Football Season (and Fall/Winter) is hands-down, my favorite time of the year. We have so many things to look forward to - cooler weather, college football on Saturday, NFL on Thursday, Sunday, and Monday.
As the weather changes, food starts to get richer and sweaters get cozier. A big bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup hits the spot for me on chilly days.
But that's not what this post is about. This post is about bringing together my favorite game day foods. We like to do it up when we are watching football and we really like to go all out for Superbowl Sunday - a tradition that I inherited from my parents.
Finger Foods and Snacks
We always love to start off with:
Addicting Chex Party Mix (Crack Pretzel Snack Mix)
Sweet and Spicy Bourbon Candied Pecans
Pizza Seasoned Toasted (Fried) Ravioli
Crack Pretzels - The Most Addicting Snack
The Very Best Bacon Jam (Balsamic, Onion, and Thyme)
Bacon Jalapeño Popper Dip (With Video) - Pudge Factor
Easy Pigs in a Blanket Recipe | Culinary Hill
Spinach Artichoke Bread Ring Dip - Pudge Factor
Chips, Salsa, Guacamole, and Queso are also almost always going to be a hit - you can buy your dips, but it is so much more fun to make them from scratch.
Instant Pot Creamy Queso
Easy Homemade Salsa - 5 Minutes
Quick and Easy Guacamole
Or just go all out and make nachos:
Cast-Iron Skillet Macho Nachos – A Quick and Easy Recipe
The last but certainly not least of the Finger Foods - we can't forget WINGS:
The Best Buffalo Chicken Wings Recipe - Chef Dennis
Spicy Korean BBQ Chicken Wings | Creme De La Crumb
Grilled Cajun Chicken Wings Recipe
Football Party Main Courses
Then we will serve something a little heartier, like chicken tenders with Raising Cane's Sauce for dipping:
Copycat Raising Cane's Sauce Recipe
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
Or, a little unconventional, but two of my personal favorites to serve are french onion soup and/or chili (blame my mother for the soup.)
Here are three great options for chili (served with cornbread of course) and my favorite recipe for french onion soup. Crusty bread and melty cheese anyone?
Starting with a Classic Chili:
The Best Classic Chili - The Wholesome Dish
Paleo and bean-free - this chocolate chili has been a favorite of mine for years. Don't pass it up because of the chocolate - the flavor it adds is amazing:
Chocolate Chili from Well Fed
And for the Vegetarians:
Three Bean Sweet Potato Chili
And of course, the best cornbread:
Simply Sweet Skillet Cornbread Recipe
Game Day Desserts
We don't always have dessert on game days - we are usually too stuffed from all of the other goodies - but there here are some fun and tasty ways to keep in the spirit of game day.
My first favorite thing to do is just a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Everyone loves them and they can be made ahead of time. This is one of my favorite recipes for chocolate chip cookies:
Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies “Kroll’s Kookies” | Kroll’s Korner (VIDEO)
Then of course you can get cute and make treats shaped like footballs:
Football Brownies (no cookie cutter needed) - Celebrating Sweets
How to Make Football Cookies | Sally’s Baking Addiction
Game Day Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Ball
Football Puppy Chow - game day football snack food!
BEST Peanut Butter Football Dip Recipe
Game Day Drinks
Last of course is drinks for game day. The easiest option is always just a cooler full of beer, but sometimes a fun cocktail (or mocktail) can spice things up a bit and be more fun:
Tequila Sunrise Drink (Game Day Version!) VIDEO!
Texas Sangria | 12th Man Game Day Drink Recipe » We’re The Joneses
Yellow Hammer Drink Recipe: Great for game day and tailgating
Party Drinks We Love: Game Day Sangria
Bacon Bourbon Maple Old Fashioned
And if you had a little too much the night before watching the college games and need a little "hair of the dog" to get you through the day, a bloody mary can hit the spot:
Classic Bloody Mary Recipe
Bacon Bloody Mary Recipe Like No Other
That's all I've got - but I would love to know - what are your family's traditions and favorite recipes?
Please let me know what you think about the recipe :)