With the big game just days away, you might already have food on the brain. Whether you’re hosting a party, heading to a friend’s house, or just looking for an excuse to eat something cozy on the couch, Goodwill NCW has all the soup and bowl ideas you need to score big – no matching dish sets required!
Soup or Bowl? That’s the Question
Game-day food doesn’t have to mean juggling plates, napkins, and crumbs everywhere. This year, think warm, hearty, and scoopable. Enter: soups and bowls. They’re comforting, customizable, and perfect for watching the commercials…er…game.
Theme 1: Team Soup

Soup is the ultimate crowd-pleasing food – warm, cozy, and great for dunking. A chili bar is a classic for a reason: offer a few options (classic beef, turkey, or vegetarian) and set out toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, and green onions in mismatched ramekins. Loaded potato soup is thick enough to feel like a dip but hearty enough to count as a meal, while buffalo chicken soup delivers all the wing flavor without sticky fingers. For a nostalgic win, serve tomato soup with grilled cheese dunkers – cut the sandwiches into strips and stand them upright in mugs.

Goodwill Tie-In: Mismatched bowls aren’t a problem, they’re the charm! Look for stoneware bowls, soup mugs, and handled crocks, plus thrifted ladles and serving spoons. A vintage soup tureen or oversized bowl can even double as a centerpiece. No matching set? No stress.

Theme 2: Team Bowl

Bowls are hearty, build-your-own, and ideal for grazing. Taco bowls with rice, beans, and seasoned meat or veggies let everyone customize their meal. Loaded nacho bowls layer chips on the bottom with toppings piled high, while mac and cheese bowls (classic, buffalo, or jalapeño) are always a hit. Grain bowls with quinoa or rice, roasted veggies, and sauce offer a lighter option.

Goodwill Tie-In: Pasta bowls, salad bowls, and shallow serving bowls are thrift-store staples. Mix-and-match sets make it easy for guests to build their own, and secondhand trays help corral bowls on the coffee table. Bonus: larger thrifted bowls mean fewer disposable plates.
Theme 3: Snackable Soups & Dips
Sometimes soup is basically a dip, am I right? Beer cheese soup with pretzel bites, queso in a soup bowl with tortilla chips, spinach artichoke soup thick enough to scoop, or chili served with cornbread chunks or corn chips all blur the line deliciously.
Goodwill Tie-In: Small bowls, ramekins, and mini crocks are perfect here. Use bread baskets or vintage mixing bowls for dippers and think creatively about what you find.
Your Local Goodwill NCW Is the Real MVP
Pull it all together with a thrifted game-day tablescape. Mix neutral bowls with pops of team color using cloth napkins, table runners, or serving spoons. Layer textures like ceramic, wood, glass and use thrifted cake stands to elevate snacks.
Whether you’re ladling soup or piling up a bowl, shopping secondhand at Goodwill helps you serve big flavor and host a game-day spread that’s affordable, sustainable, and full of personality.