Vicky Wasik
What’s game day without a big plate of juicy wings? While we have no shortage of wing recipes to choose from, we’re not just going to plop a plate of them on the table and call it a day. In the interest of sparking inspiration and helping plan out a more well-rounded game day (or any day!) table, we’ve put together a list of sides to serve next to the main event. With recipes like crispy onion rings, creamy potato salad, and Korean corn cheese, they might just steal the show!
Perfect Thin and Crispy French Fries
Vicky Wasik
The McDonald’s–style fries of your dreams can easily be made at home. Employing the double-fry method gives the fries a perfectly crisp exterior.
Classic Potato Salad
Serious Eats / Eric Kleinberg
Tangy, salty, and sweet potato salad with a texture that’s simultaneously creamy, crunchy, and fluffy in each bite.
Crispy Baked Potato Wedges
Vicky Wasik
Crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, oven fries don’t have to be forgettable.
3-Ingredient Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Photographs: Vicky Wasik. Video: J. Kenji López-Alt
This stovetop mac and cheese uses fewer ingredients than the boxed version but comes together in the same amount of time.
Classic Coleslaw
Liz Clayman
This creamy, tangy slaw stays crunchy thanks to a little moisture management.
Crispy Deep-Fried Jalapeño Poppers
Serious Eats / Qi Ai
Fried jalapeño poppers with shatteringly crisp exteriors, and a melted cream cheese filling—what’s not to like?
Foolproof Onion Rings
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
These are the crispiest, lightest onion rings you’ll ever taste, thanks to a mixture of flour and cornstarch mixed with vodka and beer, which limits gluten formation.
Homemade Tater Tots
Vicky Wasik
Making tots from scratch provides the opportunity to customize them with a plethora of flavor combinations.
Extra-Crunchy Potato Chips
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Potato chips should offer pure, unadulterated, greasy (and we mean that in a good way), salty potato flavor—and this recipe delivers.
Tangy and Creamy Macaroni Salad
Vicky Wasik
This recipe takes the standard macaroni salad and gives it a depth and tang that makes it stand out in a crowd.
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Lynn Wolsted
A crunchy, creamy cucumber salad made with tahini, lemon, and fresh dill is a refreshing accompaniment to juicy wings.
The Best Caesar Salad
Diana Chistruga
The crowd-pleasing salad of crisp romaine leaves, crunchy croutons, and anchovy can easily be adjusted to your tastes.
Blistered-Tomato Pasta Salad With Basil
Daniel Gritzer
Here we give classic pasta salad a thoughtful upgrade by cooking the tomatoes just until bursting, so that they release their rich juices into a flavorful sauce that coats the pasta even when cooled.
Homemade Cheez-Its
Vicky Wasik
This DIY version of the classic has a deep, nutty, grilled cheese sort of vibe.
Easy Pull-Apart Pepperoni Garlic Knots
To make an easy recipe even easier, you can use store-bought pizza dough in place of homemade in this crowd-pleasing recipe.
Cuñapes/Pão de Queijo (South American Cheesy Bread)
Vicky Wasik
Cheesy bread goes by many names, but no matter what you call it, we can all agree that it’s absurdly good.
Korean Corn Cheese
Vicky Wasik
The savory funk of doenjang and the sharp bite of hot mustard balance the sweetness of corn and richness of melted mozzarella in this classic Korean dish.
Crispy Kimchi Cheese Rice
Vicky Wasik
Turn leftover rice into this crispy-chewy rice that’s made with gooey cheese and finished in a cast iron skillet.
Fried Plantain Chips
Tim Chin
In Central American countries these chips are typically seasoned lightly with salt or chile powder and lime juice, but there’s nothing stopping you from experimenting with additional seasonings.
