Super Bowl 2023 food ideas: Amazing recipes to make your Super Bowl party rock

TV remote, chips, football, soda, beer bottles.
TV remote, chips, football, soda, beer bottles.

Many football fans will be focused on the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs this Super Bowl Sunday. We, however, will be locked in on the snacks.

We really believe the Super Bowl counts as a food holiday. Any game day is good excuse to break out all the best apps, sides and treats. But the Super Bowl is truly the holy grail of food and sports viewing overlap: The perfect time to go all out on a cheer-worthy spread.

Favorites include dishes like chicken wings, salsa, chili and so much more. Here are some traditional options plus other recipes on our list to try for Super Bowl 57.

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Killer mac and cheese with bacon

Anne Burrell knows good mac and cheese.

The host of Food Network's "Worst Cooks in America" shared her recipe for killer mac and cheese with bacon with USA TODAY.

The key for flavorful pasta is to salt the water. "When you are cooking the pasta … make sure that your pasta water is adequately salted," Burrell says. "It should be salty like the ocean (water) because that makes a huge effect on the final dish."

Trash can nachos

This weekend, Guy Fieri is hosting a massive Super Bowl tailgate event in Glendale, Arizona ahead of the big game. It's a party "that anyone can come to," he told the Arizona Republic with the USA TODAY Network.

What are trash can nachos exactly? Well, if you aren't drooling yet, you will be soon. Picture stacks and stacks of tortilla chips blanketed in super melty cheese and beans, topped with pico de gallo, pickled onions and more tastiness.

Here's the recipe so you can make at home, too.

Steak pinwheel

Super Bowl steak pinwheel
Super Bowl steak pinwheel

What sounds better when settling in to watch hours of Super Bowl football than a steak pinwheel? We can't imagine much, especially if you're on a low-carb or keto diet.

Skirt steak pinwheels are one of Pat LaFrieda's "go-to recipes" for entertaining, he tells USA TODAY in an emailed statement. The fourth generation butcher knows what to do with steak, so when he says these steak pinwheels are "really well-suited to elevating a game-day party," we believe him.

Making the pinwheels is simple: Sprinkle seasoning and cheese on a cut of skirt steak, roll into a log shape, cut into pieces and grill. Yum.

Honey garlic chicken wings

There is no single food item that screams "football Sunday" louder than wings.

This recipe for honey garlic wings have crispy skin and moist meat and can be made in under an hour with minimal cleanup. And since they're baked, not fried, they're a healthier option.

Baked potato skin board

Serve with tortilla chips for a party touch down.
Serve with tortilla chips for a party touch down.

Forget a butter board. What you need for game day is a baked potato skin board.

This recipe has it all. The cream cheese is tangy, the satiny cheese sauce is snappy, the bacon is smoky and the chives add a burst of color and sweet onion flavor. Plunge crisp, oven-roasted potato wedges into these layers and you've got one spectacular board.

Viral crispy Parmesan roasted potatoes

Meet your new favorite side dish: crispy parmesan garlic potatoes.
Meet your new favorite side dish: crispy parmesan garlic potatoes.

If you have board fatigue, this recipe for viral crispy Parmesan roasted potatoes might be the answer for you.

These potatoes have the perfect ratio of crunch and are so full of flavor. They're a downright savory treat.

Rodney Scott's 'MVP': Pimento cheese

Pitmaster Rodney Scott's MVP
Pitmaster Rodney Scott's MVP

James Beard award-winning pitmaster Rodney Scott's game-day MVP is a pimento cheese — and the recipe for the dish is aptly dubbed "Most Valuable Pimento."

And it's a great option for hosting — it can be prepared in advance.

Add these fruity salsa variations

This combination of photos show salsa recipes, from left, pineapple mint jalapeño, spicy pear and cilantro, and tropical fruit.
This combination of photos show salsa recipes, from left, pineapple mint jalapeño, spicy pear and cilantro, and tropical fruit.

Everyone loves a classic tomato-based salsa, but if you want to shake things up a bit, there’s no easier way to liven up your spread than to play with different fruit-based salsas.

Salsa goes with pretty much everything. Here are three recipes for quick and easy fruit salsas that will elevate game day and still fit right in.

Chili is perfect for the Super Bowl

Classic beef chili is easy to make.
Classic beef chili is easy to make.

To put it simply, chili is a pot of awesome. What's not to love about savory beef simmered in a tangy, smoky, tomato-based sauce with warming spices, floral herbs, aromatics and tender beans?

This recipe for classic beef chili is the only one you'll ever need, according to cookbook author Robin Miller — and we think it's perfect for game day.

And Super Bowl chili doesn't need to be conventional. This eight-ingredient beef and bean chili calls for cocoa powder to add depth and complexity.

If you're looking for more variations, Brian Baumgartner who became known as the "chili guy" due to an iconic scene in NBC's "The Office," published an entire cookbook of chili recipes. He shared his own recipe with USA TODAY in September, too.

Plant-based Super Bowl snacks

Loaded BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Nachos
Loaded BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Nachos

If you're plant based — or you are having plant-based guests — there are plenty of Super Bowl appropriate options including jackfruit nachos, buffalo cauliflower wings and vegan queso.

Contributing: Robin Miller, special for the Arizona Republic; Endia Fontanez, Arizona Republic; Katie Workman, The Associated Press

Check out these recipes to up your kitchen game: 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Super Bowl food ideas: Our best recipes for your party