Last updated 9/21/23
Whether you're a diehard football fan or just enjoy the occasional Saturday or Sunday game, you're probably attending a game day party. And if you're hosting, the pressure can pile up. But coming up with snack foods that everyone will enjoy doesn't have to be difficult. Here's a list of 5 crowd-pleasing foods that are always hits during the football season:
1. Chips & Queso
Here's a recipe for Best Easy Queso Dip
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño, minced
- 12 oz. American cheese, shredded
- 4 oz. Pepper Jack, shredded
- 1 c. milk
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 1 (4-oz.) can green chilis
- 1/4 c. freshly chopped cilantro
- Tortilla chips, for serving
DIRECTIONS
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add cheeses and milk and stir until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, green chilis, and cilantro.
- Serve immediately with chips.
2. Buffalo Wings
Here's a recipe for Best Classic Buffalo Wings
INGREDIENTS
- 2 lb. chicken wings
- 2 tbsp. Vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 c. hot sauce (such as Frank's)
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 4 tbsp. butter
- Ranch dressing, for serving
- Carrot sticks, for serving
- Celery sticks, for serving
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400° and place a wire rack over a baking sheet. In a large bowl, toss chicken wings with oil and season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
- Bake until chicken is golden and skin is crispy, 50 to 60 minutes, flipping the wings halfway through.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together hot sauce and honey. Bring to simmer then stir in butter. Cook until butter is melted and slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Heat broiler on low. Transfer baked wings to a bowl and toss with buffalo sauce until completely coated. Return wings to rack and broil—watching carefully!—until sauce caramelizes, 3 minutes. Serve with ranch dressing and vegetables.
3. Pigs in a Blanket
Here's a recipe for Best Pull Apart Pigs in a Blanket
INGREDIENTS
- Cooking spray
- 6 tbsp. melted butter
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- Pinch kosher salt
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- All-purpose flour
- 1 tube Pillsbury pizza dough
- 2 (12-oz.) packages cocktail weiners
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400°. Grease inside of a 8” springform pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together butter, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper flakes.
- On a lightly floured surface, unroll pizza dough and cut into 1”-x-2” rectangles.
- Brush top of each with butter mixture, then wrap each cocktail weiner in pizza dough and pinch seam shut.
- Place pigs in blanket standing upright in springform pan. They should be snug, but not too tightly packed together. (Otherwise dough won’t bake!) Brush top with remaining melted butter mixture.
- Bake until golden, 50 to 55 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
- Serve warm with dipping sauces.
4. Sliders
Here's a recipe for Pull-Apart Cheesburger Sliders
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp. Cooking spray
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 tsp. yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt
- 1 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
- 12 slider buns (or dinner rolls)
- 12 slices cheddar cheese
- 1 medium tomatoes, sliced
- 1/2 c. pickle slices
- 3 tbsp. butter, melted
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9"-x-13" baking dish with cooking spray. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until soft, 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Drain fat.
- Return beef mixture to skillet and stir in mustard and Worcestershire. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place bottom halves of slider buns in prepared baking dish and top with cooked beef mixture, cheese, tomatoes, pickles, and slider bun tops.
- Brush melted butter on top of buns and sprinkle with garlic powder and sesame seeds.
- Bake until cheese is melty and buns are golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Meatballs
Here's a recipe for Slow-Cooker Mini Meatballs
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 c. bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp. chopped chives (plus more for serving)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 c. ketchup
- 1/2 c. sweet chili sauce
- 1/2 c. brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
DIRECTIONS
- In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, panko, chives, worcestershire, eggs and garlic and stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Roll into 1” meatballs.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Place meatballs on top. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for about 4 hours, until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Toss well with the sauce in the slow cooker before serving. Garnish with chives and serve on toothpicks.
These recipes are SURE to please any football-watching crowd, whether they're there for the game, the commercials, or just the food!
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