It's time to stop treating bubbly like a luxury item. Here's a closer look at champagne food pairings to help you enjoy each glass!
10 Foods to Eat When You’re Drinking Bubbly
Updated Apr. 26, 2023
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Crispy Fried Chicken
Forget champagne served with caviar or oysters. Fried chicken is one of the greatest food pairings for champagne you’ll ever experience. That classic bright acidity in champagne slices through the grease of anything deep-fried, cleansing your palate between bites.
What’s more, the bubbles in your bubbly act as the perfect foil to the crispy crunch of the chicken. Find our best-ever fried chicken recipes.
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Deviled Eggs
If you’re planning on serving up a platter of deviled eggs at your next get-together, put some champagne on ice. The fizz of the champagne is great with the creaminess of the eggs. If you add smoked salmon, reach for a bottle of rosé champagne. See the bubbly under $20 that we’re recommending.
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Mac n’ Cheese
Cheese and wine are a match made in heaven, so as you can imagine, your favorite mac n’ cheese recipes are perfectly vino-friendly. Depending on how you like your mac, you can play around with different styles of bubbly. Adding a little bacon or sausage demands a rosé, while mac n’ cheese with mushrooms calls for a dry (aka brut) champagne.
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Mushrooms
Speaking of mushrooms, everyone’s favorite fungi are always a winner with champagne. Whether served deep-fried, in a portobello burger or stuffed with plenty of cheese and breadcrumbs, this food and wine pairing is a surefire hit. Look for champagne blends based on red grapes (e.g., pinot noir and pinot meunier).
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Fruit Desserts
While brut champagne should never be paired with anything sweet, a lightly sparkling moscato d’Asti is gorgeous with fruit desserts. Both an airy strawberry shortcake and a lemon tart would be stunning with a glass of slightly sweet sparkling wine. Don’t miss our guide on opening a champagne bottle safely.
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Salty Snacks
Have a savory fix you need to satisfy? Salty snacks like French fries, homemade potato chips and popcorn make phenomenal pairings with a glass of bubbly. Again, the crispness of the champagne cuts through the fat and salt in these nibbles while the bubbles complement the crunch in each bite.
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Grilled Cheese
Three words: grilled cheese sandwich. Whether you like to throw a little ham or caramelized onions on your grilled cheese or prefer layering a combination of your favorite cheeses between slices of sourdough, you’ll want to pour yourself a glass of champagne or prosecco the next time you tuck into a grilled cheese. Here are a few tips for making vodka with prosecco grapes.
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Fried Ravioli
If you’ve never tried fried ravioli like this, you’ll want to whip up a batch, stat. If you’ve never eaten fried ravioli while sipping on a glass of champagne, you simply haven’t lived. These make fantastic appetizers when you’re hosting friends and family over the holidays. Remember, if you pair fried foods with bubbles, you can’t go wrong.
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Lasagna
Keeping pasta in mind, a glass of champagne is lovely with a cheese or mushroom lasagna. It complements the bechamel sauce to perfection. Try this chicken Alfredo lasagna and a glass of bubbles, or for a lasagna made with pork, opt for a glass of rosé champagne.
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Fancy Fish n’ Chips
If you’re a fan of fish and chips, skip the beer and pour yourself a glass of champagne instead. The crisp acidity and lively bubbles are like a spritz of lemon on your palate. If you’re feeling really fancy, you can swap out the beer in this fish and chips recipe for an inexpensive sparkling wine. You’d be surprised at how tasty it is!
Originally Published: November 19, 2019
