Super Bowl Snacks, Alton Brown-Style

I may not be that much of a sports fan, but I do love any excuse to cook something special. This year I've been invited to a Super Bowl party at the home of my Indiana-raised friend Katie, who is beside herself with excitement that her beloved Colts have made it to the big game. Since I love to bake, I'm usually the person tasked with bringing a dessert to a gathering. But since another party attendee has already signed up to bring brownies, I had to think of another snack to contribute. Because our party hostess is a vegetarian, the Indiana-themed Fried Pork Potato Skins from Food Network Magazine are unfortunately out of the question. And she's already making chili and corn bread and will have pretzels and chips and dip, so what could I bring that wouldn't be redundant? Luckily I found some delicious inspiration on FoodNetwork.com's " Big Game Menus" section. Browsing through there I found the perfect snack: Alton Brown's recipe for Slacker Jacks, his version of the classic stadium treat with a name that happens to rhyme. It's a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, and a lot crunchy. This should perfectly fill the void between potato chips and dessert.