This post is Part II of my three part Superbowl Party Food roundup. Be sure to check out Part I, The Savoury Team, for great hearty party food options.

Ah, dessert. The sweets. The good stuff. The reason to run on a treadmill. Or not. And by ‘or not’ I mean run on the treadmill, or not. Dessert is simply not optional.

None of these desserts are football specific. No pigskin shaped poundcakes here. So if you’re not a football fan, it’s not a problem: Think of this round-up as the ultimate collection of Foodie With Family desserts for every occasion. Let’s be honest: Every occasion is a dessert occasion, so let’s get nibbling, shall we?

Strictly Chocolate!

Hot Chocolate on a Stick

This is the all-time most viewed, most favorited, most shared and most commented upon post here on Foodie With Family, and with good reason. Rich squares of homemade fudgy chocolate are skewered together with homemade marshmallows in any of hundreds of flavors. Swirl them into hot milk for a mug of the creamiest hot chocolate ever or nibble them straight from the sticks. Either way, you’ll make yourself and all those lucky enough to get one very happy indeed.

Black Forest Truffle Tarts

This rich truffle tart is a guaranteed winner with the chocolate loving crowd. How can you go wrong with a chocolate cookie crust filled with whipped chocolate ganache and topped with homemade sweet black cherry pie filling? You can’t, I tell you. It’s not possible. Unless, of course, you don’t make enough to go around then you may face riot conditions. Plan accordingly.

Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers and S’mores Bars

So often, the simplest combinations are the best. This recipe is no exception. Requiring only three ingredients for the ‘basic’ version and four for the ‘deluxe’, this easy dessert will please the pickiest palates and all ages. And happy day! The most complicated part of the entire process is deciding whether to make them plain or deluxe!

Nana’s Spanish Style Hot Chocolate

Thick, rich, and not-to-sweet, Nana’s Spanish Style Hot Chocolate is the bees-knees. Done the way I like it, it’s really a super dark hot chocolate pudding. And people, it’s my Mom’s recipe, so you know it’s good. Don’t take my word for it, though. Make some tonight. You know, just to try it on for size before making it for guests. (That’s the excuse you can use to make it every night for the rest of this week. Perfection takes time, you know.)

Choc-olate or Not-colate.

Velvety Chocolate or Vanilla Baked Custards

This is my favorite dessert, bar none. The first time I made a batch was the last time I made a single batch. Simple, straightforward and beyond heavenly, having a couple ramekins of these smooth-as-silk custard milling about in the corner of the refrigerator is like having happiness a door and a spoon away.

Homemade Twix Cookies

Buttery shortbread. Creamy Caramel. Chocolate? Well, sure. If you want it. With chocolate or without, these little two-bite cookies will remind you of Twix bars. I like them both ways. Check that. I love them both ways. My scale can attest to that…

Amish Cookies

I’m not sure why these were called Amish Cookies but I have a guess. They make abundant use of humble ingredients to turn out a cookie that manages to be delicately caramel flavored, crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside and surprisingly sturdy all at the same time. These cookies don’t fall apart when you dunk them in a tall glass of cold milk and they hold together beautifully when crammed into my apron pockets for stolen bites when the kids aren’t looking. I do believe these are the perfect cookies.

We all scream for… (Hint. Not football.)

Strawberry Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt

Super smooth cheesecake frozen yogurt swirled with vibrant strawberry coulis. Yep. I did that. If this doesn’t make you think of summer, I don’t know what will! Did you make some of those Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers? You could do worse things than use them to dip up mouthfuls of this gorgeous frozen yogurt. Much, much worse things. But none of them would taste quite as good as this!

Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

He shoots. He scores! No. Hang on. Homerun! Dang. Wait. TOUCHDOWN. Yes, that is what this trickster healthy-but-tastes-like-it-isn’t frozen yogurt is. Everyone who has ever eaten this has sworn that they were eating full-fat ice cream until I told them differently. That makes you the winner (whatever your preferred sport.)

Zebravo Cake

Do you want to pull out all the stops to produce a dessert that makes everyone stare, drool, and worship you simultaneously? This is the cake for the job. This tender vanilla and chocolate zebra striped cake layered with vanilla ice cream and topped with hot fudge sauce and raspberry coulis will make you look like a world-class pastry chef and a superhero to boot. Oh and you don’t need to test your eyes. This recipe dates back to my second month of blogging… Isn’t it fun to look back?

Blueberry Butter Tarts with Mascarpone Ice Cream

Not low-fat. Not low-calorie. Not caring. For the ultimate treat, fresh-churn the ice cream right before serving so the mascarpone ice cream melts ever-so-slightly into the crevices between the blueberries. The ice cream freezes (ripens) to be super dense, so if you make this ahead of time, pull the ice cream out to soften for at least thirty minutes prior to serving. More blueberries? Soitenly!

Please them all…

Slow-Cooker Vanilla Bean Tapioca

Did I say the custards were my favorite? From the vaults (way back in my first months of blogging) this creamy, vanilla-bean flecked fuss-free tapioca pudding comes in a very close second. The slow-cooker method takes all the guess-work out of making perfect tapioca. Bonus: Since it’s done within 2 hours of starting, it makes a great way to cap off a dinner or evening. I like mine layered with fresh blueberries (or blueberries fresh from the freezer in February!)

Blueberry Tiramisu

Obsessed with blueberries? Pshaw. No. Well, unless you consider picking one hundred and twenty five pounds of blueberries each summer obsessed. No. I’m not exaggerating. I can show you my check register to prove it. All that aside, this blueberry tiramisu is a bit of a project, but it’s so worth it. Provided you can keep your dog away from it. Yes, there’s a story behind that. And no, I haven’t yet forgiven my dog.

Honey Gingerbread Bites and Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Bite-sized honey gingerbread and spiced, super-moist pumpkin cupcakes are a soul-warming dessert table topper. Remember. Since they’re little you can eat more.

Vanilla Bean Poundcake with Apples in Caramel Sauce

I’m going to warn you right now. The cake is made with a pound (A POUND, PEOPLE!) of butter, nine eggs, a pound of sugar and a pound of flour. Then the cake is sliced, spread with yet more butter and griddle fried. It’s addictive. And it’s swimming in caramel. And it’s topped with crème fraîche. This is not low-fat or low-calorie. At all. On any planet. You’ve been warned. Now go forth and make some because sometimes you just have to indulge. This is the place to do it!

Boston Coolers

These have nothing to do with Massachusetts, even less to do with Boston and everything to do with Michigan. Oh! And they’re the ultimate quick-and-easy dessert to please a crowd. Ginger ale and vanilla ice cream. Two ingredients and done. There’s a little bit of dissent as to whether you ought to involve a blender in the process, but I err on the side of simplicity here. Two scoops of ice cream and a good solid glug of Vernor’s ginger ale. In a pinch, you could probably get away with Canada Dry or Schweppe’s or somesuch, but Vernor’s is the ideal.

You know what’s coming Sunday. I know what’s coming Sunday. I’m just going to pretend that it’s National Finger Food Day because I’m not a big fan of the you-know-what-bowl. Dip bowl? Yes! Soup bowl? Undoubtedly. Chip bowl? And how! Superbowl? Meh. The Evil Genius and the Minions, however, adore all of the aforementioned bowls including the superlative one. And so it always has been and always will be a big deal around here. I cook accordingly.

I have, over the tenure of my marriage, developed some pretty mad finger food skills to match the festive mood. I have also, over my tenure as Foodie With Family, recorded quite a few of them here. So many, in fact, that I figured it was high time to do a little round up of my own. I found so much of it that I had enough to do split into three categories. Since we’re being all footbally*, we’ll divide it into: The Savoury Team (hearty party food), The Sweet Team (desserts and other sweet treats), and our Halftime Show (snacks). These dishes are all at the top of our list of foods that make us unspeakably happy while leaving one hand free for the remote. As an added bonus, they can all be either cooked or prepped ahead of time to reduce the amount of time you spend off the couch during the big game.

*Footbally. It’s a word, right?

Here is a list of sixteen of my best, most festive Superbowl worthy savoury, stick-to-your-ribs gnosh. All of these come highly recommended from our crew to yours.

Meat Lovers

Pretzel Wrapped Smoked Sausages with Cranberry Mustard

Chewy soft pretzels wrapped around miniature smoked sausages. Seriously. Can you think of a better finger food? I sure can’t. This is my family’s all-time, most-requested, best-loved, favorite snack/birthday/special occasion/pretty-please-mom-and-or-honey food. When served with homemade Cranberry Mustard, it achieves a whole new state of addictiveness and -dare I say it?- elegance.

Slow-Cooked Cuban Pork

Let me reintroduce you to one of my all-time favorite recipes from here at Foodie With Family: Slow-Cooked Cuban Pork. This takes a little bit of advance planning, since you cook it overnight in the slow-cooker and let it chill before pulling it apart and reheating, but don’t let that put you off. It’s one of the most satisfying, simple and reliable recipes we’ve ever published here. It’s all that and a bag of chips. You can serve it the way we love best (the Cuban Pulled-Pork Tacos pictured above), stir it into soup, or try another of our favorites…

Barbecue Pulled-Pork Sliders

Tangy, slow-cooked pulled pork dressed in Carolina or Kansas-City Style Barbecue Sauce served on crusty garlic rolls. Yes, please. I don’t even want to tell you how many of these my husband can eat in one sitting.

Chicken and Pork Potstickers

Crisp on the bottom, filled to bursting with a savoury chicken, pork, garlic, ginger, and savoy cabbage filling. Life can’t get much better than having a big, fat plate of these steaming chicken and pork potstickers in front of you. Well, okay. You could improve the scenario by serving with chili garlic paste, soy sauce and sesame oil, like we did here. I don’t even want to tell you how many of these I can eat in one sitting. It ain’t perty.

Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Sandwiches

Speaking of stuffed things (both foods and me), these are high on the request list. If you can picture the flavor of a barbecue bacon cheeseburger cooked sloppy joe style then stuffed into a neat little package of soft, deep brown potato bread you’re on the right track. Happily, they can be made and frozen ahead of time for game day or snack attacks.

Sticky Chicky Bones

I’m reaching really far back with this one, but what Superbowl roundup is complete without chicken wings? These remain our favorite chicken wings. Packing an Asian flair with Sriracha and sesame oil, they’re sticky with honey, garlicky, gingery, and just slightly citrusy. Try them out this weekend. You won’t be disappointed.

Corn Dog Bread

I know I’m not the only person in the world with a bonafide food crush on corn dogs. It’s just not possible. They scream party to me. Why not elevate them to a little something better than we’re used to getting at the county fair? My version is an ever so slightly sweet buttermilk cornbread with flavorful slices of quality franks (we prefer all-beef Kosher franks), chopped onions and candied jalapenos. Cut into squares and serve with the usual corn dog accompaniments; mustard and ketchup. And since I brought up ketchup, let’s play Yooper word association. I say ketchup, you say…

Yooper Pasties

All self-respecting Yoopers will have a platter full of piping hot pasties at their Superbowl parties. It’s winter, after all, and there is nothing that warms and fills you like a Yooper Pasty. What you have here is a flaky pastry crust filled with lean beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, and rutabagas flavored simply with black pepper and salt. The great debate north of the Big Mac -other than Lions or Packers- is whether to serve a proper pasty with ketchup or gravy. I’m in the ketchup camp. Where are you?

Spicy Chicken and Cheese Calzones

Ah calzones. When I was introduced to them, I thought of them as Italian pasties. Because I was cultured like that. In the years since, I have come to appreciate them as a wondrous thing all on their own. Crispy, chewy, pizza-like crust wrapped around melted cheese, tender chicken and crushed red pepper flakes make up my favorite take on the calzone. If you make them large, one will fill you to your tippy top. If you want to keep nibbling with no guilt, make mini-calzones. It’s a scientific fact that if it’s small you can eat more of them and consume less calories. Tell me I’m right. Now.

Ham and Swiss on Onion Rye Pizza

This pizza is, in a word, outstanding. The onion rye crust is pre-baked, making the process of baking a pizza faster than phoning for take-out. It goes without saying that a homemade pizza tastes infinitely better than 3/4 of the pizzerias out there, so what are you waiting for? Channel your inner pizza chef and throw down this rye crust topped with balsamic caramelized onions, shaved ham and Swiss cheese.

Ham and Cheese Bites

Did someone ask for more ham? I thought so! These crusty, herb-topped, butter-brushed rolls hide tender ham and gooey melted cheese and are served with a Dijon mayonnaise. I have been known to eat far too many of these, too.

Bacon and Swiss Rye Muffins

Is it a muffin? Is it meat? Is it a sandwich? Is it cheese? YES! It is. Oh, it is. This is a savoury bacon and swiss laden rye muffin. I’ll leave you alone with that thought for a moment.

Are you back? Good. Now make yourself some of these. You should be kind to you.

Soup’s On!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Just in case you wanted the perfect soup to serve with those Ham and Swiss Rye Muffins, look no further. Loaded Baked Potato Soup is exactly what it sounds like; a glorious baked potato base, pureed with chicken stock and butter, topped with all the things you love best on a baked potato. Who cares about snowstorms when you have a tureen (or in our case, a vat) of this soup on the table?

Taco Soup

Eminently kid- and budget-friendly, think of this soup as a basic black dress. Serve it plain or loaded with as many taco toppings as you can fit on without the bowl collapsing under the weight. Forget Coco Chanel’s advice to remove one accessory. Add it on, honey. Go all Liberace on this soup. It can handle it.

Vegetarian and Universally Beloved

Falafel (Fried Savoury Chickpea Fritters)

Don’t you dare think vegetarian food is boring. Not in the presence of these splendid chickpea fritters. Crispy and deep brown on the outside, impossibly light and bread-like on the inside, you’ll not be able to eat just one. That’s a guarantee.

Mediterranean Hummus Pizza

What can I say about this that you can’t see from the picture? Not a whole lot, but trust me when I tell you that this cold appetizer pizza will keep everyone happy, not just the vegetarians. A pre-baked pizza shell is topped with creamy hummus, wafer thin English cucumbers, red onions, olives, crumbled feta cheese and chopped parsley. Don’t you feel happy just thinking about that?

I’ll meet you back here later this week for our Halftime Show and The Sweet Team. Superbowl will never be quite the same again…