ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? Or basketball? Hockey? Shoot I don’t care if the National Curling Finals is on (that’s a thing right?!) I’m making a spread and we’re having some friends over! This is Steph by the way, Brand Collaborations Coordinator here at Living in Yellow and cooking/baking lover at home! Check out another one of my recipe posts, which our team has affectionately nicknamed the Chicken Capsule. Not to be confused with the other fashion related capsules you’ll find a little more regularly around here.
My hubby is the biggest lover I know… of sports! Don’t get me wrong, he is a sweet man that shows me affection, but there is no denying his love for the game – ALL THE GAMES! The sound of cheering and squeaky shoes on a gym floor is heard in the background as I type these sentences. Most of the time I couldn’t care less about whatever game is on, but I do love any excuse to make a lineup of snacks and have a group of people over! What I love even more is a set of recipes that allow me to be relaxed when my guests arrive, and out of the kitchen while they’re here. Today I’m sharing 3 of my favorite go-to game day appetizers + 1 salty sweet snack that keep my focus on my company and not on preparing food.
p.s. Tailgate essentials & more recipes here!
First up, these Game Day Poppers! Make them with green peppers or jalapenos – you choose how much heat to bring to this party! You can easily mix up the filling a day ahead, stuff your peppers and pop them in the oven just in time to bake and serve.
Game Day Poppers
Easy poppers to make ahead until you're ready to bake and serve. Mix up the filling and choose to stuff green pepper slices or jalapenos - depending on how you like to bring the heat!
Ingredients
- 1 lb Bacon Cut, Cooked and Drained
- 2 blocks Cream Cheese Softened
- 4 cups Shredded Cheese Divided
- 3 Green Bell Peppers Sliced
- OR 12 Jalapenos Cut in Half, Remove veins and seeds
- or use combination of Bell Peppers and Jalapenos
Instructions
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Place Cream Cheese in a large bowl to soften.
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Cut Bacon into small pieces, cook and drain.
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Mix Bacon, softened Cream Cheese and 2 Cups of Shredded Cheese in large bowl.
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Slice Green Peppers into 2 inch strips or Jalapenos in half. Stuff with cream cheese mixture. Line up on foil lined baking sheet.
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Top with remaining Shredded Cheese.
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Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, or long enough to melt cheese.
Next up, these Crock Pot sliders! So SO easy! What I love most about these sliders is that guests can continue to help themselves to sliders throughout your gathering and they’re always fresh. No soggy bread here folks!
Crockpot Sliders
I love this recipe for Game Days! Throw everything in the crockpot, let it warm up, and guests can serve themselves as often as they'd like throughout the game!
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef Browned
- 1 lb Ground Sausage Browned
- 1 lb Velveeta
- 3/4 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/8 cup Milk
- 24 Hawaiian Rolls
Instructions
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Brown Hamburger and Sausage in large skillet. Drain.
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Add browned meat, cubed Velveeta, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder and Black Pepper into Crock Pot. Cook on low for approximately 2 hours, until cheese is melted.
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Add a splash of milk, approximately 1/8 Cup. Stir. Switch Crock Pot to Warm setting, serve with Hawaiian Rolls.
And finally, the star of the show. My favorite queso recipe of all time! This is the white tee of your recipe collection – it goes with anything and will never let you down. I use this recipe as is with chips, include it in a taco/nacho bar for our small group gatherings, bake on top of chicken enchiladas, eat it with a spoon? You’ll never know!
Queso
This is my go-to queso recipe for all things cheesy! I serve it with chips, as part of a nacho/taco bar and baked on top of chicken enchiladas! So easy and tasty!
Ingredients
- 1 lb White American Cheese Cubed
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 1 can Diced Mild Green Chilis
Instructions
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Add all ingredients to Crock Pot. Cook on low for approximately 1.5 hours, until melted. Switch to Warm setting and serve with tortilla chips.
Last up – These pretty little salty-sweet treats pictured in the background of this full plate of game day goodness! Simply take your favorite salty snacks [I used Corn Chex, Pretzels and Peanuts], toss them on a piece of wax paper and drizzle with candy melts in your favorite team’s colors! In an hour or two the candy melt will be dried and you can break them apart and get to munching!
There you have it – 4 easy recipes to make your game day easy and tasty! Happy snacking err– watching!
As our Director of Operations, Steph is single-handedly responsible for any structure that exists here at LIY. Between communicating with our amazing brand partners, organizing blog content, managing the team, Steph loves organization *almost* as much as she does the latest cookie recipe she came up with from scratch. Give her a puzzle to be put together, a candle to burn and new sprigs of green growing out of her garden, and you’ve just explained the perfect day in Steph’s world.
