The television is on. An announcer’s excited voice is echoing through your living room.
The ball snaps, flying through the air and out of the quarterback’s hand with a grace only achievable through years of hard work and practice.
It hits its mark, landing in the arms of a wide receiver who barrels through the opposition. Nothing can stop him. He crashes onto the grass of the end zone.
The sofa goes wild. Your guests are shouting. Cheers ring out. The smell of homemade chili is in the air and someone calls for a celebratory round of beers.
The living room atmosphere might not be the same as watching the game from the stadium seats, but when it comes to the food – nothing beats the homemade kitchen spread on game day.
Here’s some tried and true recipes for all of you football fanatics.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Buffalo chicken dip is one of those foods you can eat a whole bowl of before you realize you’ve done it. This recipe from Southern Living is the ultimate dip for all chips: celery, tortilla, carrot, pretzel, anything goes.
Tips: If you don’t like blue cheese, substitute shredded parmesan, feta or mozzarella instead.
Ingredients
- 1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
- 4 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 4 oz. pepper Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup refrigerated bottled ranch dressing (such as Marie’s)
- 1/2 cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot)
- 3/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 4 cups chopped cooked chicken (from 2 rotisserie chickens)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (from 4 scallions), divided
- Cooking spray
- 3 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
- Carrot sticks, celery sticks, pretzel chips, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, pepper Jack cheese, ranch dressing, hot sauce, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl until well blended.
- Gently fold in chicken and half of the scallions. Transfer to a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
- Smooth top, and sprinkle evenly with blue cheese.
- Bake in preheated oven until center is hot and edges are bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven, and top with remaining scallions.
Ham And Cheese Sliders
Everybody likes these. Literally, everybody. Ham and cheese melted together on a sweet bun is heaven in your hand. These are easy to make for those busy game days when football is on the mind and you can’t focus on cooking.
Tips: Add jalapeños for a spicy twist or make them Cuban-style by adding pickles and using regular mustard instead of honey mustard.
Ingredients
- 1 pack dinner rolls or Hawaiian rolls (ideally 12 rolls all stuck together)
- 300 grams sliced ham (about ¾ pound)
- 160 grams Swiss cheese slices (about â…“ pound)
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 tablespoon honey mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- â…› teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9×13″ baking dish.
- Without pulling the rolls apart, slice in half (see photos or video for visual), so that the tops and bottoms are separated.
- Place the bottom part of the rolls in the baking dish and top with half of the ham. Place the cheese slices on top of the ham, and finish with remaining ham. Top with top buns.
- Combine melted butter, honey mustard, parsley, garlic powder and onion powder and pour over rolls, using a pastry brush to brush evenly over the top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes until cheese is melted. Uncover and bake for 5-10 minutes until tops are slightly toasted.
- Serve.
Air Fryer Pickles
If you don’t like pickles, you’re wrong. Dill with it. Pickles are great as a burger topping, but fried pickles are next level. As most southern staples do, these go hand in hand with football season.
Tips: Ranch dip is the go-to for fried pickles, but try a chipotle ranch or chipotle dip for some more bang!
Recipe from Amanda’s Cookin.
Ingredients
- 16 oz bread and butter pickle chips or dill slices
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Cook and crumble the ground beef over medium-high heat in a large, high-walled skillet. Drain any grease once cooked through.
- Add in the crushed red pepper flakes, salt/pepper, and beer. Let the beer reduce for about 4-5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add in the cheese and let it melt, stirring occasionally.
- Once the cheese is melted, stir in the beans, red onions, and cilantro.
- Add the tomatoes. You may also add some of the juice if you prefer a thinner consistency.
- Let it continue to heat through for about 5 minutes, then serve!
Cowboy Queso Dip
It’s starting to seem like game-day foods are mostly dips. We aren’t complaining though. This recipe for cowboy queso dip from The Cozy Cook is creamy smooth and simmery spicy. You can make it whether you’re a Dallas fan or not.
Ingredients
- 1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
- 4 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 4 oz. pepper Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup refrigerated bottled ranch dressing (such as Marie’s)
- 1/2 cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot)
- 3/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 4 cups chopped cooked chicken (from 2 rotisserie chickens)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (from 4 scallions), divided
- Cooking spray
- 3 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
- Carrot sticks, celery sticks, pretzel chips, for serving
Instructions
- Cook and crumble the ground beef over medium-high heat in a large, high-walled skillet. Drain any grease once cooked through.
- Add in the crushed red pepper flakes, salt/pepper, and beer. Let the beer reduce for about 4-5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add in the cheese and let it melt, stirring occasionally.
- Once the cheese is melted, stir in the beans, red onions, and cilantro.
- Add the tomatoes. You may also add some of the juice if you prefer a thinner consistency.
- Let it continue to heat through for about 5 minutes, then serve!
Pigs In A Blanket
You knew they were coming. It ain’t a game without pigs in the blanket. This recipe from Easy Mamá Cooks is the standard, no-brainer recipe to follow, just in case you’ve never made them before.
Tips: This is a great recipe to make with kids who might want to be involved in the cooking process.
Ingredients
- 8oz Crescent Rolls Dough
- 24 Mini Cocktail Sausages
- 1 Large Egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F
- Pull apart the dough, roll up the piggies, brush with the egg wash and bake.
Concession Stand Cookie Crackers
You didn’t think we’d leave you hanging without something sweet? These aren’t all the way on the dessert side but hit right in the middle of sweet and salty. This recipe from The Pioneer Woman is easy to change up to whatever your preference may be.
Ingredients
- Chocolate melting wafers
- 2 tablespoons chocolate-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)
- 1 sleeve Saltine crackers (about 45)
- 3 cups of any chopped candy, nuts, potato chips, etc…
Instructions
- Combine the chocolate and chocolate-hazelnut spread in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, stirring every 30 seconds.
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
- Dip the crackers partway in the chocolate and let the excess drip back into the bowl.
- Lay on the baking sheet and sprinkle with the chopped candy.
- Let set at least 15 minutes.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cowboy Cookies
Cookies are always a hit and these are no different, but instead of your usual peanut butter cookie with chocolate chips – this cookie from allrecipes is chocolate featuring some peanut butter.
(You don’t need to be a Dallas fan to enjoy these…..)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- â…” cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups peanut butter chips
Ingredients
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 cookie sheets.
- Beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Beat first egg into butter mixture. Beat in second egg along with vanilla extract.
- Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl; stir into creamed mixture until just combined. Fold in peanut butter chips. Drop cookies by heaping teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake in the preheated oven until edges are set, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
