21 Game-Day Recipes

I may not care who’s playing in the big game but I do care about game-day snacks and so here are all sorts of game day recipes to serve up at your next get-together.

Bite-Sized Appetizers

I love bite-sized snacks and I love them even more when they’re easy to make. Here are a few options to choose from that are great for serving a crowd for game day.

• BBQ Chicken Meatballs | I love chicken wings but hate the mess so I make these easy meatballs instead. They’re a little sticky and so flavorful but easy to eat with no pile of bones to deal with after.
• Sausage Rolls | I always make a double batch of these because they’re hard to resist. They’re delicious warm from the oven, at room temperature or cold from the fridge, too.
• Sweet and Spicy Meatball Bites | These beef meatballs are coated in a three-ingredient sauce that’s tangy, sweet and a little spicy.
• Roasted Red Pepper & Basil Pinwheels | It doesn’t get any easier than these pinwheels. I like to use whipped cream cheese because I don’t have to wait for it to soften (spreadable straight from the package <— yes!) and the only work is chopping up some jarred roasted red peppers and fresh basil. Make them a day in advance and then just slice and serve.

Dip Recipes

What’s a game-day party without some chips and dip? All of these dip recipes can be made ahead so when it’s time for the game they’re ready to serve with all of your favorite dippers.

• Pimento Cheese Dip | A quick 10-minute pimento cheese dip is a must-make for game-day, holidays and other get-togethers. It’s a simple mix-and-serve appetizer made with sharp cheddar cheese, cream cheese, peppers and mayonnaise otherwise know as a combination of flavors that’s hard to resist.
• Onion Dip | Classic onion dip tastes amazing with real caramelized onions (instead of the little packet of dry stuff) and you don’t have to stand at the stove to make them. You can use your slow cooker to caramelize onions. Make them ahead and then mix up the dip a few hours before you want to serve it.
• Hot Cheese Dip | A super easy cheese dip – no stove required! This smooth and creamy dip takes less than 15 minutes to make and calls for just a  few simple ingredients. 
• Roasted Red Pepper Dip | You only need four ingredients for this easy dip. It’s cool, creamy and all about the roasted red peppers.

Sandwiches

Whether it’s a small get-together or a big party with all the friends sandwiches are always great for game-day!

• Caprese Roast Beef Sandwiches | Grab a few of those big loaves of bread, pile on the roast beef, tomatoes, lettuce and cheese and drizzle some balsamic vinaigrette over the top. These roast beef sandwiches are so much better than those platters you get at the store.
• Bacon and Goat Cheese Sliders | These cute sliders topped with goat cheese, bacon and arugula are the perfect mini burgers for game day.
• Pizza Sandwiches | Like the roast beef ones, this exta-large hot pizza sandwich is enough for a few people to share and it’s loaded with all the pizza toppings.
• Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches | Hot roast beef piled on sesame seed buns with a creamy 3-ingredient cheese sauce that you make in the microwave. It’s a fast-food favorite you can make at home.

• Sloppy Joe Sliders | My grown-up sloppy joes are made with ground beef cooked in red wine and the sauce is made with roasted vegetables. You can easily it ahead and warm it up when it’s time for the game. Serve them on slider buns for easy eating.
• Italian Sandwich Sliders | Toasty baked Italian sandwiches with three kinds of salami, cheese and banana peppers is an easy (and delicious!) way to serve a crowd.
• Crispy Chicken Sliders | This is my homemade version of a fast-food sandwich you can’t get on Sunday. The breaded chicken is baked and served up slider-style.

More Game-Day Snacks

And here is all the rest! Poppers, nachos, mozzarella stick plus a few other choice snacks perfect for the big game.

• BBQ Chicken Quesadillas | You’ll need to get out the extra napkins for this one. BBQ chicken tucked in tortillas with all the cheese and guacamole is a little messy and a whole lot delicious.
• Frito Pie | Make a big batch of chili, spoon it over corn chips and offer up all the toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream. Call it your Frito pie bar where everyone can help themselves.
• Garlic Parmesan Fries | These garlic parmesan fries are so simple there’s barely a recipe for them thanks to store-bought french fries. Because no one wants to fry their own hand-cut french fries on game day, right? This simple recipe gets you a sheet pan full of fries that taste like the ones you might order in a restaurant.

• Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers | Jalapeno peppers stuffed with a zingy cilantro-lime cream cheese filling and wrapped up in crispy bacon. These baked bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers are always a favorite appetizer.
• BBQ Chicken Nachos | I use rotisserie chicken to make these easy nachos and they’re topped with a super easy cheddar cheese sauce. They’re an easy way to serve a crowd!
• Homemade Mozzarella Sticks | You can prep these ahead, freeze them and then fry them up when you’re ready to serve them. They’re golden and crispy with just the right amount of ooey-gooey melted cheese.

📩 Want more delicious recipe ideas? Sign up and get the free email series Gourmet Made Easy plus new recipes delivered to your inbox!

Happy game day!