It’s officially football season – a time of year filled with touchdown dances, friendly (or maybe intense) rivalries, and delicious tailgating and/or party food. If you’re hosting a party, here are some ideas for foods and snacks that will have your guests cheering, even when they aren’t in front of the TV!
Appetizers
Pigskin a Blanket: Wrap cocktail weenies in pizza dough or crescent roll dough to prepare your pigs in a blanket. Arrange them on a parchment-covered baking sheet in the shape of a football, just barely touching (this will create a pull-apart dish). Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly and use mustard to draw the football laces across the top.
Endzone dip: Spread guacamole in a rectangular serving dish. Use sour cream to draw yard lines on top. Serve with your favorite chips. To go the extra yard (haha), cut a tortilla in the shape of goalposts and stand one at each end of the dish, use toothpicks for support if needed.
Sausage (Foot)balls: Mix together 1 pound of uncooked sausage, 3 cups of Bisquick, 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and your preferred seasoning (such as sage). Form into small balls and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
Main Course (if there really is such a thing at this kind of party)
Bundt Pan Pizza: Cut 2 cans of biscuit dough into quarters and mix with 1/4 cup olive oil, 3/4 cup chopped pepperoni, 2 tablespoons oregano, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella. Spray your bundt pan, making sure it is fully coated. Pour the biscuit mixture into the bundt pan and top with an additional 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and turn out onto a serving platter.
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken for nachos or sliders: Place frozen chicken breasts into a crockpot with a jar of buffalo wing sauce and a pack of ranch dressing powder. Cook on low for 4-6 hours and shred with two forks. Serve with toasted slider buns or tortilla chips and nacho toppings like shredded cheese, diced green onions, and sour cream. ***Variations: use other sauce flavors, like barbecue or garlic parmesan.
Football Taco Boats: Brown ground beef. Drain grease and add taco seasoning, diced onions, salsa, and black beans. Sprinkle lettuce and shredded cheese in the bottom of mini flour tortilla boats and top with the ground beef mixture. Use sour cream to draw football laces on top before serving.
Chili Cheese Dogs 2 Ways: 1: Chili Cheese Dog Eggrolls– place a hotdog diagonally on an eggroll wrapper. Top with a spoonful of chili sauce, chives, and shredded cheese. Fold in the corners of the eggroll wrapper and roll it up. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook eggrolls for 2 minutes on each side and transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate. Serve with dipping cups of mustard and ketchup. 2: Chili Cheese Dog Cups– slice refrigerated biscuit dough in half and press into the bottom of greased muffin pans. Top with a spoonful of chili sauce, several pieces of sliced hotdog, and shredded cheese. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Top with diced onion and chives before serving.
Desserts
Choose Your Team Chocolate Chip Cookies: Using a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe (or slice and bake, or box mix), top with M&Ms in the team colors before baking. Allow your guests to choose their team (or devour the opponent!).
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Footballs: Melt chocolate almond bark or chocolate disks using a double boiler or in short increments in the microwave, stirring after every 30 seconds to keep the chocolate from burning. Dip strawberries in the melted chocolate and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray to cool in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. While cooling, melt white chocolate and transfer it to a piping bag. Once the strawberries are cooled, use a small decorating tip (or cut a small tip off the end of the piping bag) and draw football laces with the white chocolate onto the strawberries.
Football Brownies: Bake brownies following the instructions on the box of the mix (or using your favorite recipe). Once cooled, use a football-shaped cookie cutter to cut brownies from the pan. Remove to a serving tray and use white frosting in a piping bag to draw on the football laces.
What are your favorite football party foods that aren’t listed here?
