If you were born in the United States, or you’ve lived here long enough, you probably know the Super Bowl is America’s unofficial national sporting holiday. For people who are not fans of  football, the Super Bowl is an eating experience that could be compared to the likes of Thanksgiving or Christmas where everyone indulges themselves in plenty of gourmet food like smoked sausages or sliders. Taking into consideration two items which are high on the list of importance for any college –time and money – I look ahead on my top  ten Super Bowl foods for the college student’s budget.

10. Pulled Pork: I’m only putting pulled pork on the bottom of this list simply because of the time it takes. For good pulled pork you’re looking at eight to 12 hours of cooking time per pound. You’re also looking to spend $6 to $10 per pound on the pork used to make the pulled pork. While a tasty treat for a college student –  it’s a tough sell.

9. Sliders: Sliders are come in at number nine just ahead of pulled pork. The good thing about sliders is you can choose whatever you wish to put in them, whether it’s beef or even tofu for vegetarian fans. If you’re looking for a cheeseburger slider, some may recommend going to your local White Castle, but the nearest one is in Cape Girardeau. Average cooking time for sliders is 15-20 minutes and the price would be closer to three to $5 per pound.

8. Seven Layer Dip: It’s not a good Super Bowl party without dip. Seven layer dip is fairly easy to make with the average prep time being no more than 20 minutes. I’m sure the way each person makes their seven layer dip is different but essentially consists of refried beans, sour cream (mixed with cheese and taco seasoning), guacamole, salsa, cheese, green onions and olives/tomatoes. The ingredients for seven layer dip tend to be affordable – usually costing no more than $10.

7. Bacon Wrapped Smoky Links: One of my personal favorites – you take little the small versions of hot dog, wrap them in bacon and throw a little brown sugar on top. You know have a delectable treat to share. Baking time for these is 25-30 minutes, cooking at 375 degrees. The average cost is between $4 and $8.

6. Meatballs : Meatballs are great, because you can eat them by themselves or throw them on a sandwich. Meatballs take 20-25 minutes to cook. Meatballs are very affordable –  you can go to the store and get a whole bag for less than $5. Of course that does not include the barbecue sauce or marinara sauce to go along with it. After adding the sauce you’ll be looking at about $3 more.

5. Nachos: Nachos are great and they are synonymous with any sporting event you watch. Nachos are also easy to make and very cheap. All that goes into prep time is just browning the meat, whichever you choose to go along with it. After no more than five minutes to cook the meat, you’ll take more time deciding what toppings to put on your nachos than you will actually cooking the meat. Average price to make nachos comes out to about $7, with the meat being the most expensive part of it.

4. Mozzarella Sticks: Sticking with the cheesy trend after Nachos, another personal favorite for any Super Bowl party are the infamous mozzarella sticks. The average cooking time for mozzarella sticks is nine to 11 minutes, being careful not to let too much of the cheesy goodness slip out otherwise you have bread with cheese. You can grab a bag of mozzarella sticks from your local grocer for anything from $3 to $5.

3. Cheese Ball: Chugging right along on the cheese express is the cheese ball – an instant classic at any party. For those of you who think you have to make your own cheese ball, the prep is pretty easy with cheese, sour cream and bacon if you so choose. Now, if you’re running late to the Super Bowl party and need something to come with, you can pick up a cheese ball for no more than $5 or $6. Don’t be that guy and show to the party with just the cheese ball, unless you want to be referred to as cheese head at every party you go to. Crackers are an essential to go with the cheese ball and you’re looking at another $3 to pay for a box of crackers.

2.Pizza: The great thing about pizza is you can go to the Super Bowl party, forget the food and then remember you have this wonderful item called a cell phone. You can use said cell phone to call the pizza delivery place of your choice whether that be local favorites such as Quatro’s or Primo’s or national chains such as Domino’s or Papa John’s. The average pizza price comes in about $10 but the prep time is nothing for you, you can watch and enjoy the game in peace knowing the pizza is on its way.

1. Wings: If there is one food that has Super Bowl party written all over it, it’s wings. Whether you prefer the boneless wings because there is less mess or if you plan to get down and dirty with the traditional wings – it’s purely your choice. You can get wings at a grocery store for less than $5 a pound, once you add in the sauce of your preference you’re going to add in about $3. So you’re looking at a price of $8 and an average cooking time of 45-50 minutes. While this may seem like a long time you could always choose to get carry out from Buffalo Wild Wings, however the price will go up for that preference as you will be looking at $11 for the boneless wings alone.

Whatever food you choose to christen your Super Bowl party with, I hope we’re entertained by the matchup featuring the perennial Patriots and the welcome back Rams in a rematch of Super Bowl 36.

Super Bowl 53 is set to air at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday February 3, so sit back and enjoy your Super Bowl snacks.

Sports editor Adam Warfel can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @warfel_adam.

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