friends, she likes to provide a main dish and a few finger food-type snacks, and she’ll ask guests to bring an additional food or drink item so there’s at least one bite everyone will enjoy.
“I always try to have food prepared ahead of time, so that when people get there they can just mingle and eat,” she says. “We do usually ask our guests to bring something, whether it’s a drink or a snack, because it just makes things a lot easier.”
Courtesy of Shawn Johnson / Target
Ahead of Super Bowl LVIII this weekend, Johnson East teamed up with Target to promote its curated snack spreads—think nachos, wing baskets, and a taco bar—where you can get all the ingredients for a themed snack bar for under $25.
“We do a lot of finger foods, easy trail mixes, and wings—so the perfect game day would probably be exactly that,” she says. “Which is perfect for Target, because they have all of it.”
The full list of Johnson East's picks can be found on the Target site, but she's partial to a classic basket of wings. Here are her picks for the ultimate wing spread:
Classic Chicken Wing Basket
Good & Gather Frozen All Natural Chicken Wings
Good & Gather Baby-Cut Carrots
Good & Gather Celery Sticks
Market Pantry Ranch Dressing
Good & Gather Organic Honey BBQ Sauce
Related: From Snack Stadiums to Mama Kelce's Cookies: 4 Food Trends Worth Trying for the Big Game
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