It feels like Christmas this week for me, with football starting on Thursday night, and the rest of the teams (including my Eagles) playing Sunday. I can’t wait for what I like to call “Sunday Fundays” to begin! ESPN’s NFL Countdown song says it best, “Everyday is Saturday night, but I can’t wait until Sunday morning.”
Not everyone loves football, but most of us love having an excuse for getting together and family, eating good food relaxing with some drinks before the work week begins, and having great conversations (in between commercials and halftime of course). And speaking of refreshments, if you’re in charge of the menu, you already know the standard game-day food: wings, pizza and beer.
But this Sunday, give the football fans in your life a real treat by putting a fresh twist on tradition. Why not try a few of my favorite recipe ideas to make it a real Sunday Funday!
Breakfast Pasta
If it is a 1:00 game your guests will start arriving around 12:30, so this is a great brunch idea.
This recipe was introduced to me last football season tailgating (4 months pregnant, I might add). My uncle made this for us and it was a hit!
Ingredients
1 pound of bacon or turkey bacon
1 package of sausage
Olive oil
Asiago cheese
1 pound of pasta or whole wheat pasta
Salt/pepper
Directions (so easy!)
1. Cook the bacon and sausage in a pan. Put off to the side.
2. Add pasta to boiling water – boil until cooked.
3. Drain the cooked pasta, put the pasta back in the pot, then add the turkey, Bacon, olive oil, Asiago cheese, and salt and pepper. Let cook on stove top for a 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Serve for a great tailgating meal your family/friends will love.
A great adult beverage for this meal would be my favorite, Skinny Girl White Sangria!
Buffalo Chicken Dip
For the 4pm games- This is a great early dinner meal quick and easy you can prepare in between the 1pm and 4pm games.
You can make this the night before and put it in the oven when you need it! My sister in law Ally makes this yummy appetizer, and sorry there is no “Skinny” way to make this.
Ingredients
Roasted chicken
Block of cream cheese
Hot sauce
Blue cheese
Shredded mozzerella cheese
Directions
1. Shred the chicken with your hands; try to get as much meat off the bone as possible.
2. Blend the hot sauce with the chicken add to taste depending on how spicy you want it…but with all the other ingredients, the more hot sauce the better!
3. Using an oven-safe dish smear the cream cheese along the bottom…using the majority of the block or all of the block, depending on how big of a dish you are using. This is the base of the dip.
4. Pour the spicy chicken on top of the cream cheese
5. Put a layer of blue cheese on top of the spicy chicken – all chicken should be covered in blue cheese
6. Finally add a plentiful amount of shredded mozz. cheese on top of the entire dish…
Stick it in the oven at 425 for about 20 mins or until the top is browning. The most important thing is to make sure it is warm all the way through. Serve with Pita Chips, tortilla chips, or crackers and Enjoy!
Grilled Tilapia or Chicken Tacos
Marinate the chicken or tilapia overnight. Tip: have your husband grill everything while you prepare the veggies and sauces for people to put on their tacos.
Ingredients
Marinade (for 1 pound of chicken or tilapia):
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
6 Tbsp. lime juice
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp taco seasoning
2 tsp red hot sauce
1lb fresh tilapia or chicken
Tortilla shells
Romaine lettuce, shredded
Chopped avocado
Salsa
Sour cream
Shredded taco cheese
Directions
1. Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl. Pour marinade over tilapia or chicken in shallow baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
2. Preheat grill to medium heat. Grill tilapia for 3 minutes per side. Cook chicken all the way through.
3. About a minute before the fillets or chicken are done, place tortillias on grill to warm, flipping once.
4. Remove tortillas and place on plates. Top the fish/chicken with lettuce, salsa, avocado, shredded taco cheese, and sour cream!
Pour a glass of Skinny Girl Margarita (I promise, Bethanny Frankel did not put me up to this I just really love her drinks!) or open up a Corona light, sit down and enjoy your Sunday Funday watching the game with your family and friends!
What are your favorite recipe ideas for Sunday football?
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