Football Food
Now that the season is in full effect, weekends are synonymous with football at our house. It is the perfect time to bring out the slow cookers that have spent most of the summer in hiding. Now is the time for some simple snacks that are perfect for watching the game, taking to a Halloween party, or spending gloomy fall afternoons inside.
Let me begin with a couple of disclaimers: 1) Many of the recipes I make for watching football, parties, or any other special event are very rarely low calorie and are probably full of preservatives 2) These are by no means gourmet, and will probably not blow anyone away as far as difficulty or exotic ingredients.
These recipes are nothing more than simple, easy to find ingredients that when mixed together result in a tasty finished product. We make an effort to eat well during the week but also don’t mind splurging once in a while. We cannot and do not eat like this all the time, I believe the key is moderation. That being said, certain occasions call for yummy food that is easy to prepare, can be scaled appropriately for the number of guests, and can hang out in the slow cooker for a few hours. These recipes are perfect for such occasions.
Here are 2 of my go-to recipes that I have made countless times, and have my husband’s seal of approval. Both of these recipes are good for about 6-8 people depending on how much other food will be served.
Sweet & Savory Meatballs
- Slow cooker
- 1 2lb bag frozen fully cooked meatballs (I use homestyle)
- 1 12 oz bottle chili sauce
- 2 tbs BBQ sauce (any flavor or variation you prefer)
- 1/2 cup grape jelly
- 1 1/2 tbs Light Brown Sugar
Combine the entire package of frozen meatballs, chili sauce, BBQ sauce & grape jelly in the slow cooker. Make sure to give it a few stirs to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Set slow cooker to low and let cook for about 5 hours stirring occasionally to redistribute. After about 4 hours sprinkle in the brown sugar, stir again and allow to cook for the remaining hour. Then turn slow cooker to “keep warm” setting if it has one, and they are ready to serve!
Substitutions/Variations: Turkey meatballs, honey in place of brown sugar, add more or less of each ingredient to make more sweet or savory, use a few dashes of Sriracha for unique flavor
Easy Queso
- Small slow cooker
- 3/4 lb Velveeta (comes in 1lb block) nothing out there works better!
- 2/3 of 9.6 oz package of crumbled cooked sausage
- 1 10 oz can diced tomatoes w/green chilis (Original Rotel)
- Tortilla Chips (Tostitos Scoops work great for dips)
*Optional: Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (not pictured)
Cube the Velveeta & add to slow cooker, add in the drained can of Rotel and the sausage crumbles, stir to combine. Set on low for 1-1.5 hours stirring occasionally & you are ready to go once all the cheese has completely melted.
*At the very end I like to stir in a couple of dashes of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce for a little extra kick
Substitutions/Variations: turkey sausage crumbles, cook & drained spicy sausage or chorizo, Rotel with fire roasted tomatoes, Queso Blanco Velveeta, Fritos Scoops
Hopefully these snacks will be as much of a hit with your family & friends as they have been with mine. GO PACK GO!
By The Poole 