Crunchy foods prove nearly impossible to resist. Especially with a cold beer, surrounded by friends and a good game playing on the television. We pretend not to care about the calories (or the score) in favor of fun.

For this year’s big game, our go-to, endless snack bowl starts with homemade buttered popcorn. Most of the year, air-popped corn suffices. For special occasions, we pull out the saucepan specifically designated for stovetop popping the corn kernels.

For the lightest popped corn, open a fresh bag of kernels (stale popcorn kernels don’t pop as well) and use oil designated for high-heat cooking, such as expeller-pressed canola oil, safflower or sunflower oil. Don’t walk away while the corn pops, stay nearby and listen to the pot so you can adjust the heat as needed. Turn off the heat before the popping ceases altogether and let the heat of the pan pop the last few kernels.

Season the popped corn while still warm with a little melted butter and your favorite seasoning blend. In the recipe that follows, dried ranch seasoning tastes great. Other options include dill pickle seasoning, garam masala and barbecue spice seasoning.

Toss in a variety of other crunchy items for an attractive bowl that will keep guests coming back for more.

For starters, add something zesty such as wasabi-flavored baked peas. Then, boost the crunch levels with roasted pumpkin seeds (or roasted nuts) and attractively green baked pea pods or green beans. Baked sweet potato sticks work in their stead, as do sweet potato chips. About 3 or 4 cups of baked veggie sticks or chips can be substituted for the baked green pea pods, if desired. Just about any baked vegetable crisp tastes great mixed with popcorn — the textures complement each other beautifully.

For rich umami flavor, toss in a couple of handfuls of baked cheese crisps or the more affordable cheddar cheese crackers. Think color and flavor contrasts. Set the bowl out with a large spoon and small dishes for guests to scoop out individual portions.

Our three all-time favorite crunchy foods, peanuts, pretzels and potato chips get packed into a not-too-sweet cookie dough for a sweet treat that appeals to nearly every fan. Before baking, top the cookies with a sprinkle of coarse salt and sugar. Be sure to label the serving platter with “contains peanuts” to warn those who may have allergies.

Offer a variety of beverages and set out a platter of cut vegetables and dip, a board of diced cheese and a bowl of grapes for a super party where all your guests feel like winners.

Super Snack Mix

Makes 8 servings

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup (2.5 ounces) toasted pumpkin seeds

1 package (4.2 ounces) wasabi peas

1 package (3.3 ounces) baked green pea pods or dried green beans

1/3 cup expeller-pressed canola oil

1/2 cup popcorn kernels

Ranch seasoning or dill pickle seasoning, to taste

2 cups (about 3.5 ounces) baked cheddar cheese crisps or 3 cups cheddar cheese cracker squares

1. Put butter into a small microwave-safe bowl and cover with lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on high (100% power) until melted, about 30 seconds.

2. Place pumpkin seeds, wasabi peas and baked pea pods in a large serving bowl.

3. Heat oil and 2 kernels of the popcorn in bottom of large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. When kernels pop, add the remaining kernels. Cover pan and let kernels pop, shaking pan frequently and reducing heat to low, until popping sounds die down almost completely, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Transfer hot popcorn to the bowl with the seeds and peas. Add butter and use a wooden or silicon spoon to toss the mixture to distribute the butter. Season while tossing with the ranch seasoning to taste. Add baked cheese crisps; toss gently and serve.

Peanut, Potato Chip and Pretzel Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen

Note: Crush chips and pretzels in a zippered bag with a meat mallet.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts (about 3 ounces), roughly chopped

3 cups (about 3 ounces) kettle-cooked potato chips, roughly crushed, about 1 1/2 cups

1 1/2 cups flat pretzel crisps (about 2 ounces) crushed, about 3/4 cup

Coarse (kosher) salt and granulated sugar, for garnish

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Have parchment paper-lined baking sheets ready.

2. Beat butter in a large bowl of electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in sugars until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in flour until a soft dough forms.

3. Use a large rubber spatula to stir chopped peanuts into dough. Then gently fold crushed potato chips and pretzels into dough until mostly incorporated. (Dough can be refrigerated covered for one or two days before baking.)

4. Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto prepared baking sheets, placing them 2 inches apart (cookies will spread.) Flatten cookies slightly with your hand. Sprinkle tops with a little coarse salt and sugar.

5. Bake, rotating pans once, until bottoms are golden, about 12 minutes. Cool for a few minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in a covered tin up to a couple of days.

(JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.)

©2025 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.