Americans will spend a record $20.2 billion on Super Bowl 60 festivities, according to the National Retail Federation, and the bulk of that cash lands squarely on the table. A game-day spread for 10 runs about $140 this year, per the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute, up just 1.6% from last year. That’s the good news. The better news: the Seahawks-Patriots matchup gives you a built-in theme for the best watch party menu you’ve ever assembled.
Forget the generic “game day snacks” roundup. This is Super Bowl 60, a rematch 11 years in the making between two regions that take their food as seriously as their football. Your spread should reflect that.
Seahawks vs. Patriots: Building a Menu Around the Matchup
The smartest Super Bowl menus aren’t random appetizer buffets. They tell a story. And this year’s story writes itself: Pacific Northwest versus New England, two coastlines with culinary identities as distinct as the defenses they’re sending to Levi’s Stadium.
Start with the Seattle side. The Seattle dog is the move here, a hot dog loaded with cream cheese and caramelized onions, often with jalapenos. Invented in 1989 by a Pioneer Square bagel vendor named Hadley Long, it became a late-night staple outside bars and music venues during the grunge era and is now sold at stadiums across the city. It sounds strange if you’ve never had one. It won’t sound strange after your first bite.
For New England, lean into maple-glazed wings. Maple syrup is as New England as Foxborough, and when you combine it with sriracha and soy sauce, the result is a sticky, sweet-and-spicy wing that pays tribute to the region without tasting like a pancake breakfast. Pair those with a slow-cooker New England clam chowder or baked beans, and you’ve covered the Patriots’ side of the spread.
The cross-country food rivalry is already playing out in real life. Summer Shack in Cambridge and Duke’s Seafood in Seattle have a wager on the game. If New England wins, Summer Shack owes Duke’s a full lobster clambake for six. If Seattle takes it, Duke’s sends wild Alaska salmon and Dungeness crab east. Kane’s Donuts and Seattle’s Raised Doughnuts have a dozen on the line, too. Your party can mirror that energy without the shipping costs.
READ MORE:Â Super Bowl 60 Predictions: Predicting the Winner, Final Score, MVP, and More
The foundation of any Super Bowl spread remains the essentials. Wings top the list. The National Chicken Council projects Americans will eat 1.48 billion wings on Super Bowl Sunday. Plan accordingly on price: a party-sized batch of wings runs about $39 this year, up roughly 25% from last year’s $31.30 at featured retail prices, according to a Finance Buzz analysis of USDA data and grocery circulars. Buy them early in the week. Waiting until Saturday means paying a premium for picked-over inventory.
Recipe: Seattle Dogs
From ourbestbites.com and hotpankitchen.com
This is the signature street food of the Pacific Northwest, born from Seattle’s late-night food cart scene. The warm hot dog melts into the cream cheese, creating a sauce-like texture that pairs perfectly with sweet caramelized onions.
Serves 8 | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 25 min
Ingredients:
- 8 jumbo all-beef hot dogs (Nathan’s or similar)
- 8 hot dog buns
- 8 oz cream cheese (whipped works best for spreading), softened
- 2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sliced jalapenos (optional)
- Spicy brown mustard (optional)
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Directions:
- Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add sliced onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized. Don’t rush this step. Low and slow is how you get the onions’ sweetness out.
- While onions cook, grill or pan-sear hot dogs until browned and heated through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Toast buns lightly in the oven or on the grill.
- To assemble, spread a generous layer of cream cheese on both inside surfaces of each toasted bun (about 1 tablespoon per side). Place the hot dog on top, pile on caramelized onions, and finish with jalapeno slices and mustard if desired. Serve immediately while the cream cheese is still softening from the heat of the dog.
- Pro tip: Use whipped cream cheese. It’s easier to spread on the bun without tearing it, and it melts faster from the heat of the hot dog.
Recipe: New England Maple-Sriracha Glazed Wings
From Yankee Magazine
Sweet, spicy, and sticky, these wings bring the flavor profile of New England’s maple country to your game-day table. The glaze caramelizes beautifully in the oven and keeps guests reaching for one more.
Serves 8 | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 45 min
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs chicken wings and drumettes, patted dry
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (use the real stuff, not pancake syrup)
- 2 to 4 tablespoons sriracha (adjust to your crowd’s heat tolerance)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss wings in the spice mixture until evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours for a deeper flavor.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and set a rack to the upper third. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Arrange wings in a single layer. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
While wings bake, whisk together maple syrup, sriracha, and soy sauce in a small bowl. After 30 minutes, brush the tops of the wings with the glaze. Return to oven for 7 minutes. Flip the wings, brush the other side with the remaining glaze, and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes, until nicely browned and caramelized.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Pro tip: Don’t glaze too early. The sugars in maple syrup will burn if heated for too long at high heat. The final 12 to 15 minutes of baking is the sweet spot.
Timing Your Prep Around Kickoff
Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, which means your guests will arrive hungry and stay late. The biggest mistake hosts make is front-loading everything. You don’t need 14 dishes ready at 6 p.m. You need a rolling menu that keeps up with four quarters and a halftime show.
Two hours before kickoff, get your slow-cooker items going: chili, queso, pulled pork, or New England baked beans. These are your set-it-and-forget-it anchors. One hour out, arrange your cold spread: a charcuterie board, guacamole, salsa, and chips. Tortilla chip orders spike 106% above the yearly average around game day, per Instacart data, so stock accordingly.
Wings and any fried items go in the oven 30 minutes before kickoff. Serve them hot as everyone settles in. Your second wave of hot food, sliders, Seattle dogs, and loaded nachos, should come out at halftime. Bad Bunny’s performing. People will be on their feet. Put fresh food on the table while they’re distracted.
The fourth quarter is for simplicity. Replenish chips, refill dips, and put out something sweet. If the game is close, nobody’s going to the kitchen for anything complicated. If it’s a blowout, they’ll need the comfort food.
One final tip that separates a good host from a great one: label your dips. Nothing kills a party’s momentum like someone asking “what’s in this?” six times in the first quarter. A few index cards save everyone the trouble.
Your menu doesn’t need to be elaborate. It needs to be smart, timed well, and built around the matchup that earned this game. Super Bowl 60 deserves a spread with as much personality as the two teams playing in it.
