Football season is finally here! Game day food should be easy, fun and good enough that everyone keeps wandering back for another plate. That’s exactly what The Game Day Spread is all about — simple recipes with big flavor that don’t require spending the whole day in the kitchen.
For Week One, we’ve got a warm jalapeño popper corn dip, hot honey chicken tucked into buttery Texas Roadhouse rolls, fudgy cheesecake swirl brownies and a cold spiked cherry limeade. Everything is easy enough for a casual football Sunday but good enough for a full house.
Jalapeño Popper Corn Dip
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 cups corn, drained if canned
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1–2 jalapeños, finely diced
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fritos or tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Mix cream cheese, sour cream, corn, 1 cup cheddar, half the bacon, jalapeños and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread into a small baking dish and top with the remaining cheddar and bacon.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve warm with Fritos or tortilla chips.
Hot Honey Chicken Roll Bites
Makes 12
Ingredients
- 12 frozen Texas Roadhouse rolls
- 12 frozen chicken nuggets
- Dill pickle slices
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 3 tbsp hot honey
- Pinch of garlic powder
Instructions
Bake the Texas Roadhouse rolls according to package directions.
Prepare the frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer according to package directions until hot and crispy.
Mix the melted butter, hot honey and a small pinch of garlic powder.
Split the warm rolls and place one crispy chicken nugget and dill pickle slices inside each. Brush or drizzle with the hot honey butter and replace the tops.
Serve immediately while the rolls are warm and the chicken nuggets are crispy.
Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 box brownie mix, prepared according to package directions for an 8×8-inch pan
For the cheesecake swirl
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1–2 tsp milk or heavy cream, if needed
Instructions
Prepare the brownie batter according to package directions and spread into a greased or parchment-lined 8×8-inch baking pan.
Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. If the mixture is too thick to swirl easily, mix in milk or heavy cream 1 teaspoon at a time.
Drop small spoonfuls of the cheesecake mixture over the brownie batter. Run a butter knife gently through the batter to create swirls, being careful not to overmix.
Bake according to the brownie package directions, adding a few extra minutes if needed. Let cool completely before slicing.
Spiked Cherry Limeade
Makes 4 drinks
Ingredients
- 1 cup vodka
- 2 cups limeade
- 1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice
- 1 1/2 cups lemon-lime soda
- Crushed ice
- Fresh lime slices
- Maraschino cherries
Instructions
Fill four glasses with crushed ice.
Combine the vodka, limeade and cherry juice in a pitcher. Pour over the ice and top each glass with lemon-lime soda.
Garnish with fresh lime slices and maraschino cherries. Serve immediately.
Game Day Made Easy
That’s Week One of The Game Day Spread — one dip, one savory bite, one dessert and one cocktail, all without making game day harder than it needs to be. Set everything out, turn on the game and let everyone help themselves.
