9 Heavy-Hitting Game-Day Snacks for Maximum Sustenance Through Too-Close-for-Comfort Matchups

When the odds are even, tame your guests’ game-day stress with these filling, large-format dishes like party-size chicken parm subs and fully loaded poutine.

By Liz Cook
Published November 08, 2024
Illustrations of a table of game day snacks with little figures interacting

Serious Eats / Inma Hortas

Toss-ups are tough to prep for. Are your guests going to want to set off fireworks, or set the house on fire? When teams or athletes are evenly matched, one of the only things you can be sure of is high-pressure viewing—overtime, penalty kicks, Game Seven. 

Fortunately, nailbiters are a fine time to try soothing yourself through repetitive actions—for example, bringing a gravy-drenched French fry to your mouth. Plus, you’ll need the fuel. You may not be on the field, but you’ll definitely be sweating. 

When the odds are even, tame your guests’ game-day stress with filling, large-format dishes. This is a menu that's even more comforting than hiding inside your sweatshirt hood and pulling the strings.

  • Party-Size Chicken Parm Sub

    Side view of chicken parm sub

    Serious Eats / Kevin White

    Don’t let the “party-size” instructions dissuade you. You can be a party of one.

  • Cuban for a Crowd

    20190415-sheet-pan-cuban-sandwiches-morgan-eisenberg
    Morgan Eisenberg

    Thanks to recent advancements in Sandwich Studies, you can scale up the traditionally labor-intensive Cuban for a crowd. The secret? Sheet-pan assembly using whole loaves of crusty bread. The recipe instructs you to slice into individual portions after baking, but we’re not the boss of you.

  • Poutine

    The ultimate poutine recipe

    Serious Eats / Eric Kleinberg

    The only thing squeakier than these cheese curds will be you, asking “Did I mention I made my own cheese curds?” during each commercial break.

  • Gooey Cheeseburger Dip

    20110128-cheeseburger-dip-primary.jpg

    Upgrade a retro potluck favorite with a silky homemade cheese sauce and the accents of a green chile cheeseburger.

    Continue to 5 of 9 below

  • Perfect Sliders

    Bright green platter of sliders with overflowing cheese and onions

    Serious Eats / Two Bites

    Some food-science questions—say, “How many sliders are equivalent to a full-sized burger?”—are better left unanswered. Until the science is settled, eat as many crisp-edged patties and onion-scented steamed buns as you want.

  • Easy Pull-Apart Pepperoni Garlic Knots

    Overhead view of easy pull apart pepperoni garlic knots

    Serious Eats / Greg Dupree

    Is there any phrase more tantalizing, more exhilarating than “the garlic knots are ready”? Yes: “The pepperoni garlic knots are ready.”

  • The Best Chili Ever

    A white speckled ceramic bowl holding chili topped with corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream, sliced jalapenos, avocado, and scallions. There are saltine crakers on the plate underneath the bowl of chili, and the periphery of the image has small bowls of additional toppings.

    Serious Eats / Qi Ai

    When you have a crowd to feed but can’t tear your eyes away from the screen, a giant pot of short-rib chili is the answer. Let your guests serve themselves and set out a buffet of garnishes that you prepped before the coin toss.

  • Oven Barbecue Pork Ribs

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    No smoker? No problem. These oven-baked ribs are ready in under four hours with minimal prodding, leaving your hands free for nervous fidgeting.

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  • Buckeye Brownies

    Buckeye Brownies with sea salt garnish, cut into pieces on a blue dish, with blue cups and small white plates

    Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

    When the game gets to double overtime, you’re going to need to refuel. These rich, fudgy brownies are the flagging sports fan’s answer to running gels.  The layers of salty peanut butter and silky ganache are cribbed from the buckeye candy, one of Ohio’s greatest culinary gifts (besides Serious Eats contributor Jed Portman).

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