No-Fuss Spread for the Big Game

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big gameThe end of football season is here and whether you’re glad, sad, or indifferent, one thing’s for sure — we can all enjoy the big game at the end of the season. There’s the half-time show, the anticipated commercials, and my favorite: the food. Now, I’m not the Pinterest-y type to make the creative table of treats (although I really appreciate my friends who are). I do, however, love food and fully expect a good spread at any type of football function.

In order to have a no-fuss party this Sunday, I like to mix some homemade goodness with some store-bought deliciousness. Here are a few ideas to get your table football-ready. And bonus points, your kids can help prepare all of these dishes!

Make It

Homemade Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs antibiotic/hormone-free chicken wings
  • Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute
  • Avocado Oil
  • Barbecue sauce of choice
  • Carrot sticks and celery sticks as a side

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In a big bowl, toss the chicken wings with avocado oil and Trader Joe’s 21 seasoning salute (any seasoning will do if you don’t have TJ’s).
  3. Spread on a large baking sheet so the chicken wings are not touching.
  4. Cook for 50 minutes, turning halfway through. For a crispier texture, broil at the very end for 1-2 minutes.
  5. Once done, toss with a little bit of barbecue sauce in a clean bowl.
  6. Serve with sliced, crisp vegetables on the side.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Ingredients: 

  • Uncured Bacon
  • 1 package of dates

Directions: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Take the pits out of each date and wrap 1/2 piece of bacon around each date, secure with a toothpick.
  3. Place on a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes or until crispy.

If you want to get a little fancy, check out this recipe. 

Peppermint Patty Brownies

Ingredients:

  • Box of your favorite brownie mix (we like Trader Joe’s Gluten-free mix)
  • Peppermint patties (we use Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Mint Creams)

Directions:

  1. Mix the batter, and pour half into a greased baking pan.
  2. Layer peppermint patties over the batter.
  3. Cover with the rest of the batter and make as usual — delish!

Grab and Plate

Nacho Bar

Grab a bag of your favorite tortilla chips and get all the dips. Here are some of my favorites:

  • Late July Organic Tortilla Chips
  • Whole Foods guacamole (or make your own)
  • Trader Joe’s Smoked Peach Salsa
  • Trader Joe’s Spicy Black Bean Dip
  • Trader Joe’s queso (or make a vegan version)

Cheese Spread

Keep this plate simple with your favorite crackers and a couple of cheeses. I suggest Trader Joe’s blueberry goat cheese log, and sliced Kerrygold Dubliner Irish Cheese from Costco or Whole Foods. You can’t go wrong with either!

Hummus and Veggies

You can spice this up a little by getting flavored hummus such as Roots Thai Coconut Curry or Mango Sriracha hummus. Think past your basic vegetables and grab some jicama, shishito peppers, endive lettuce, and sliced radishes.

No-Bake Sweets

Don’t like to bake? Put some chocolate-covered pretzels in a pretty bowl, throw Tate’s Bakeshop Chocolate Chip Cookies on a platter, or set out a dozen mini cupcakes — no baking required!

So there you have it, a no-fuss spread for the big game on Sunday. Football and food go hand in hand, so make your table a simple but good one! And don’t forget to invite your kids into the kitchen to mix, spread, and plate.

Do you have a favorite game-day dish? Leave a comment below and let us know what we should add to our spread.