Get your T.V. and tummies ready because the National Football Championship will be on this Sunday! There are certain expectations when it comes to the food for the big day and you don’t want to drop the ball (wink). You have to have a variety of chips, dips, and appetizers to keep your guests full and happy. If any of these are missing, expect some unpleasantries. Fear not, we have compiled the best bites for game day so you can focus on your game plan.
Football game day food mostly consists of finger foods, scientifically calculated so you don’t have to take your eyes off the T.V. for too long. While it’s not really a science, it obvious to us that easy food is the best food for game day. Start your guests off with chips and a variety of dips. Guacamole, salsa, and queso are a must!
The Salsa
Here is a really quick and easy salsa recipe from http://www.realsimple.com:
Ingredients:
- 4 large plum tomatoes (about 1 pound), diced (to yield 2 cups)
- 1/4 cup chopped white onion.
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro.
- 2 teaspoons minced jalapeno (remove seeds for less heat)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice.
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
- 1 small garlic clove, minced.
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. If you prefer a smoother texture pulse half the salsa in a food processor, then combine it with the remaining chunky half. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
On game day just take it out and spoon some in our 4 oz. Double-Wall Espresso Cups. You can prep this early in the day and just leave it in your fridge until your guests arrive so your salsa stays cool and fresh.
The Queso
Don’t just reach for the velveeta for your queso dip, we found a delicious and easy to make queso recipe you can prepare the day before, from http://www.saveur.com.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 serrano chiles (stemmed, seeded and diced)
- 1 jalapeno (stemmed, seeded, and diced)
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup canned, diced tomatoes with juice
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 3 cups Monterey Jack cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- Kosher salt
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add chiles and onion and cook 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer; whisk in flour and cook for 30 seconds. While whisking, pour in milk and continue to cook until sauce is thick, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cilantro and reduce heat to medium-low. Slowly add in cheeses, 1⁄2 cup at a time, until it has completely melted. Stir in sour cream and salt and serve in your epare 4 oz. Double-Wall Espresso Cups with a side of tortilla chips.
Down to the Apps
Now that your guests are warming up with the chips and dip, it’s time to bring out the appetizers. As mentioned before, the more simple the food, the better. Football parties are about having fun with friends and watching the game, not fussing over the food. The last game of the season isn’t really the right time to experiment, so bring out the tried and the true.
Easy Finger Foods
Mini Pizza Bites: You can make these the day before and place them in the freezer. All you need is mini bagels, marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella and pepperoni.
Mini Hawaiian Roll Sandwiches: these can quickly be assembled an hour before serving, just have all your supplies diced and ready. You’ll need the small Hawaiian Rolls, mayo and mustard, tomatoes, cucumbers, and cold cuts of your choosing.
Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog Bites: Wrap your favorite hot dogs in bacon and cook them in the oven. Then chop them into bite size pieces, and insert a toothpick in them for a super simple treat.
Vegetarian Sliders: For your vegetarian guests you can make these delicious sliders. You’ll need a box of mini vegetarian patties, mini whole wheat hamburger buns, lettuce, and tomato.
The most important thing to remember is to have fun. You can make all of these dips the night before and when guests arrive serve them up in our 4 oz. Espresso Cups for unique individual serving containers. The appetizers can be made the morning of. They are super quick and easy so you won’t have to spend hours on each dish, that’s what we call effortless entertaining!