Whether you are a football fan or not, getting together with friends to watch a game is always fun. Even if you aren’t watching the game, chances are there will be amazing food and good drinks! Jen and I understand both, we enjoy watching football, but we are also totally into good snacks and drinks! We host many football parties throughout the year – college and NFL in the fall, college bowl games in Dec./Jan., and of course, the Superbowl. We have some crowd pleasing recipes and entertaining tips we wanted to share in case you need insipiration for your own football tailgate party!
Set the Tone with Paper Products and Decorations
An easy way to get everyone in the team spirit is to buy your favorite team’s colors of paper plates, napkins, and cups. If you don’t have a favorite team, it’s easy to find football themed paper products. Party City has a pretty amazing on-line selection of football party items, including lots of team specific options. I picked up these cute football paper bowls and football themed toothpicks at Party City. For less than $6, these gave the food table a fun and festive look!
Easy Food for a Football Party
I always like to have some snacks that are on the healthier side to balance out the junk food. A football field veggie platter is the perfect option! This was so easy to make! I layered a platter with cucumbers and sugar snap peas to represent the field. I then outlined the shape of a football with grape tomatoes and filled those in with orange colored peppers. The key step is to then use cucumber or green pepper to represent the stitching on the football.
The Best Veggie Dip
I always throw together a quick veggie dip and it is always a hit! I start with 16oz of light sour cream. Add a packet of Hidden Valley ranch seasoning, a tablespoon of Knorr’s vegetable soup/dip mix, and 2 tablespoons of Green Goddess dressing. Super easy and better than a store bought already made dip!
Copy cat Q-doba White Con Queso Dip
Kick up your taco bar a notch by adding a con queso dip to your table. This recipe was so good! I threw it in the crockpot, gave it a couple stirs, and it was done. I love con queso dip and this recipe is my new favorite!
Copycat Q-Doba Con Queso Dip
Ingredients
- 8 oz diced green chiles
- 16 oz Rotel diced tomatoes with chili, mild
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1.5 lb white American cheese
- 1.5 tbsp salted butter
- 1 chopped jalapeno
- 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 3/4 c milk
Instructions
- Drain the cans of chiles and diced tomatoes and put in crockpot
- Add the rest of the ingredients and begin cooking on low
- As ingredients begin to melt together, stir occasionally until completely melted
Notes
More Easy Food Ideas
I find that mini pigs in a blanket are always a crowd pleaser. I use Pillsbury croissant dough and mini cocktail sausages. To keep them warm throughout the night, I have a warming tray. This thing is awesome and friends ask to borrow it all the time. There are so many hot appetizers that aren’t good as soon as they cool down and this warming tray solves that problem. It’s the best!
For our last football watching party, we were lucky enough to have Edible Arrangements donate two platters. If you are short on time and want to make an impact, have one of these platters at your next party! The kid looooved it and it was a healthy dessert option! I think I want to order one of these to have on Thanksgiving. Edible Arrangements can make platters for any occasion! Check out their website to see all the ideas, everything from football to holidays to gender reveals, there are so many fun fruit platters! Our local store in Kalamazoo really nailed our party platters.
A Signature Drink
We like to have a special drink and Jen’s jalapeno margarita is the perfect choice! We are both really picky about our margaritas and this one is dialed in. Not too sweet, not too tart, with the perfect amount of spice. Click here for the recipe!
It’s all about the atmosphere
A couple other tips we have for a successful football watching party are:
- Play music during commercials, unless of course, you are watching the Superbowl! We turn down the tv and turn up the tunes to keep a fun party vibe even if your team is losing.
- If the weather is nice, consider setting up a screen or sheet outside with a projector to watch the game. Jen’s husband is the master at this and it makes for a fun environment! He also makes a bonfire so even if it’s a little chilly, you can warm up by the fire.
Hope your favorite team is having a good season! Even if you’re not a football fan, it’s a great excuse to get together with friends and eat some good food!
DISCLOSURE
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