35 Game Day Favorites for the Best Season of the Year (Football Season!)

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 (or Creamy Chicken and Noodles) 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.

Table of Contents

• Finger Foods and Snacks
• Football Party Main Courses
• Game Day Desserts
• Game Day Drinks

Finger Foods and Snacks

We always love to start off with finger foods and snacks. I love having a little something to munch on while the main dish is cooking and everyone is arriving.

(Make sure to make this one ahead of time!)

A classic!

Chips, Salsa, Guacamole, and Queso

Chips and dip are almost always going to be a hit - you can buy your dips, but it is so much more fun to make them from scratch.

Or, you can just go all out and make some delicious macho nachos for everyone to enjoy:

The last but certainly not least of the Finger Foods - we can't forget WINGS:

Football Party Main Courses

After we get through the finger foods, we will serve something a little heartier, like chicken tenders with Raising Cane's Sauce for dipping.

Being in the South, and with my husband being from Louisiana, you can't go wrong with Cane's Sauce!

Also, while a little unconventional, two of my personal favorites to serve on game day 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:

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:

And for the Vegetarians:

And of course, the best cornbread:

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:

Then, of course, you can get cute and make treats shaped like footballs:

Or, if you didn't get enough Chex mix with your appetizers, a football-themed puppy chow for dessert! (Making both Chex recipes is a great way to use up a whole box of Chex cereal 😉 )

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:

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:

That's all I've got - but I would love to know - what are your family's traditions and favorite recipes?