Our Football Feast Favorites

A lot of people say that there's nothing better than college football season in the South, most of these folks hail from the South, however we've been known to makes believers out of anyone who comes down to spend a football Saturday with us. A big part of that is the southern hospitality, but the one I am pretty sure ranks right up at the top is the food!  Southern Football Saturday food is nothing short of amazing.  There's always a lot of it and there's a very good change it will involve cheese and cooking at least a portion of it outside. We've hosted our fair share of football get-togethers (it's our favorite Southern Football Saturday pastime), so I feel like I've run the gauntlet of football dips, snacks, and desserts. Praise the Lord for Pinterest, because I know that my football spread arsenal would not have half as many recipes without it. I figured I would share some of our favorites today...these are recipes that we go back to season after season because they're so good!

Tex Mex Dip

This one is a classic that I grew up on and I can say without a doubt is my favorite dip in the whole wide world.  I could eat the entire 9"x 13" pan by myself with absolutely no shame. It's sort of like the layered taco dip that everyone makes but it's not. Apparently I have never shared the recipe on here before so I will definitely have to rectify this sometime this football season.

Knorr's Spinach Dip

Another favorite of mine...especially when it's served with Hawaiian Rolls!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This one is hands down Eric's favorite dip in the entire world. Like me with my Tex Mex Dip, he eats it for breakfast lunch and dinner until it's gone. This dip comes in several forms including: dip, pizza, and garbage bread (which will be making an appearance at our house this weekend after a 3 year hiatus for some crazy reason), so we end up eating it in some form or fashion a lot.

Bacon Corn Dip

This one is a wild card that has always been a crowd pleaser. I was looking for an easy recipe with just a few ingredients for a game late in the year last year and I was tired of our usual go-to dips. I happened upon this one on Pinterest and it's amazing! It involves a bit of veggie dicing, but I get them all ready and dice everything at once so it takes no time at all!

Ham and Cheese Sliders

My Mom introduced us to these. I had a real hang up about ham a cheese sandwiches as a child after I had to down a cold ham and cheese without any mayo before I was allowed to go to a Girl Scouts meeting when I was 7. It was awful and I've [clearly] never forgotten it. It took 20 years for me to embrace ham and cheese together again, but I am so glad I did because these little puppies melt in your mouth. The Hawaiian Rolls and Butter/Onion Topping help, too!

Homemade Pretzels with Hot Cheese Dip

I am a sucker for a homemade soft pretzel, but when I make them I tend to eat waaaay to many. Hence the reason they don't get made often and only on a football weekend when there will be lots of people around to share them with. Pair them with a jar of cheddar cheese dip mixed with a little Sriracha and you have a masterpiece!

Wings

Wings have become a favorite on game days for us because they're super easy to fry or grill, and Eric usually whips up 3 or 4 sauces so there's something for everyone. Even little ole me who is a serious wimp when it comes to hot wings. 

Conecuh Sausages

These are a specialty that you will only find in Alabama. This sausage hails from Conecuh County in Lower Alabama, population 12,670....for the whole COUNTY. But their sausage is the best and flies off the grocery store shelves this time of year. I have a secret weapon this year...Costco has started selling it! Bigger packages AND a better price!? Yes please!

Deer Chili

When it gets colder we set up a chili bar complete with hot dogs, Frito's, sour cream, shredded cheese and of course onions!  I use my Dad's recipe which always gets rave reviews. Bonus: it's beanless so we don't have to "enjoy" it afterward.

A football spread from a few years ago but you can see several of above mentioned dishes ready for kickoff!

Of course these are just a few of the main players.  They don't all show up every week but there's a good chance at least one of them will be there for kickoff on Saturday. I am always on the lookout for new recipes to try and I am very thankful for friends who serve as guinea pigs for my kitchen experiments. And now I am starving and suddenly my banana with peanut butter and yogurt don't sound so exciting for lunch.