Fall is arriving. And with it the foliage begins to turn, along with a slight nip in the evening air. And for my family and friends … it’s football time! The sport is big business in my part of the country – and everywhere else for that matter. And next to which rivalry is playing out on any given weekend, the most important part of the day is what’s on the menu.
No football party is complete without something “buffalo” (at least in my eyes). I just love the twist Ronna Farley, of Rockville, MD, has with her Buffalo Chicken Mini Bites. “These are the perfect snack for any sports party.” says Rhonda. “They are quick-as-a-wink to prepare, crisp and delicious.” I just love these bite-sized, super flavorful snacks. You’ll score some extra points with friends when they try these.
You know, there is just something about finger foods and football that goes so well together. Jamie Beecham of Nashville, NC says her Chorizo Sausage Poppers “make a great dish for snacking while watching the game on TV.” “They have just a little bite to be so good. Dip them in sour cream, or serve them with a bowl of salsa.” For me, these little appetizers are a self-contained ball of delight that I loved popping into my mouth. Make sure to pass these around at your next party.
Leslie Holt, of Franklin, TN, has a recipe for Bacon Swirls that score a touchdown in the finger food department. So full of bacony flavor, Leslie finds these are “easy to make and quickly gone!” The Kitchen Crew quickly ate these up, and I’m sure your friends won’t be able to get enough of these goodies too.
While finger foods are great, you want to make sure to have at least one dish that people can dig into. Gail Herbest, of Bangor, ME, has an Antipasto Squares recipe that is perfect. Gail describes this recipe as “a cross between antipasto and a deep dish pizza. [You] can cut it into small squares for an appetizer or large squares for a main dish.” I can’t wait to fix this one again! This is the type of dish that’s so good it will haunt you. Kind of like that time my team lost the game by one point, after they missed a field goal. Oh well …
I’m not gonna to lie. I’m a little jealous of a few of my friends. They were lucky enough to score tickets to the game and won’t be joining us at my house this weekend. They asked if I knew of any great dishes they could bring tailgating (come on, do I know great dishes?!) and I immediately thought of Judy Sprague’s Seven Layer Taco Dip. This Florence, KY native knows this “is a good take-along for tailgate parties” and she always makes it when going to see her favorite Cincinnati team. If it works for her, it will work for my friends. I used a medium salsa when I made this. I suggested spicing it up a little bit by using a hotter salsa. I bet they come back with at least one empty plate after the game.
I also thought of Westminster, MD native Kim Dixon and shared her recipe for Quarterback Sacks. These do take a good bit of time and effort to put together, but they are worth it! Kim suggests dipping these into blue cheese or ranch dressing. To go for extra yards in the goodness category, you could also try serving ’em up with a dollop of honey mustard. Yum-my! These are some “sacks” everyone will enjoy.
Whether heading out to tailgate or watching the game in your family room, you’ll receive no penalties from friends when you serve some of these great recipes.