Something-for-Everyone Game Day Snacks

Something-for-Everyone Game Day Snacks

The Sunday featuring the biggest day in Football is fast approaching, and for most of the party-throwers out there, it means it’s time to start food planning. A perfect menu for Big Game watching takes into consideration who will be present – will there be finicky-eating kids, is anyone cutting carbs, or is there a need to consider gluten restrictions? We’ve come up with a few delicious options that offer a little something for everyone to chow down on during the commercials!

And, as you’re setting up the perfect spread of food, don’t forget team colors. In addition to tablecloths and other décor, have some fun coordinating your pot holders and oven mitts to the players’ uniforms and logos. Since the eating could get messy when people are distracted and cheering, why not give each person their own team color-coordinated dish towel instead of the usual paper napkins?

Now, on to the food!

What is a delicious gluten-free appetizer that practically makes itself?
Chicken wings rank near the top of the list of favorite party snacks, and our consumption behavior in the United States proves it. According to the National Chicken Council, we ate about 1.42 billion wings last year during the Big Game, and there’s no reason to believe we won’t repeat that. One of the all-time, most favored flavors is Buffalo-style, and we’ve found a perfectly inspired recipe from The Real Food Dieticians that promises fantastic, satisfying crispy texture without any frying or battering...so no gluten in sight. These Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings are easy enough for even a first-time party host to pull off, and they will fly off the plate (see what we did there?) 😉

CRISPY BAKED BUFFALO WINGS

INGREDIENTS
 
For The Wings:
  • 3 lbs chicken wings (This will provide around 36 pieces, both ‘flats’ and ‘drummies’. If you buy the wings frozen, thaw them in the fridge the day before using – then drain and pat them dry.)
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder (do NOT use baking soda) 
  • 1 tsp salt
For The Sauce:
  • ⅓ cup butter or ghee (if you need this to be dairy-free, substitute coconut oil)
  • ½ cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot®)
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper (if you don’t want the heat, omit – or increase for the burn-lovers)
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat the oven to 250℉. Line a baking sheet with foil, then place a baking/cooling rack on the sheet and set aside.
  2. Place the raw wings in a large bowl and sprinkle with the baking powder and salt. Toss well to coat evenly.
  3.  Arrange the chicken on your baking/cooking rack so that none of the pieces are touching one another.
  4. Place in the oven and cook at 250℉ for 30 minutes.
  5. After 30 minutes is up, raise the oven temperature to 425℉. Cook for an additional 20 minutes.
  6. Rotate the pan after the 20 minutes, then cook 20 more minutes – or until the chicken is crispy and lightly browned.
  7. While the chicken bakes, make your sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the ghee, hot pepper sauce, vinegar, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and cayenne pepper over medium heat. Once the ghee or butter is melted, whisk to combine. Remove from the heat.
  8. Place the cooked chicken pieces in a shallow container (such as a 9×13-inch pan) and drizzle with half of the Buffalo sauce. Toss to coat.
  9. Serve remaining sauce to use as a tasty wing dip. 
 
What is an easy party food both kids and adults will like?
It’s pretty difficult to find a person of any age who doesn’t 1) love a cheeseburger; 2) love fun bite-sized food; and 3) LOVE bacon. Stephanie of Plain Chicken has inspired us with her impressively flavorful recipe for Bacon Cheeseburger Biscuit Bites with Pub Sauce, and we think you’ll make this again and again.
Photo and recipe credit: Stephanie, Plain Chicken

BACON CHEESEBURGER BISCUIT BITES WITH PUB SAUCE

Yield: 40 biscuit bites

INGREDIENTS

Biscuit Bites
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
  • 3 Tbsp tomato juice
  • 1 egg
  • ⅓ cup chopped cooked bacon (or turkey bacon)
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 4 (6-oz) cans refrigerated biscuits (20 total biscuits)

Pub Sauce
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp chopped chives
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • ¾ tsp black pepper
 
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lightly spray mini muffin pans with cooking spray. 
  2. Remove biscuits from cans and separate each biscuit into two layers, making 40 total biscuit layers. Press one layer of biscuit on the bottom and up the sides of each cup of the mini muffin pan. Repeat with remaining layers.
  3. Gently mix uncooked ground beef, tomato juice, egg, bacon, and cheese until well blended. Shape into 40 balls of equal size.
  4. Place hamburger ball into each biscuit cup.
  5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until biscuits are browned.
  6. To make Pub Sauce, whisk together all ingredients and serve with Bacon Cheeseburger Biscuit Bites.
 
What is a delicious and satisfying low-carb or keto appetizer everyone will love?
Parties can be a bit of a minefield for carb-cutters. If you or someone on your Big Game Sunday guest list is working to avoid overdoing carbohydrates in their diet, we have a great pinwheel treat that looks and tastes like a cheat food thanks to Annie with The Best Keto Recipes website. These savory Keto Ham and Cheese Rolls have just shy of two net carbs per serving and offer carb-conscious guests a delicious option to keep them from being simply relegated to the veggie tray for sustenance…and those without dietary restrictions will love them, too.
Photo and recipe credit: Annie, The Best Keto Recipes

KETO HAM AND CHEESE ROLLS

Yield: 13 pinwheels

INGREDIENTS
 
For the Dough
  • 1 egg white, beaten
  • 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1 ounce cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
 
For the Filling
  • 8 ounces deli ham (don't opt for honey ham, as it does have a few carbs)
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
 
Special Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp melted butter
  • 2 tsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp minced green onions
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp Oregano
  • 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
 
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350℉.
  1. In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the mozzarella cheese and cream cheese. Heat in 30 second increments until cheese is completely melted.
  2. Stir the cheese so they are combined.
  3. In a second smaller bowl, combine the almond flour and baking powder. Mix in the melted  cheeses.
  4. When the almond flour and cheese are nearly combined, add a beaten egg white and stir well.
  5. Using your hands, work the dough to ensure the egg white is completely combined into        the dough (no streaks of egg white should be visible.) If the dough seems too wet, add 1 tablespoon of almond flour at a time until it feels right.
  6. Lay the dough on a silicone baking sheet. Place a second silicone baking sheet on top of the dough, and use a rolling pin to press dough into a thin rectangle. (If you don't have silicone baking sheets, you can use parchment or waxed paper instead.)
  7. Layer the deli ham slices and shredded cheese over the dough and tightly roll.
  8. Slice across the roll into 13 segments (not too thin) to form pinwheels.
  9. Combine all of the Special Sauce ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle evenly over the ham and cheese rolls.
  10. Bake 15-17 minutes until golden brown.

And…may the best team win! 
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