Game Day Party Recipes

It's PARTY TIME. The big game is next week, time to make a plan and stock the fridge. Fire up that crock pot, oven, and grill—time to pig out.

Jump To:

🖐️Finger Food Recipes
🥣Chili Recipes
🥘Main Course Recipes
🍬Sweets/Snacks Recipes
Don't forget food safety and the dog treats

Special shout out to our old city, Kansas City (50 yrs ago), and Philidelphia, where my son lives. Have a great safe game, and congratulations to both teams.

After Thanksgiving, big game day is considered the second most important "food holiday." Food is an essential part of any watch party—big or small.

I almost always enjoy the game—but is 7 hours of pregame programming needed? We will be enjoying the puppy bowl part of that time.

OK, I'm off task; back to the food. Let's divide the recommendations into four classes, finger foods, chili, main courses, and sweets/smacks.

🖐️Finger Food Recipes

If you are hosting a party, finger foods are great for watching the game and munching. Here are some of my best.

Extra Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

The perfect Oven Baked Wings recipe for all wing events. The crispiest chicken wings are baked, not fried—no greasy frying mess, and it is so easy to make at home.

Crispy Baked Chicken Wings from 101 Cooking for Two

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce for Chicken Wings

This Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce for Chicken Wings is the perfect complement to buffalo wings and veggies. A 5 minutes dipping sauce recipe that's creamy and irresistible.

Quick and Easy French Bread Pizza in 20 Minutes

Delicious Quick and Easy French Bread Pizza is the perfect 20 minute evening meal or a party. Full of your favorite toppings, browned melted cheese, and crispy crust.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites—Sweet & Spicy

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites are the perfect party dish. It's easy to make with bacon-wrapped chicken, coated with brown sugar and spices, and baked to golden brown.

Easy Pineapple Mango Salsa Recipe

Sweet and savory with a touch of spice, this Easy Pineapple Mango Salsa Recipe is a perfect fresh fruit salsa for an appetizer or with your favorite Mexican dish.

Easy Guacamole Recipe

This Easy Guacamole Recipe is a basic recipe using only 4 ingredients and has many options to make it your own special homemade guacamole for parties or dinners.

🥣Chili Recipes

To me, the watch party must have chili. You can check all my chili recipes in my chili category. But here are some of my favorites.

Small Crock Pot Chili

Super easy to make and one of the best homemade chilies you will ever have. This versatile chili is perfect in a small crock pot but can easily be adjusted to your taste and needs.

Easiest Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

Award-winning Crock Pot White Chicken Chili only needs five ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time. It's thick and creamy with tender chicken and mild spiciness.

White Chicken Chili on a spoon over bowl

Stew Meat Chili

This Stew Meat Chili recipe is simple for even the non-cook—you only need a few knife skills. With this easy small-batch recipe, you can make chili for two or as much as you need.

Salsa Verde Chicken Chili

Making this great change of pace chili is easy in a crock pot or on the stovetop. With just a few pantry ingredients and precooked chicken, everybody will be impressed with the results.

The Best Taco Chili—Crock Pot or Stovetop

This is The Best Taco Chili recipe you can make at home. Full of spicy flavor with tender ground beef, beans, and thick tomato broth. Scale it down to make it "for two" friendly.

Kick Tail Taco Soup from 101 Cooking for Two

🥘Main Course Recipes

Maybe you are having more of a dinner. Here are some classics in all three food groups: beef, pork, and chicken.

Oven Pulled Pork—Low and Slow Pork Butt

Oven Pulled Pork from pork butt cooked low and slow is tender, moist, and delicious. This is the easiest recipe to get great pulled pork at home.

The Best Ground Beef Tacos—Quick and Easy

The Best Ground Beef Tacos only needs ground beef, pantry ingredients, and 25 minutes. You can keep it mild or make spicy taco meat, your choice—Taco Tuesday will never be the same.

Crock Pot Pulled Pork from Pork Butt

Pulled pork from pork butt is easy to make—you only need a dry rub, a pork butt (Boston butt) and your slow cooker. Everyone will love this melt-in-your-mouth BBQ pulled pork.

Pulled pork with sauce in a bun on a blue plate

Crock Pot French Dip

Crock Pot French Dip sandwiches have tender beef and caramelized onions topped with melted cheese. Serve on a toasted roll with au jus for dipping.

Easiest Oven Baked BBQ Beef Brisket

Learn how simple it is to make smoky and tender Oven Baked BBQ Beef Brisket with this never fail brisket recipe—just two ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time—everybody deserves great BBQ.

Oven Baked BBQ Brisket from 101 Cooking for Two

Baked Chicken Legs - Quick and Easy

Crispy baked chicken legs (drumsticks) are a quick and easy meal the whole family will love. Just trim and pat dry some chicken legs, add simple spices, and bake them in the oven—perfectly crispy, moist, and tender.

🍬Sweets/Snacks Recipes

No party or dinner is complete without something sweet. Give them something great to talk about that you can make ahead.

Easy Cheesecake Bars

These Easy Cheesecake Bars are creamy and delicious with a Graham cracker crust and lemon—the quick small-batch recipe you need with great tasting cheesecake bars.

Crock Pot White Chocolate Almond Clusters

Super easy and delicious white chocolate almond clusters are the perfect gift for the holidays or for any special occasion. Simple with these step by step photo instruction for the perfect white chocolate candy.

white chocolate almond clusters on a white plate

Old Fashioned Lemon Bars

This Old Fashioned Lemon Bar recipe is easy and quick but still uses a classic shortbread crust and a tangy and sweet custard filling of eggs and lemon juice. It's a small 8X8 recipe that is easy to double for more lemon squares.

Easy Oreo Fudge

This super Easy Oreo Fudge recipe has only 4 ingredients and is packed with great flavor. It will melt in your mouth with chunks of Oreo cookies in sweet white chocolate fudge.

Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Clusters

Chocolate peanut clusters are the best candy treat and are super easy to make at home in your crock pot. Lightly salted peanuts covered with sweet chocolate coating make the perfect gift, or keep them all for yourself—you can always make more with this smaller recipe.Only a few ingredients.

red plate full of chocolate peanut clusters

Candied Almonds or Other Candied Nuts

This easy roasted candied almonds recipe makes the perfect holiday gift and a great crunchy party snack. Or make some delicious candied mixed nuts or other nuts with only a few ingredients and minimal skill.

finished candied nuts on the cooking tray with white parechment paper

Don't forget food safety and the dog treats

Check out some food safety tips at Summer Food Safety.

Low-Fat Homemade Dog Treats—Healthy & Delicious

Low Fat Homemade Dog Treats are the perfect low-calorie treat for your dog. With only five ingredients, your dog will love the peanut butter and pumpkin taste. Much healthier than commercial treats—any veterinarian would approve.