Football Season is upon us which brings along with it cooler weather. Football also brings families and friends together to watch the College Football Games and NFL games which means hosting parties! Some of us come together to actually watch the game while others, let’s face it. come to eat all the goodies served!!! And if they score really big, bring home some leftovers!
As we geared up this Sunday for Football and watched Carrie Underwood Sing her new song, “Game on!”, officially kicking off the season, my family and I decided we needed to have some more apps to serve our guests at our football parties. The recipes in this post are the culmination of my hard work developing recipes to excite and inspire you this Football/Fall Season. These are all served warm except of course the sandwich which is made with a combination of cheddar and turkey and provolone and salami on homemade Italian bread – recipe in my cookbook, Mariooch’s Kitchen Food That Will Gather Your Family (available on Barnesandnoble.com as well as Amazon!) This sandwich is a super cute idea to completely wow your guests!
A little fun fact is that my nephew was in the Sound of Music live with Carrie Underwood on ABC, so she will always have a special place in our hearts. She is an amazing and talented singer/songwriter and entrepreneur with her fabulous line of sportswear, which I quite often wear in the cooler weather. Let’s get started with the apps line up!
1) Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip – this dip is ooey, gooey, cheesy, spicy goodness in one bite! It’s made mostly of corn and a hint of sour cream with of course a heavy dose of cheese, add bacon to the top for a bit of a crunch and flavorful taste or go a little on the lighter side and skip the bacon and add crunchy scallions. Either way, it’s unbelievable! Be sure to serve this hot and with Red Hot Spicy Blue Chips.
2) Taco Boats – this is a winner with the kids! They are filled with ground beef and finely shredded Mexican or spicy cheese and baked inside a Taco boat which is the consistency of a tortilla (soft). The good news is that you can prep the meat mixture one day ahead to save time. These can be made vegetarian as well by preparing cooked broccoli florets and adding the cheese to the top, just skip the meat! Serve with a dollop of sour cream and these will be a big hit among your guests!
3) Cauliflower Spinach Dip – this dip is coming in strong with it’s amazing flavor, creamy consistency and is lighter on the calories than its counterpart Spinach dip which is typically made with mayonnaise, sour cream and cream cheese. This scores big points on taste and calories! Serve hot with an herbed focacia bread or crostini. Any leftovers you can put on a baked potato!!
4) Cheesy Beef Caserole – this appetizer is for the meat lovers in the crowd! It’s easy on prep, and low on clean up! Serve with a corn tortilla chip, and watch this dip get scooped up fast! Serve hot right out of the oven!
5 )Layered Refried Bean Dip – this dip is super creamy and will keep your guests on their toes. You may want to double this recipe! It’s also a great dip to serve along side a taco on Taco night.
All these appetizers will pair well together and will give your pre-game/game eats a cohesive feel. “Game on” and may the best team win! #shotoniphone
Enjoy!