Superbowl LIV approaches! The Chiefs versus the 49ers. And this year, you’re the game day host — excellent! And whether you care which team wins, or whether you even really know what’s happening on the field, you’re going to need to think about a menu. In my experience, watching people exert themselves in a pressured situation on television makes people hungry.

I’m not going to pretend to be interested in the game — I had to ask my son who the opposing teams are — but I absolutely love hosting game day parties, and I live in a household of people who do care. Game day gatherings are low pressure and just plain fun. The food should be happy and uncomplicated and copious, there should be plenty of beverage choices, and everything should flow from kick off to the final buzzer in a smooth and relaxed manner. That’s what game day parties are all about, especially this big one.

Here’s a sort of a mix-and-match menu for a big gang — but if you need to double anything, go for it.

Super Bowl snacks: Dips, wings, nachos and other small bites

While the line between appetizers and main dishes blurs a bit during game day parties (dishes tend to just rotate in, and get replenished, and it’s far from a planned multi-course meal) I like to have some things to munch on throughout, if you’re not in the moment to commit to a full plate.

A nacho bar is one of the best possible ways to kick off a party. Photo credit: Cheyenne M Cohen

Fun and interactive, and vegetarian (unless you want to throw some sautéed chorizo or chili into the mix as an option). Make all of the toppings beforehand, and just rotate trays of cheese covered tortilla chips into the oven as needed.

These cute little sliders are kind of sophisticated as sliders go, but still totally bar comfort food, which is the best kind of comfort food for a Super Bowl shindig.

Baking quesadillas means getting a lot of them out hot and ready to eat at once. These can be assembled ahead of time and baked just before serving.

A ridiculously crowd-pleasing and easy to make dip recipe that will have your friends jockeying to get next to the bowl. OId-school style, and perfect for a party.