Food served on game day is just as significant as the game itself. Fast food wings and vegetable trays from the grocery store simply won’t do. For this reason, we’ve compiled a handy collection of game-day party food recipes. These crowd-pleasing foods, which range from appetizers like Cheeseburger Egg Rolls to handhelds like Jalapeño Popper Dip, deserve a spot on your tailgate spread.
Prepare these quick, grab-and-go recipes that are ideal for gatherings on game day as you get ready for the opening kickoff.
Delicious Game Day Party Snacks
1. Pigs in a Blanket
Pigs in a blanket are always the first to disappear at any gathering, including game days! They can be made quickly using crescent roll dough that has been refrigerated, and they go well with a variety of dips like honey-mustard, spicy mayo, and homemade ranch.
Directions:
- Set the oven to 375°. A cold crescent dough sheet should be quickly unrolled on a lightly dusted surface, and the perforated dough should be divided into 8 triangles. Make three equal, skinny triangles out of each piece of dough.
- Set one cocktail sausage on one skinny triangle’s wide base. Allowing the dough to overlap and wrap around the sausage, roll the sausage in the direction of the triangle’s pointed end. The rolled sausage should be placed point-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Repeat with the remaining sausages and dough triangles.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and one teaspoon of water until thoroughly combined. If desired, sprinkle the everything bagel seasoning over the dough after applying the egg wash. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 375° until the dough is puffy and golden brown.
- Prepare the dipping sauces (optional): In a small bowl, combine the mayo and chili-garlic sauce and stir until well combined. In a small bowl, combine the mustard and syrup to make the maple-Dijon dipping sauce. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, pickle juice, and chives to make the Quick Ranch.
- Serve the pigs in a blanket warm with spicy mayo, maple Dijon, or quick ranch dipping sauces.
2. Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
To make chicken wings that everyone will enjoy, bake them in the oven. Although fried wings are fantastic, you can bake them and get just as crispy results with much less mess and work. What a win-win situation!
Directions:
- Use paper towels to dry the chicken wings. Aluminum foil is used to line two baking sheets with rims, and wire racks are placed atop each. Apply nonstick cooking spray to the racks.
- In a sizable bowl, combine the baking powder and salt. Add the chicken wings and stir to coat completely. Leave space between the wings as you distribute the wings evenly among the prepared racks. For up to 24 hours, place it covered in the refrigerator after standing at room temperature for one hour.
- Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450°F. If the wings were chilled, let them stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- The wings should bake for 25 minutes. The baking sheets from the upper and lower oven racks should be rotated while the wings are turned over. For a further 20 to 25 minutes, bake the wings until crispy and golden.
- In a sizable bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice, honey, lemon pepper, and hot sauce while the wings are baking.
- Place the wings in the bowl containing the butter mixture and coat them with it. Transfer to a serving platter and provide lemon wedges right away.
3. Jalapeño Popper Dip
In just 30 minutes, you can have a warm, cheesy, smoky twist on jalapeño poppers! Although the dip isn’t particularly spicy by itself, you can always add more jalapeños if you prefer a kick.
Directions:
- Set the oven temperature to 375°. A 10-inch cast-iron skillet should be heated to medium. Add the bacon and cook until crispy, for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bacon from the heat and place it on a plate covered with paper towels to drain. Remove all but a thin layer of the skillet’s bacon grease (about 2 tablespoons remaining).
- Re-heat the skillet to a moderate setting. Jalapeño and garlic are added. 2 minutes of cooking or until slightly softened. Get rid of the heat. Add the Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, sour cream, cream cheese, and mayonnaise. Whisk or stick until smooth. About two-thirds of the bacon should be added.
- Cover the entire surface of the dip with the crumbled chips and cheddar cheese. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted and the edges are bubbling. Add more jalapeño slices and the remaining cooked bacon on top. Extra tortilla chips and a toasted baguette should be served.
4. Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
The cheesy, saucy, pepperoni-filled pizza rolls will be surely in high demand. Simply remember to save some extra sauce for dipping!
Directions:
- Set the oven to 400°. The pizza dough should be rolled out on a floured surface into a very flat, sizable rectangle, measuring approximately 11 by 18 inches. Sprinkle the parmesan, oregano, and salt over the marinara sauce, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Sprinkle half of the pepperoni and the mozzarella slices evenly on top.
- Remove the string cheese from its packaging, then line it up along one of the dough’s long edges. Roll the dough as tightly as you can, starting from that long edge, so that the string cheese ends up in the center of the roll. Flip the dough seam-side down after pinching the seam shut. Use a serrated knife to cut the rolls into 1-inch pieces, then arrange them cut-side up in a 12-inch round baking dish or cast-iron skillet. Place the remaining pepperoni on the pizza rolls and tuck it into the folds, leaving a small amount exposed. Allow the rolls to rise for 20 minutes at room temperature.
- Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden. Include additional marinara sauce on the side for dipping.
5. Instant Pot Chili
Consider making beef and bean chili in an Instant Pot if you’re looking for a quick dinner recipe to keep you satisfied before or after the big game. Nothing could be simpler!
Directions:
- Place the oil in the 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot and select the sauté setting. Add the beef, after which add the cumin, chili powder, and salt. Cook for about 7 minutes, breaking up the meat frequently while cooking. Add the onion and garlic and cook for an additional three minutes while frequently stirring.
- Fill the Instant Pot with the beef stock while stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the inner liner. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, and, if using, chipotle puree while stirring gently. To restart the Instant Pot, press the “cancel” button.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and secure it. The steam release handle should be sealed. Set the timer for 14 minutes on high pressure. Allow it to rest for ten minutes after the timer goes off, then manually release the pressure. Lock the lid and take it off, being cautious of any steam still present.
- Stir the chili thoroughly to incorporate all the ingredients. Serve with cheese, sour cream, corn chips, and green onions on top.
6. Brookies
Do you support the cookie or the brownie side? Who cares when you have this delectable dessert mashup?
Directions:
- Set the oven to 350°. A 9×13-inch baking pan should be greased and lined with parchment paper, leaving two longer sides that hang about 2 inches over the pan’s long sides.
- To make the brownie batter, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped chocolate and continue to whisk until it is melted and smooth. Add the instant coffee and cocoa powder, then whisk to combine. Allow the pan to cool for five minutes after turning off the heat.
- Add the sugar, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk, and stir just until combined. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour and baking powder after adding them. Place aside.
- To make the cookie dough, combine the butter and sugar in a sizable mixing bowl. For about 3 minutes, beat at a medium speed until fluffy and light. Mix in the eggs and vanilla after adding them.
- Combine the salt, baking soda, and flour in a small mixing bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix the remaining chocolate chips into the cookie dough after setting aside 1/4 cup of them.
- Alternate between dropping cookie dough and brownie batter by heaping spoonfuls around the prepared pan. To settle the batter and fill in any gaps, gently tap the pan on the counter. Add the final 1/4 cup of chocolate chips to the mixture.
- After baking for 20 minutes, cover with foil and continue baking for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. For about an hour, allow the brookies to cool completely in the pan. By pulling on the parchment paper’s edges, take out the brookies and place them on a cutting board for simple slicing.
7. Buffalo Chicken Wraps
Wraps for game day are incredibly simple to prepare when using shredded rotisserie chicken. Just add homemade buffalo sauce, crunchy vegetables, ranch dressing, and lots of blue cheese.
Directions:
- In a small bowl, combine the ranch dressing mix, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Set aside
- In a medium bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper. Set aside
- In a sizable skillet set over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the hot sauce by whisking. Cook the chicken for about two minutes, stirring to ensure even heating.
- For about 30 seconds, warm a tortilla over medium heat in a dry skillet. Remove to a cutting board Place one to two tablespoons of ranch sauce in the center of the tortilla. About 2/3 cup of the cabbage mixture and 2/3 cup of the warm chicken should be placed on top. Add approximately 1 tablespoon of blue cheese. The tortilla’s sides should be folded in before rolling. Continue by using the remaining ingredients. accompanied by potato chips
8. Best Fried Pickles
Look no further than freshly fried pickles for a crunchy and addictive snack while cheering on your favorite team. You can never get enough of the crunchy texture and tangy dill flavor.
Directions:
- In a large cast-iron skillet, heat ¾-inch of vegetable oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375˚.
- Combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic, and onion powders in a large, shallow bowl. Whisk the buttermilk and egg together in a separate large, shallow bowl.
- Gently stir with a fork to coat 1/4 of the pickle slices in the buttermilk mixture. The pickles should be thoroughly drained before being added to the flour mixture and combined with a slotted spoon. Fry the pickles in the skillet for two minutes, or until they are golden and crispy. Transfer the pickles to a plate covered with paper towels using a spider or a clean slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining three pickle batches. Serve it right away with ranch dressing on the side.
9. Corn and Black Bean Salsa
You can use fresh corn to make a delectable seasonal dip in the early weeks of football season. However, it tastes equally as good as thawed frozen corn.
Directions:
- In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of oil. Three minutes after adding it, the corn should be slightly golden. Cook for an additional minute after adding cumin and half a teaspoon of salt. Place the corn on a plate and allow it to completely cool.
- In a sizable bowl, combine the black beans, tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Add the lime juice, the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and the salt slowly.
- After the corn has cooled, add it and the cilantro to the bean mixture and gently fold them together. It is accompanied by tortilla chips.
10. Sheet-Pan Sausage and Pepper Hoagies
For a quick dinner idea, cook the peppers, onions, and sausages all at once on a sheet pan. Choose between sweet or spicy Italian sausage to personalize it.
Directions:
- Set the oven to 425˚. On a baking sheet, spread the peppers and onions out. Olive oil should be drizzled over the onions, along with sage, salt, and pepper. The onions should then be tossed while being slightly broken up.
- Arrange the sausages on the baking sheet between and all around the vegetables.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and the sausages are thoroughly cooked.
- Sliced sausages should be served with roasted vegetables on rolls.
Conclusion
Hosting a party on game day can be stressful, but these simple finger foods and appetizers will make your job easier. Not to mention how delicious they are. You’ll be able to enjoy the game day party with these simple-to-prepare and simple-to-eat snacks.
