We take game day very serious in our house. Attire, atmosphere, and of course, food. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but we love it. Sundays after 12 p.m. are spent with football and family. We don’t save the fun food for the big game in February or the college bowl games in January. Every Sunday is deserving of football goodies. I’m big on mixing store bought and homemade items for simple and a little more complex apps and meals.
Trader Joe’s is one of my favorite places to stock up on easy items for food. Their spinach artichoke dip is so delicious and can be found in the freezer section. I always have at least three in my freezer. I also love their unique refrigerated dip selection and cheeses and deli meats.
A family favorite appetizer or meal that can be snagged anywhere are frozen meatballs. We love to toss them in a slow cooker with a bottle of BBQ sauce and a small jar of grape jelly. So simple and yummy.
Another simple and one pot meal is chili – it always makes for a perfect football day. Our family favorite is a keto/whole 30 approved chili but don’t let that scare you away! It’s hands down our favorite.
Don’t forget about jalapeño poppers! If you aren’t a fan of spice, I highly recommend making them with those mini sweet peppers sold in a bag. Mix some cream cheese, chili powder, shredded cheese and stuff them and wrap in bacon and you’ll be in heaven!
This dip sounds crazy but it’s the world’s greatest dip. It doesn’t look appetizing. It sounds weird. People look at me crazy but when they try it, they are hooked. This is my most shared recipe. It must be eaten with the regular potato chips with ridges.
I always make a double batch because we are simply obsessed. I
t’s pickle dip. You are welcome.
Pickle Dip Recipe
- 8oz cream cheese, softened
- 8oz sour cream
- 1-2 cups chopped dill pickles (adjust by how pickle-y you want it)
- 1 package corned beef, chopped
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 dashes garlic salt
- A splash of pickle juice
Mix everything but pickles and beef together with a hand mixer. Hand stir in the pickles and beef. Refrigerate for an hour or more before enjoying it.
Pig Shots
This next recipe is one of the best. It’s unique and fun and I look forward to when we make these. They are pig shots. Warning: These are highly addictive. You basically make a shot glass out of pork and fill it with cheese. Can it get any better?
- 2-3 sausages, cut in to disks
- Thick cut pieces of bacon, sliced in half
- Cheddar cheese, cubed
- Pepper jack cheese, cubed
- Cream cheese
- BBQ sauce
Cut sausage in to disks and then wrap a half slice of bacon around it to make something like a little shot glass. Secure with toothpicks. Fill the inside with a cube of cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese and a cube or two of cream cheese. Bake at 350. Check every 15 minutes (usually takes around 30 minutes total) and when the bacon starts to get crisp, brush all over with BBQ sauce and bake another 5-10 minutes. Remove and let cool for 10-15 minutes then devour!
Sprinkle Frosting Dip
Can you have game day without something sweet? The answer is no. Why would you want to?? I love making puppy chow or Rice Krispies bars but something extra fun is a knock off of the frosting like dip you dunk graham crackers in. Highly delicious and addicting!
- 1 box funfetti or vanilla cake mix
- 1 cup vanilla yogurt
- 8 oz Cool whip, thawed
Mix all the ingredients together. Dunk graham crackers, vanilla wafers, teddy grahams or animal crackers.
I hope you love these recipes and jazz up every football Sunday like we do! It makes the Sunday blues a little better and can be something fun to do as a family. Make every game the big game! Win or lose, you’ll be full and happy.
