Well, the time is finally upon us. The Super Bowl will be held this Sunday, and many televisions throughout America will tune in for the game as well as the commercials (at least in my case).

What’s just as important as the game is the food served at the parties.

Hundreds of thousands of people will attend parties to watch the game, and the food can be the make-or-break factor that determines the success of the party.

That is why I am bringing you some recipes to help elevate your party to the next level and ensure that your friends want you to host next year!

The first is crispy, BBQ air fryer wings.

These wings are delicious, and they have the added crunch from being cooked in the air fryer that takes them to a whole new level.

You can also pick your own seasonings and BBQ sauce, which gives the dish a customizable nature that is absent from some foods.

Perhaps have a variety of wings made with different sauces to give people a choice in flavors.

I myself prefer a spicy sweet sauce, while my brothers prefer the original flavored. That’s the beauty of it, no one has to do without!
The next dish is homemade corn dogs.

Corn dogs and sports seem to go hand in hand. It’s something about the ease of food on a stick that just lends itself so well to sporting events and county fairs alike.

In the case of the home offerings, I have always found the frozen corn dogs to be rubbery and not particularly good.

If you like them, good for you! I am not dissing that, I just do not care for them myself.

However, the homemade option is a game changer (no pun intended).

The texture is much better and the flavors are fresh.

The last dish I wanted to mention is slow cooker Chex Mix.

Most of us are probably familiar with Chex Mix. We all probably have our own preferred flavor, I know I do.

However, the price of the snack at the store has risen consistently throughout the years, and it has become a lot (for me anyway) to pay for a snack.

The homemade alternative is a good option, especially for feeding several people, because even the family size bag of the store brand will take a few bags to supply a party.

Making your own allows for more range as far as ingredients as well. I have always thought the name brand bag has an overabundance of Chex squares and not enough of the other pieces. You can fix that by making your own ratio of ingredients, or downright omitting the ones you don’t care for.

The options are numerous.

I think any of these recipes will be a welcome addition to your Super Bowl party this weekend. And you are sure to wow guests by demonstrating your attention to detail by making your own snacks instead of buying the pre prepared options.

AIR FRYER BBQ WINGS

1 pound wing sections
Seasoning of choice
BBQ sauce of choice

■ Place wings in the air fryer.
■ Spray lightly with cooking spray.
■ Season to your liking.
■ Cook at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes,
■ During the last 5 minutes, add BBQ sauce to both sides.
■ Finish cooking for the remaining time.

HOMEMADE CORN DOGS

Batter:
1 cup fine cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon honey
Corn Dogs:
10 regular sized hot dogs
10 wooden sticks
Vegetable oil

■ In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
■ In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg and honey.
■ Gradually mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, making the batter. Set aside
■ Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large pot or fryer, to 350 degrees.
■ Place the hot dogs on the sticks and pat dry with paper towels.
■ Pour the batter into a drinking glass and dip the hot dog into the batter, twisting to coat the entire hot dog. Shake off any excess batter.
■ Gently place the coated hot dogs into the oil and cook for 3-5 minutes, flipping with tongs as needed, until it is golden brown.
■ Remove from the oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
■ Serve with your choice of condiments.

SLOW COOKER CHEX MIX
3 cups corn Chex
3 cups wheat Chex
3 cups rice Chex
2 cups pretzel twists
2 cups bagel chips
1 cup Cheetos
1 ½ sticks melted butter
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Kosher salt

■ In a slow cooker on high heat, combine the Chex, bagel chips and Cheetos.
■ In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, Worcestershire, garlic powder and salt.
■ Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients in the slow cooker and stir.
■ Cover and cook for about one and a half hours, stirring occasionally.
■ Note: If the mixture seems to be getting too hot, reduce the heat to low.