That special time that rolls along every four years has arrived. Sadly, the uplifting olympic and paralympic events have ended—I’m talking about presidential debate season. While tonight marks the only scheduled debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, the evening will probably seem to stretch on for days, so whether it’s to keep yourself busy while the TV is on in the background, or to help manage your anxiety should you feel faint during those 90 minutes, I suggest you have an array of debate night foods at the ready.
When curating this list, comfort snacks were at the forefront of my mind. Assorted air fryer nibbles that allow you to quickly dump small batches onto a plate so you don’t miss any wild statements. I also chose some easy, low effort meals in case your energy gets sapped. And nothing too messy or saucy—you must be able to easily wipe off your fingers so you can angry text to your friends in all caps. Don’t worry, I’ve included dessert too, so you can really eat your feelings, whatever they may be.
Frozen foods
The snacks found in your frozen food aisle were made for exactly these moments. They’re comforting, salty, crunchy, and most of all, they’re easy to make. I suggest using the air fryer instead of the conventional oven for this occasion—you may need sustenance within a moment’s notice. Have tater tots, French fries, pierogies, mozzarella sticks, chicken nuggets, mini samosas, pizza rolls, and any other favorites on hand. You can pretty much leave the air fryer set to 375°F and just adjust the time anywhere from five to 10 minutes depending on what you’re making and how crisp you want it.
Dumplings
Chicken or pork dumplings are a favorite of mine because, even though they’re small, they feel substantial. I usually buy the bags of gyoza from Trader Joe’s because they’re affordable and taste great. You can air fry frozen dumplings for an extra-crisp experience, but my favorite way to enjoy them is steamed. It’s very hands-off and they stay juicy this way. Put about a half-inch of water in a pot. Add a steamer basket and dump all of the dumplings in. Cover the pot with a lid and let them steam for 10 minutes.
Pigs (or pickles) in a blanket
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Swaddling yourself in a blanket for the debate doesn’t sound like such a bad idea. But if that’s a bit too dramatic then enjoy some pigs in a blanket, or pickles in a blanket for a tangy twist. They’re a classic crowd pleaser if you’re having friends over, but wrapping individual mini-dogs in small rectangles of pastry is even more useful if you need something precise and repetitive to do with your hands.
Do mushrooms
These are the two ways I like to do mushrooms: dried or stuffed. Both of these recipes are made easy with the air fryer. For dried mushrooms, just use a can of drained, sliced mushrooms and air fry them until they become crispy chips. For more substantial grazing, try these sausage stuffed mushrooms.
Egg roll your leftovers
Egg rolls are one of my favorite deep fried comfort foods. While you can absolutely order a bunch at your local chinese restaurant and snack away, you can also use this as an opportunity to clean out your fridge by egg rolling your leftovers. Buy a pack of fresh egg roll wrappers at the grocery store, stuff them with whatever you have in your fridge, coat with a spritz of oil, and air fry them.
Cheeseboard sandwich
If hot food doesn’t sound tempting, keep it simple and gather up some cheese board items. A wheel of cheese, bread, meats, some dried fruit, nuts, and salty butter. Don’t even bother making dainty slices. Just cut off a couple big pieces of everything and make a fat baguette cheeseboard sandwich.
Comfort Meats
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Sometimes eating bite-sized morsels of plain protein is the best stress dinner. You can gnaw on a couple steak bites while you tut inane comments. Wag a forkful of crispy air fryer kielbasa at the television, or eat flavorful slices of marinated air fryer pork tenderloin while you pace around your living room.
Three-ingredient dinners
I get it, snack supper isn’t for everyone. If you prefer a proper meal but hate the idea of doing anything too involved, try one of these three-ingredient meals. All of these ideas are light on the prep work and take around 20 minutes or less to cook. Try a simple mac and cheese, savory tomato-cheese toast, or even a quick and easy teriyaki chicken.
Ice cream
I don’t do it a lot, but maybe once a year the occasion for eating a whole pint of ice cream arises. I would say this, or November 5th warrants plenty of your favorite ice creams. Sure, you could churn your own pints, or do a no-churn Pop-Tart ice cream, but be sure to factor in the hours of freeze time and make it earlier in the day.
Emergency Rice Krispies Treats
When it comes to satisfying, comforting, low-effort desserts, you can always turn to Rice Krispies Treats. You should always keep marshmallows and some of the cereal on hand so you can whip-up a small batch in case times get desperate. In this recipe I eliminate the whole messy marshmallow-y pot business and just melt the butter and marshmallows in a bowl in the microwave. It’s faster, and easier to clean up.
With this full snack line-up, you’ll hopefully be feeling more confident going into the big night. At the very least, you have something to keep you busy when you need it. That reminds me, I have to buy some marshmallows. Godspeed.
