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Food

Our Best Game-Day Recipes for a Touchdown at the Table

Score big with our best game-day recipes from snacks to finger foods

By SAVEUR Editors

Updated: October 22, 2018

Football season is in full swing, which means one thing for the food lover: game-day parties (or a party for one on the couch with a bucket of crispy homemade fried chicken). Whether you go for finger foods like gooey mozzarella sticks or chips with the perfect game-day dip, these recipes are the best way to comfort a loss or celebrate a win. Whether you're throwing a tailgate party or lounging in your living room, our best game-day recipes are guaranteed touchdowns all season long.

spicy ribs tskhare — The Georgian restaurant Diaroni is famous for its delicate veal ribs. Since ribs these fine are hard to find in other countries, cookbook author Carla Capalbo sometimes substitutes baby back pork ribs. For added flavor, marinate the meat several hours before cooking. Get the recipe for Spicy Ribs (Tskhare Neknebi) »Kat Craddock

Fatty Bacon and Onion Buns — When made with properly fatty bacon, the filling in these rustic buns melts into an irresistible fondant of smoked pork and onions, each one indistinguishable from the other. To replicate the rolling, radiant heat from the traditional Latvian cepeškrāsns (wood-fired ovens) that give these buns their burnished tops, bake in a very hot oven for the first several minutes of baking. Get the recipe for Fatty Bacon and Onion Buns »Susan Bell

Parker's BBQ Fried Chicken — Parker's BBQ in Wilson, North Carolina, famous for its Family Platter with shatteringly crisp fried chicken, goes through seven to eight thousand chickens a week. A favorite of chef Elizabeth Karmel's, this super-simple recipe lets the flavor of the chicken shine. Get the recipe for Parker's BBQ Fried Chicken »Nicole Franzen

Mozzarella sticks — Crispy breading encases gooey melted mozzarella cheese in this classic appetizer. Get the recipe for Mozzarella Sticks »Farideh Sadeghin

Megruli Khachapuri — This Georgian flatbread is from the region of Samegrelo, which borders the Black Sea. It is not, however, beach food. Stuffed with salty cheese and griddled, then heaped with even more cheese and baked, this is stick-to-your ribs winter cooking at its best. Georgians prepare this bread using a crumbly local cheese called imeruli, or a mixture of imeruli and the milder, more elastic sulguni. We substituted a mixture of low moisture mozzarella and strong, tart feta that gets you very close to the traditional version.Matt Taylor-Gross

Buffalo Chicken Rillette — This party snack from Eric W. Bolyard of Compagnie NYC keeps all the best parts of buffalo chicken—juicy meat, hot sauce, and crisp fried bits—in a neat and tidy package.Matt Taylor-Gross

pigs in blanket — The dough, a variation on a Southern-style biscuit dough, is rolled out and folded several times to ensure delicate layers. Leftover dough and scraps can be rolled out again and cut and baked into biscuits. The dough can also be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen until ready to use. Get the recipe for Pigs in a Blanket with Herbed Mustard Dipping Sauce »Matt Taylor-Gross

Cadillac Nachos — A dead-simple, three-ingredient queso sauce is the secret to these nachos, which strike the perfect balance between rich, crunchy, spicy, and bright. Get the recipe for Cadillac Nachos »Farideh Sadeghin

Grilled Corn and Ricotta Dip — Nothing tops bubbling, hot-from-the-oven cheese dip—unless that dip is also loaded with fresh, sweet, lightly charred summer corn and fresh herbs. Get the recipe for Grilled Corn and Ricotta Dip »Matt Taylor-Gross

king crab gratin — Known as chupe de centolla, this Chilean crab gratin borders on a cheesy crab dip. While similar South American chupe are always prepared with milk-soaked bread and any combination of shrimp, scallops, shellfish, meats, and cheeses, Patagonia's version relies solely on the massive local king crabs, the hallmark of fishermen's kitchens along Chile's southernmost coast. Get the recipe for The Ultimate Crab Dip »William Hereford

Pork Roll Meatball Sandwich — Two great New Jersey tastes that taste great together: juicy meatballs fortified with New Jersey pork roll (a.k.a. Taylor ham). Get the recipe for New Jersey Pork Roll Meatball Sub »Matt Taylor-Gross

Nachos — In the 1950s, pickled jalapeños were sold whole or in strips; the now-familiar rings became available, not coincidentally, after nachos gained national popularity. Today, supermarkets offer an array of tortilla chips, shredded cheeses, and salsas, all intended to ease preparation of this Tex-Mex classic. This recipe brings us back to the joys of a simpler nacho. Get the recipe for Nachos »Helen Rosner

Sautéed Onion and Yogurt Dip — This recipe is a far cry from the gloopy, mayonnaise-like onion dip you'll find in a jar at your local grocery store. It's light, tangy, and inspired by Persian mast-o-musir, a mix of diced shallots and yogurt or labneh. Here, the alliums are lightly cooked to soften their bite; it's the perfect thing to make for a beach picnic or summer cookout. Get the recipe for Sautéed Onion and Yogurt Dip »Matt Taylor-Gross

Chile con Queso — This classic Tex-Mex dip comes from Lisa Fain (a.k.a. The Homesick Texan). With both serrano chiles and jalapeños, the dip has a bright spiciness that cuts through the richness of two cheeses. The tangy sour cream added at the end brings it over the top. Get the recipe for Chile con Queso »Matt Taylor-Gross

Classic Guacamole — Grind your cilantro, onion, and chiles into a paste before folding in mashed avocado for the deepest flavor. Get the recipe for Classic Guacamole »Matt Taylor-Gross

Braised Brisket Burgers with Pimento Cheese — Brisket is braised in stout, bourbon, and soy sauce in these spicy pimento cheese-topped sliders from Edward Lee, executive chef at 610 Magnolia in Louisville, KY. Get the recipe for Braised Brisket Burgers with Pimento Cheese »Matt Taylor-Gross

Twice-Baked Potatoes — The buttery, creamy indulgence of mashed potatoes meets the visceral joy of digging into a baked potato in this iconic side dish. Get the recipe for Twice-Baked Potatoes »Todd Coleman

CINCINNATI CHILI — Redolent of warm spices, deeply flavored Cincinnati-style chili, whether prepared two-way (chili over spaghetti), three-way (with cheese), four-way (with onions), or five-way (with a finishing flourish of kidney beans), is an enduring American classic. Get the recipe for Cincinnati Chili »Matt Taylor-Gross

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Burgers — Quick-pickled cremini mushrooms and red onions are a zesty foil for juicy blue cheese-stuffed burgers. Get recipe for Blue Cheese-Stuffed Burgers »Laura Sant

Cornmeal-Crusted Onion Rings — Buttermilk-dipped and cornmeal-crusted onion rings are fried extra-crispy at Anthony's Steakhouse in Omaha. Get the recipe for Cornmeal-Crusted Onion Rings »Penny De Los Santos

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