Football Party Favorites
Featured recipes:
Half Time Potato Skins
Fried Mozzarella Sticks
Cheese-Stuffed Pepper Poppers
Southwest Chicken Chili
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Cheesy Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Herbed Pita Chips
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Crunchy Chicken Fingers with Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce
Miniature Quesadillas
Football and potato skins are a winning combination and our Half Time Potato Skins will score big points with your guests! Prepare the potato shells a day ahead and refrigerate, well wrapped, until game day.
Our Fried Mozzarella Sticks can be assembled ahead, too. And since they take just minutes to cook you won't miss any of the action on the field. Your guests may make illegal passes reaching for the pizza or marinara sauce for dipping!
Spice up a lull in the game time action with our Cheese-Stuffed Pepper Poppers. Make these before kick-off, too. Make more than you think you'll need since you never know if the game will go into overtime!
Expect some illegal passing of our Crispy Baked Chicken Wings. Your guests may tackle each other to get a hold of these tasty wings.
You'll score big with our Cheesy Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Herbed Pita Chips. Assemble and refrigerate the dip the day before, then pop it in the oven just before your guests arrive. Make the chips the day before, too. Stash them in an airtight container to keep them crisp.
Our Southwest Chicken Chili can also be made the day before. On game day, put out bowls of sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips so your guests can top it just the way they like it.
Kick off the festivities with Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms. You can make these bite-sized treats the day before by preparing as directed, but not frying. Instead, cover the mushrooms with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When it's game time, fry mushrooms as directed, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the cooking time.
Make the call to try Crunchy Chicken Fingers with Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce. The roasted red peppers and garlic in this delightfully different dipping sauce are a delicious twist on the more traditional chicken dipping sauces.
Score extra points with our Miniature Quesadillas. This recipe—pregame prep and all—takes just a half hour, and you can even let the little ones assemble. These tasty treats are sure to please the crowd.
(First and) 10 tips for a winning football party:
- A great football party should always be a casual, relaxed event.
- Your menu should be completely make-ahead and easy to eat.
- Think of it as a "spoon-only" meal—and a disposable spoon at that! Serve everything buffet style and keep it stocked all night.
- Round out your menu with plenty of chips, pretzels, and veggies, plus lots of dips for dunking.
- Don't forget dessert. Go simple—brownies or cookies work great.
- Have more food than you think you'll need—you never know if it'll go into overtime.
- For décor, take the football theme and run with it. Cover your buffet table with artificial grass and arrange footballs, mini helmets, and pom-poms down the center. Got any bobbleheads? Toss those on, too. When it comes to football décor, there's no such thing as too much!
- Share your toys: Fill baskets or bowls with mini foam footballs for guests to throw in jubilation. Hand out pom-poms for impromptu cheering.
- Make sure the field is clear—your guests will be jumping, cheering, and moving around. Stash anything that might cause overcrowding (or get broken).
Let's be honest: Not everyone will be riveted by the big game. Make sure there's a spot set up for those who just want to eat, drink, and chat—you'll be their MVP!