"The start of fall means it’s also the start of one of my favorite seasons: football season. Watching your favorite college football team or lining up your dream team for fantasy football are important things that come to mind, but aside from that, it’s also an excuse to gather together. We invite our closest friends and family to watch our favorite football teams, and we get to fit in much-needed quality time since the start of the busy school year.
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I love seeing everyone get into the game day spirit wearing their favorite jerseys or game day hats paired with a fall sweater or boot. But I’ll be honest, the number one thing I look forward to is the food. When I think of a classic game day spread, I think of dips, finger foods, and maybe a few cocktails to spice up the morning if it’s an early start time. Whether you’re prepping for a tailgate or a football-filled day at home, here are 30+ football appetizers to get you into gear for game day.
Game Day Dips
1. Stuffed Crust Pizza Dip
Let’s start off with stuffed crust pizza dip on this list of football appetizers. Ordering pizza is a quick and easy dish when it comes to feeding a big group. But on some days you might find yourself grilling burgers and hotdogs instead. Making a pizza dip might be your answer if you don’t want to completely knock it off the menu.
2. Obatzda (German Beer Cheese Dip)
Get that pub feeling at home with this homemade Obatzda or German beer cheese dip. It’s a classic Bavarian dish that you can find at every beer garden in Bavaria.
3. Easy and Healthy Elote Dip
Elote corn dip is full of flavor, and it’s easy to make. If you’re venturing out to a tailgate, this dish is delicious served hot or cold. Top it with cilantro for a pop of color.
4. Sausage Dip with Beans and Cheese
Make this dish ahead of time and pop it in the oven before your guests arrive. It’s the perfect appetizer to hold everyone over if you’re making a main dish for the day. But I would advise making more than one—not only is it easy to make, but it’s easy to devour too.
5. Easy Guacamole
Guacamole is an essential when my family is watching football. So much so that even 10 avocados isn’t enough. My pro tips are to add cumin for more flavor and to throw in a couple whole avocado pits at the end to prevent it from browning too quickly.
6. The Best Jalapeño Queso
If you’re needing something to contrast your guacamole, this jalapeno queso is creamy and delicious. Forgo the jalapenos if you have guests that can do without the extra spice.
7. Restaurant-Style Salsa
Add this to your tailgate to make a trio with the other Mexican dips on this list. Since you already have a majority of the ingredients, why not add this salsa dip into the mix? Don’t forget the sugar, as it balances out the acidity of the tomatoes.
8. Fruit Dip
Dress up your fruit with this cheesy and fluffy fruit dip. It’s so sweet, and it only calls for three ingredients: cream cheese, marshmallow fluff, and vanilla extract. It’s a little incentive to eat more fruit during the day.
9. Loaded Baked Potato Dip
Allison, the recipe creator of this dip, said football season is dip season. She’s not wrong. Dip crackers, veggies, and chips into this loaded baked potato dip that’s sure to delight.
10. Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Greek yogurt is what makes this dip a healthy recipe. It can be served as an appetizer or even made into a sandwich.
Football Appetizers and Snacks
11. Grilled Chicken Wings
I honestly can’t think of a football gathering where wings weren’t involved. Like the recipe says, the secret to a good wing is the dry rub. The dry rub to this recipe is brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
12. Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Nuggets
An alternative to the grilled chicken wings is to sub the meat with cauliflower. Sometimes I prefer the cauliflower when I want something lighter. With all the spices mixed in together, I forget it’s not even a real wing. Plus, this is a great option if your kids are struggling to eat their veggies.
13. Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
These zucchini chips are gluten-free, dairy-free, low carb, and paleo. Not only are they perfect for anyone with a gluten allergy or milk intolerance, but they’re scrumptious and healthy. Air fryer dishes hold a special place in my heart because they’re low maintenance and they don’t need constant supervision like something you have to cook on a stovetop.
14. Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Cheese
OK, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If you top anything with bacon, it automatically tastes better. These crispy Brussels sprouts with bacon and cheese bites are a must-have to your football appetizers. It’s giving me football vibes with a side of fanciness.
15. Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
Make Jalapeño poppers as spicy as you like. You can de-seed them or leave all the seeds for the spicy-lovers out there. The cream cheese adds a good balance to the jalapeños and, like the name says, they pop right into your mouth.
16. Bavarian Pretzels
Bavarian pretzels will go perfectly with the Obatzda dip I listed above. If you prep the dough beforehand, this could serve as an activity for the kids (or adults) at your football party. A fun party skill to learn and a snack all in one dish!
17. Mexican Shredded Beef Nachos
If you’re like me and get together with friends and family every weekend for game days, serving the same dishes can get a little old. Nachos are easy to grab, and I love the idea of having a whole nacho table by doubling or tripling the recipe.
18. Kids Charcuterie Board
You can never go wrong with a charcuterie board, and it never hurts to make it kid-friendly either. However, you might find a few adults snacking on this, too. Animal crackers, goldfish, and M&Ms? Yes, please!
19. Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms can be casual and fancy. They’re easy, cheesy, and filled with bacon and mushroom.
20. Chex Mix Recipe
I know it may be enticing to grab the name brand Chex Mix bag at the store, but something about homemade Chex Mix tastes better. Maybe it’s that you can add as much garlic and onion powder as you like. I’d like to say it’s the love I put into it. Either one works for me—take your pick!
21. Ham and Cheese Sliders
Hawaiian rolls are the best when it comes to making any sliders. Instead of breaking each roll apart and cutting it in half, save time and cut the whole block of rolls at once. Then all you have to do is add your ham and cheese and cut them into slices at the end. It can be part of the football appetizers you’re making for game day and as a main course meal, too.
22. Game Day Chicken Almond Poppers
They’re not your usual game day chicken bites. It’s like a little chicken sandwich that you can easily pop into your mouth. Eat this while you chit-chat and mingle with your friends. If any of your guests have a tree-nut allergy, I would make sure to add a note next to your dish that it contains almonds.
23. Fried Sloppy Joe Rolls
Traditional Sloppy Joe’s and a bun can get really messy. Making them into a fried roll makes it a little cleaner and gives you an opportunity to dip them into ranch or spicy sriracha mayo. It falls into the category of football appetizers because it’s handheld and small enough to snack on.
Football Drinks & Cocktails
24. Crock-Pot Hot Chocolate
A list of football appetizers isn’t complete unless you have some drinks on the menu. This recipe is my favorite for those cold tailgate days. Making a Crock-Pot of hot chocolate will keep everyone warm and happy.
25. Apple Cider Mimosas
Make apple cider mimosas for those early game day kick-off times!
26. Tequila Sunrise Cocktail
Although it’s called a tequila sunrise, this drink tastes yummy in the evening, too. It calls for tequila, orange juice, and grenadine.
27. Homemade Apple Cider
Perfect for a fall game day, conjure up this quintessential seasonal drink at your next football gathering.
Game Day Desserts
28. Blondies
Blondies are a combination of my two favorite desserts—a cookie and a brownie. They’re chewy and filled with chocolate or, in this case, butterscotch chips. Yes, they’re definitely going to be one of my football appetizers at my game day viewings this year.
29. No-Bake Cheesecake Parfaits
No-bake and ready to eat in a personal jar. I’ll definitely be making cheesecake parfaits for my next football weekend.
30. Frosted Football Brownies
It doesn’t matter if your brownies are store-bought or homemade. The take here is to cut them and decorate them into a football with this chocolate and vanilla buttercream frosting.
31. Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Use the apples you picked from apple picking and bake apple cider donuts. Eat them for breakfast during a morning game or for dessert for an evening game. Regardless of timing, you might find yourself going back for seconds.
Patty Schepel, Editorial Intern
As the editorial intern, Patty works with The Everymom’s team on pitches, creating original articles, updating existing content, photo sourcing, writing shopping product descriptions, inputting freelance articles, and more. When she’s not working, you can find her spending time with her family, training for half marathons—she ran one 16 weeks pregnant—traveling, cooking, reading a rom-com, and keeping her sourdough starter, Rose, alive.