So you’re hosting the gang for this week’s football game. Whether you’re watching your favorite college or pro team, the crowd will be hungry. Don’t stress over what to serve, read on for some hearty and delicious recipes that are sure to please your group. The big plus to these recipes is you can make ahead many of them, freeing you up to enjoy the game and cheer for your favorite team.
For easy serving set up your spread on your dining table or kitchen counter. Group utensils together at the beginning of the buffet to make things easier for your guests.
A popular appetizer that is a favorite at my parties is barbecue meatballs. I purchase prepared frozen meatballs, put them in my crock pot and pour a bottle of Kraft barbecue sauce over them. Set to low and cook for 5-6 hours. You have to remember to start these early the day of the party so they will be ready for kickoff. Use your favorite bottled barbecue sauce. Depending on the size of your crock pot and how many meatballs you use, you may need more than one bottle of barbecue sauce. By preparing these in your crock pot, you can easily move it to the buffet table to keep the barbecue meatballs hot for serving.
As the weather gets cooler, chili is always a great dish to serve for a football party. A chicken-white bean is a nice change to a standard beef chili. It’s a hearty dish sure to please the fans. It makes six servings but can easily be doubled. Prep work, like chopping the onions and cooking the chicken can be done in advance to make preparation easier.
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans (10 oz. each) diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 can (15-16 oz.) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
Sour cream, if desired
Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic in butter, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender.
Stir in remaining ingredients except sour cream. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot. Top each serving with sour cream.
Now, to offer this on a buffet, bring to the table in the Dutch oven, protecting the table and have bowls available for guests with the sour cream on the side. Guests can serve themselves, freeing up the hosts to enjoy the party and the game.
Another hugely popular dish is anything Italian. Baked ravioli starts with frozen ravioli and is ready in about an hour.
Baked Ravioli
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
½ cup water
2 packages (1 pound each) frozen cheese ravioli
1 package (7 oz.) shredded Italian three cheese blend
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix spaghetti sauce, tomatoes and water; spoon 1 cup onto bottom of 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Layer half the ravioli and 1 cup shredded cheese over sauce mixture. Top with remaining ravioli and sauce mixture. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese; cover with aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover. Bake 15 minutes more or until ravioli is tender and heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Throw together a green salad with a selection of dressings as the perfect side to the baked ravioli or chicken white-bean chili.
An easy appetizer that will feed many is chili cheese snacks, a recipe given to me by a friend. All the ingredients are readily available and this comes together quickly.
Chili Cheese Snacks
2 packages (3 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
¼ cup chopped green chilies
¼ cup chopped ripe olives, drained
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
¼(8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent rolls
In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese. Add the Cheddar cheese, chilies, olives, onion and hot pepper sauce. Separate each tube of crescent dough into four rectangles; press perforations to seal. Spread cheese mixture over dough. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with the long side. Cut each roll into 10 slices; place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 80 appetizers.
In addition to the buffet spread, set out some bowls of snacks in the viewing area. Sure you can buy some bags of chips and pretzels but why not take snacks to the next level? The easy recipes below for party nuts will surely WOW! your crowd. Make them a day ahead to avoid rushing.
Asian walnuts are a glazed nut with a brittle like crunch. They are a nice change from your ordinary nut mixture. Plus, they pair nicely with a lager-type beer.
Asian Walnuts
2 cups raw walnut halves
¼. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss until nuts are well coated.
Place nuts on prepared sheet in a single layer. Place in oven and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, for 30 to 35 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately loosed nuts with a metal spatula or spoon. Set aside to cool before serving.
Spice up the game with some hot cayenne almonds. Be sure to have the drinks close by.
Hot Cayenne Almonds
2 cups whole raw almonds, blanched or skins on
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place all ingredients, except the salt, in a large bowl and toss until the nuts are well coated. Put nuts on prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in the oven, stirring every 15 minutes until darkened but not burnt, about 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately loosen with a metal spoon. Sprinkle evenly with salt and set aside to cool before serving.
Consider some of these recipes for your next football party. Then sit back, relax and enjoy the game!
