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Easy game day appetizers to make your party easy peasy! I've got everything from sweet and spicy bbq sauce for Tyson® Crispy Chicken Strips to blue cheese dip for Tyson® Any’tizers® Boneless Chicken Bites Buffalo Style and so much more! Aidells® Meatballs, Hillshire Farm® Lit’l Smokies® Smoked Sausages and State Fair® Corn Dogs round the buffet table out! Simplify the party by bringing in game day favorites that require little work! Make your dips the day before to save time. Less stress the day of makes throwing a party for a crowd a total breeze and makes for a more relaxed host!
Easy Game Day Appetizers
My favorite part of the big game or any football game? The snacks. Forget commercials or cheering for plays, I am just happy to hang out at the food table and nibble on all the delicious food!
But I've also overdone myself trying to make my party and the food so overwhelming. As I've gotten older, I've realized I like to have as much done ahead of time as I can. It's also great to pick up some staples from the store to save myself a lot of work. Nothing ruins a party like an exhausted, worn-out host! By preparing as much as I can beforehand, I have the energy to hang out and chat with my guests!
I stocked up on everything I needed at my local Kroger, and it was easy breezy! I want this to be easy for you as well, so I've included a printable shopping list of all the items needed to make this whole spread! Grab the list found at the bottom of this post and head to Kroger! With minimal work, you are all set for an impromptu football party! And, don't forget to grab this shopkick offer before you head out!
So, let's get to the nitty gritty of what is included in this game day appetizer spread:
HOMEMADE DIPS FOR GAME DAY APPETIZERS:
-
Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce
- This homemade BBQ sauce is deceptively easy to make. The hardest part is letting it simmer an hour before, so that makes it ideal to whip up the day before. The ingredients are those you'd find in most BBQ sauces but with a spicy twist. Basic ketchup, vinegar, and brown sugar are mixed with sweet maple syrup and Vietnamese chili garlic sauce for a flavor punch!
-
Blue Cheese Dip
- This dip is ready in under 5 minutes. Use a blender or a food processor and combine your favorite blue cheese crumbles with sour cream, a bit of mayo, fresh garlic and you're set! The green onions add flavor while doing double duty as a garnish!
PURCHASED ITEMS TO ROUND OUT YOUR GAME DAY APPETIZER MENU
- Tyson® Crispy Chicken Strips - we are such a fan of these crispy, protein-packed strips! We sometimes have them for a fast family dinner because they are minimally processed and have no artificial ingredients. We also love to serve them at parties, too, since all the guests devour them! They are perfect for dipping in the homemade bbq sauce! In the past, I've served them in a tortilla with homemade queso for a fun twist on a taco!
- Aidells Meatballs - Skip the ho-hum meatballs, and go for these instead. Aidells features several flavor-packed meatballs, including some unexpected flavor combos. Our go-to is the Teriyaki and Pineapple. It goes great with the flavors of the homemade bbq sauce, which includes soy sauce and Vietnamese garlic chili paste. If you want to kick your table decorating up a notch, consider serving in a hollowed out pineapple. You can see I did just that for my sweet and sour chicken meatball stir fry!
- State Fair Corn Dogs - I don't think we have ever not had these in our freezer. Our kids adore them and honestly, so do I! They bring back so many memories of visiting the fair and other carnivals. I eat mine with mustard, what about you? They make perfect party finger food with the fun corn dog stick coming from the hot dog! Pictured here I have the classic variety but there's also the beef variety with 100% beef!
- Hillshire Farm Lit’l Smokies® Smoked Sausages - Is it really a party if these are not on the table? For the game day event, I'd suggest placing these in a small slow cooker to keep them warm throughout the day. Most guests are probably grazers, and it's nice to be able to snack on them every time you walk by the table! You can simmer in just a bit of water or simmer directly in the bbq sauce. You can spy them on our table during our Thanksgiving Feast!
- Tyson Any’tizers Boneless Chicken Bites Buffalo Style - Another football game favorite! When I think of game day food, buffalo chicken is at the top of the list! These are so easy to just dunk in the homemade blue cheese dip along with carrots and celery. Not a fan of blue cheese or buffalo? Simply substitute the fresh boneless deli wings with the Tyson Any’tizers Boneless Chicken Bites of your choice and make Tex Mex hot wing enchiladas!
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DECORATE YOUR APPETIZER BUFFET TABLE FOR A FOOTBALL PARTY:
A fun party should have a bit of decoration, don't you think? I think these should also be easy and inexpensive! For the table above, we've simply hand drawn footballs onto a roll of brown paper. You can grab a roll like this at any home improvement store in the paint section. In case you don't have any on hand, you could simply use the paper Kroger bags from your shopping trip!
Purchase these items today at your local Kroger or Kroger family store, and make your football viewing party an easy event for the host! Make things even easier by using my printable shopping list down below. I've broken down every item you will need for your game day menu! The items are divided by categories so you don't backtrack around the store. So, you'll see items like Aidell's meatballs and the Lil' Smokies in the refrigerator section and the Tyson Crispy Chicken Strips in the freezer section!
Want to know what else is easy? Using this Shopkick offer that saves you $$$$!
📋Recipe
Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ¾ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Vietnamese chili garlic sauce
Instructions
- Mix together all the ingredients in a medium saucepan set on medium heat.
- Allow bubbles to start to form and lower heat to the low setting.
- Continue cooking for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Allow the sauce to thicken and cook down a bit. This also allows the flavors to mix with one another.
- **Refrigerate before and after serving!
Notes
Nutrition
📋Recipe
Blue Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles packed
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- green onions for garnish
- blue cheese crumbles for garnish
Instructions
- In a blender, food processor, or in a medium-sized bowl, combine all the ingredients except the green onions and the extra blue cheese crumbles that are used for the garnish. The blender and food processor will make the smoothest dip, but if you don't have one, use the back of a fork to break apart the crumbles even more. Mix well.
- Some people like a chunkier sauce, others like it to be totally pureed. It's up to you!
- Once mixed to your liking, place in your serving bowl and top with green onions and extra blue cheese crumbles!
- Enjoy!
- **Refrigerate before and after serving!
Notes
Nutrition
SHOPPING LIST CLICK HERE FOR FREE PRINTABLE!
Don't forget to download Shopkick and get some great rewards for items you are already purchasing!
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