Are you ready for some football?  Or raise your hand if you care more about the food being served at a football party than the game itself.  My hand is stretched high!  Sure, the game is fun to watch, and I enjoy the comradery of being with friends and rooting for our team, but I also enjoy salty snacks and some gourmet grub while I’m being entertained 🙂

I want to share with you some recipes that will be perfect for your next football party!

• Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pull Apart Bread Bowl
• Jalapeno Popper Pigs in a Blanket
• Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
• 4 Dip Sheet Pan with Pull Apart Bread
• Cookies & Cream Football Dip

 

Let’s start with the Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pull Apart Bread Bowl.  First off, this is amazing and 2 of us can devour the whole thing if we skip dinner.  Just to paint a picture of just how good this appetizer is.  It’s basically a round loaf of bread that you slice to resemble a checkerboard.  The “cuts” of bread are then stuffed with bacon and cheese, and the top is drizzles with a yummy combination of melted butter and ranch dressing seasoning.  You bake it until the cheese has melted and all the flavors are meshed together and then pull apart each bite!

The recipe can be found here.

Start by cooking the bacon according to package instructions.  Let the bacon cool, then chop into small pieces.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Use a bread knife to slice the sourdough loaf from side to side in both directions (creating a checkerboard pattern), leaving about 1-inch of space between each slice.  Make sure to NOT cut all the way through the bread – you want the loaf to still be completely intact.  Place the bread on the baking sheet.

Stuff the bacon and shredded cheese between each cut of bread.  Really get it into the grooves!  You want to fill as many of the cuts as possible, so you get more of the delicious ingredients in every bite!

Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl.  Add the dry ranch dressing mix and garlic powder.  Mix until well combined.  Then pour evenly over the entire loaf of bread (or use a spoon to help get it into the crevasse and drip down the sides).

 

Cover the sheet pan with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minute or until the cheese is melted and the bread is warmed through.

Place the bread on a serving platter and enjoy!  To eat, simply pull up each square of bread (or pull apart the bread bowl, like the name suggests) and devour!

The recipe can be found here.

You might want to make 2 of these because it won’t last long 🙂 I can’t even begin to describe how good it is, just know that you will have a hard time stopping!

Next up is Jalapeno Popper Pigs in a Blanket.  This dish combines 2 standard football foods…. hotdogs and jalapeno poppers.  The jalapenos are stuffed with a cream cheese / cheddar cheese mixture and topped with a hotdog (or cocktail wiener).  Then, puff pastry is wrapped around to seal both in and is baked to perfection.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  If you are doubling the recipe (which you might need to, depending on how many people you are hosting or if you are watching the game during a typical mealtime) you will need additional baking sheets.

Slice the tops off each jalapeno.  Then slice in half, lengthwise and remove any seeds.

Slice each hotdog into 3 equal sized pieces.  Or you can use cocktail wieners, which are the perfect size.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and cheddar cheese until well mixed.  Add the cream cheese filling to each jalapeno half.  It’s OK if you don’t use the entire amount – just use as much or as little as you like.  I tend to have a little leftover but prefer to have too much than too little, and you never know how big the jalapenos will be.

Place a piece of the hotdog on top of each piece of cream cheese filled jalapeno.

Whisk the egg in a small bowl.

Lightly flour the counter.  Unroll 1 puff pastry and use a rolling pin to flatten it slightly and to remove any creases.  Cut the puff pastry into 6 equal sized strips, then cut each strip in half (so you have 12 pieces).  Repeat this step with the second puff pastry.

Wrap the puff pastry around one of the jalapenos/hotdogs.  Use the egg wash to help hold the puff pastry shut.  Place it on the baking sheet, seam side down as this will help hold it shut.  Repeat this step until all jalapenos/hotdogs have been wrapped.  You can throw away any excess puff pastry strips (or bake them to snack on).

Brush the top of each puff pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.  Some of the cream cheese mixture might ooze out while baking but that’s OK!  There will be plenty left in each jalapeno, and you can always scoop it back in if needed.

Serve warm with marinara sauce on the side for dipping – or any dipping sauce of your choosing!

The recipe can be found here.

These are delicious!  The jalapenos add the perfect amount of spice and the hotdogs pair well with the cream cheese and cheddar cheese.  Everything is warm and yummy, and your tummy will be happy 🙂 I admit, I was skeptical about marinara sauce with jalapenos, but it was actually pretty good.  They are also quite good as is, so you can skip the marinara if you aren’t ambitious enough to try!

Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are a becoming increasingly popular.  They deliver the flavors of buffalo chicken wings but are a lighter, slightly more healthy option, that are equally as tasty.  They are baked, not fried, and make a great side dish.  If you add celery and carrot sticks with ranch or blue cheese dressing, you have the perfect appetizer.

The recipe can be found here.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease a baking sheet.

Whisk together the flour, garlic powder, salt, and water.  Add the cauliflower and toss to coat.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the cauliflower and allow the excess batter to drip off.  Place the cauliflower on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tender.

Combine the buffalo sauce and melted butter in a large bowl.  Add the cooked cauliflower and toss to combine.  Pour back onto the baking sheet and spread in a single layer.

Bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve warm with ranch or blue cheese dressing on the side for dipping.  You can also add celery sticks and carrot sticks for a little crunch!

The recipe can be found here.

4 Dip Sheet Pan with Pull Apart Bread is a great recipe for a party because it has something for everyone.  You get 4 different dips plus the bread for dipping all on one sheet pan.  It’s fun to assemble and even more fun to eat!

The recipe can be found here.

Start by mixing each dip recipe.  Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to combine all ingredients until mixed well.

I find it easiest to prep all your ingredients and soften the cream cheese ahead of time so all you must do is assemble.  I would make one dip using the stand mixer, transfer it to a smaller bowl, rinse out and dry the stand mixer bowl, and move on to the second dip.  So, make sure to keep your dips in separate bowls until ready to assemble.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Make sure the dough is completely thawed.  The dough might start to rise while in the bag and that’s OK.  I definitely thawed my bread too early the first time I made this recipe and it rose quite a bit in the bag, lol.  It’s OK though because you are going to be rolling it into smaller balls.

Tear off small chunks of the dough and roll into 1-inch sized balls.  Line the perimeter of the baking sheet with the dough balls.  Then, create a row down the middles and across the center to create 4 separate sections.

Next, you will add each dip to a different section of the baking sheet.  Spread out the dip to completely fill each section.  It’s OK if the dip is piled high because it will melt down slightly while baking.  I thought I had waaaaaay too much dip my first time, but it ended up being the perfect amount once everything was baked.

This next step is optional, and I honestly forget to do it all the time and the dish still turns out each time, but you can brush a small amount of olive oil on each dough ball before baking.

Bake the sheet pan for 35-40 minutes or until the dips are heated through and bubbling, and the dough balls are turning golden brown.

Remove from the oven and garnish.  Each dip has different garnishes; for example, you might add chives or green onion to the buffalo chicken.

Serve warm and enjoy each dip by pulling apart the dough and dipping it into each dip.  You can also add a spoon to each dip for easier serving.  Enjoy!

The recipe can be found here.

You’ll have to vote to decide which is the winning dip!  My favorite is usually buffalo chicken, but they are all so unique and yummy that it can be hard to choose.

Last up is a Cookies & Cream Football Dip.  This could be considered dessert or just something sweet to serve amongst the snacks and junk food.  It’s subtly sweet and pairs well with a variety of dippers…. graham crackers, nilla wafers, pretzels, etc.

The recipe can be found here.

Make sure you are using double stuffed Oreos.  Place them in a food processor and pulse until crushed.  Alternatively, you can place the Oreos in a Ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter (both should be softened) on medium-high speed for 3 minutes.

Add the powdered sugar and mix on medium-high speed for an additional 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Remove 2-3 Tbsp of the mixture and place it in a small Ziploc bag.  You are going to save this to use later to create the football laces on top.

Add the chocolate syrup and crushed Oreos to the bowl of the stand mixer.  Mix on low until well combined.

I suggest tasting it at this point.  If you are OK with the taste and like it a little less sweet, move on to the next step.  If you want it to be a little sweeter, add more chocolate syrup and mix again.

Line a large bowl with plastic wrap.  Scoop the mixture into the bowl and cover with the plastic wrap.  You want the batter to be tightly wrapped because it will help you remove the batter from the bowl and shape it in a later step.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  If you need to speed up the process you can always put it in the freezer for 30 minutes or so.

Once chilled, remove the mixture from the plastic wrap and place on a serving platter.  Use your hands to form the mixture into the shape of a football.  I highly suggest doing this ON the serving platter and not on the counter.  Then you don’t have to fuss with moving it and having to reshape it.

Cover the top and sides with mini chocolate chips.  Press down gently so the chocolate chips stay in place.  It’s OK if there are gaps and not every spot is covered – add as much as you like.

Grab that reserve frosting from earlier.  Cut off a tiny tip of the bag and pipe a line down the center and a few lines across the top, to resemble football laces.

Finally, arrange the dippers around the football.  Use graham crackers, teddy grahams, nilla wafers, pretzels, and anything else you like!  If you are making this ahead of time, I would recommend waiting on this step and adding the dippers right before serving.  The football should then be stored in the fridge until ready to serve.  You can also make this the night before and keep it covered in the fridge until ready to assemble.  Enjoy!

The recipe can be found here.

I hope these recipes make planning your next football party a little easier or give you inspiration to create your own recipes!

Happy Cooking!  Go Team!