These Game Day Food Recipes are going to help you throw a winning watch party. Each recipe is easy to do and are all crowd pleasers in their own way. Whether you are hosting your own game day party or heading to someone’s house to watch the big game, these recipes got you covered.
Love it or hate it, football season is upon us. As usual, we find comfort in day dreaming and planning the things we can make and eat. We are just find the silver lining kind of people. Game Day Food is actually delicious. There are so many different directions to go with it.
When hosting a Game Day party we think the trick is to keep things simple. Then you want to make sure you have food that is easy to share and for people to grab. There is a game on the TV and a lot of socializing, so no one wants to be bogged down with a big plate. Keep it all easy to grab and eat.
Finally you want to also make sure you have something for everyone. This can be done by just considering your guests, and also just making a menu that has a little bit of this and a little bit of that. A few things that are heavy and filling, and a few things that are light and fresh.
We wanted to bring you a roundup of some of our favorite Game Day Food Recipes that are easy and delicious and the whole crowd will love.
Starters
Appropriately, we are going to start our amazing Game Day Food Recipes with appetizers. A good game day spread is the perfect place to showcase appetizers. Appetizers are great on an occasion like this because there are great finger food options. Think about things that are easy for people to grab and eat in one or two bites. Also consider having a balance of food. This means having a few options from sweet to savory, fresh and light to heavy and cheesy so that you can have something for everyone.
A good appetizer is also great to bring to a game day party you may be attending. They are easy to do and again, everyone loves a good appy! Here are a few of our favorite appetizers from the site that check the bite size and easy to grab boxes.
Loaded Cuban Nachos: The first thing we did was substitute plantain chips as our base instead of the typical tortilla chip. They bring a sweetness to the dish that we just love. Then we knew we had to add a little bit of chorizo to spice it up.
Shrimp Ceviche Verde: We love this for game day because it is giving field vibes. Think about it the bright green in the Verde Sauce brings a little of the field green to your table, and it’s really so delicious. An easy to grab appetizer, and can be served with the chips that you have out already for Chips and Salsa.
Sriracha Wings: These wings are so good. There is something special about the way the Sriracha hot sauce coats the wings. That sauce paired with the other seasonings help bring a beautiful char on the grill. It makes for that smokey bite that only a grill can deliver.
Media Noche Sliders: Media Noche Sliders are a mini stack of all the things we love about a Cuban sandwich. Our favorite part? It’s definitely when we smother it in butter and bake it until the cheese has melted. Yum! Then you have the juicy ham, and it all makes for the perfect mouthwatering bite.
Mini Roasted Peppers and Caper Cream Sauce: These mini peppers are just adorable, aren’t they? Besides being tiny and adorable, the tiny peppers are easy to make. They can be found in your produce department in a bag ready to be taken home. All you have to do is rinse them, dry them, lay them out on the baking sheet, and you’re basically done.
Zucchini Fritters: These fritters are gluten free and so delicious! We love them for a Game Day because while a little healthier, they are crisp and so fresh. Zucchini is all the rage right now, so not only are they yummy and easy to make, they are trendy.
Also try our: Guacamole, Homemade Tomato Salsa, Mango Salsa and Sazon Wings
Main and Sides
When thinking about Game Day Food Recipes, you obviously have to think about the main star of the show. So here you are going to find a few of our favorite main dishes that are not difficult to do, and are also easy for your guests to share. When we think Game Day Food we think meat and we think fried. However it doesn’t always have to be fried, so we also thought of a few things that you can do to keep it a little lighter. Remember you can always find all our Main Course Ideas back with our recipes.
We are big advocates for also considering your sides! Here we have two sides that are always big crowd pleasers! The Pasta Salad and Corn are always things our friends and family go crazy for. However you can head back to Our Sides and check out our full array of sides to see what might fit your needs.
Guava BBQ Roasted Ribs: Here is a fact, in order to achieve good ribs you need two things: 1- a delicious rub and seasoning, and 2- time. If you have that then you have everything you need for fall off the bone deliciousness. This recipe is going to give you the rub and seasoning, all we ask is that you give it the time.
Pollo Frito (Fried Chicken): This girl will be popular at the party. Everyone loves fried chicken, and there is something so special about it at home. Just picture yourself watching the game with a perfectly cooked fried drummy in hand. It’s poetry. We love this recipe because the mojo really makes the chicken pop and since there are no breadcrumbs the chicken still feels light (even though it’s fried).
Instant Pot Black Bean Chili: This Black Bean Chili recipe is an easy step by step to making a rich delicious chili. It’s an easy Instant Pot meal but can be adjusted to your stove top. It’s great on a game day because it feeds a lot of people and is versatile. You can throw it on chili, make a dip or even do Chili Hot dogs! However our favorite is the classic bowl of chili. All you have to do is just have the toppings available and your’e all set.
Instant Pot: Pan con Lechon: There are very few things that can bring people running to your house. Cuban Pulled Pork Sandwiches or Pan Con Lechon, is definitely one of them. It’s an absolute crowd favorite. This recipe will give you the short cut to making a delicious pork. All you have to do is have the bread and condiments on hand.
Pasta Salad: It’s the side dish that pairs well with every BBQ cookout or any simple summer meal. When you break it down it’s elbow macaroni, cooked until al dente and tossed in a creamy herb dressing of mayo and Greek yogurt, but it’s so much more than that. They come together to form a tangy sweet little surprise in you mouth.
Also try Our Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers, Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas, Grilled Chicken Sandwiches, Guava BBQ Chicken Thighs , Air Fryer French Fries, Cuban Rice Salad, Chopped Salad, Macaroni and Cheese
Dessert
To round out our Game Day Food Recipes we have dessert. Who doesn’t love dessert? When thinking about hosting a party, we are big advocates for buying or assigning someone to bring a dessert. However for those of us who love to bake, or have been tasked with bringing a dessert to their Game Day party we have a few of our favorite desserts that are easy enough to do and can be prepared ahead of time.
Quick and Easy Tres Leches: This recipe hack will absolutely blow you away for two reasons. First, it is so delicious and creamy and good. The second, it will take you less than 10 minutes to pull together. Making it a literal touch down for Game Day!
Donut Bread Pudding: Our Donut Bread Pudding Recipe is a play on the traditional bread pudding. It is made of glazed donuts, instead of bread, and we came up with a very delicious creamy vanilla custard for it to soak in. We pair this bread pudding with both a Whiskey Sauce and a Chocolate Sauce. You can serve it with both, just one or neither. The bread pudding is pretty out of this world good on it’s own.
Cuban Fruit Salad: The truth is desserts do not have to be big and elaborate to be delicious. A simple fruit salad can really go a long way in balancing out a big meal. It’s fresh and light and the colors pop to help bring a little life to the table.
Peach Blueberry Galette: Our fruit galette is a free form pie filled with a sweet fruit filling. We toss the fruit with sugar and wrap it in a buttery pie crust. Then it is baked until it is bubbling at the center and golden brown at the rim. The end result looks organic and rustic, yet there is still a sophisticated feeling about it.
Strawberry and Cream Cheese Empanadas: The Strawberry and Cream Cheese Empanadas are such a great easy dessert. What we love most about these Strawberry and Cream Cheese Empanadas is that they are a pick up and go dessert. This means you can just serve them and your kids, family or friends can just grab them and…. you get the idea. This is no mess no fuss serving.
Invisible Apple Cake: This Invisible Apple Cake is going to be your new favorite dessert. It’s definitely a showstopper. It will take you step by step through making a delicate delicious apple dessert that everyone will go crazy for. It’s delicate and so sweet with just the right hit of cinnamon.
Try Some of Our Other Favorite Desserts: Arroz con Leche, Flan, Chocolate Natilla, No Egg Tiramisu, No Bake Key Lime Pie, Mango Crisp, Passionfruit Mousse
We hope our Game Day Food Recipes were able to help you figure out your next big watch party! If you liked this blog sign up for Our Newsletter to receive this and more things like it right to your inbox! We promise not to spam you!
