Are you ready for The Big Game on Sunday?! Maybe your team is playing this year, maybe you love football, or hey, you’re just in it for the halftime show. Why not be festive with as little fuss as possible? I’m no Pinterest mom so I strive for easy and quick options in our house.
Decorate quickly and easily!
If you’re lucky and your team is playing in The Big Game, by all means, deck out your house! Congratulations! Get the themed plates and cups, streamers, balloons. If not, go for plain football decor. It’s easy to find football plates, serving ware, cups, and more at places like Dollar Tree, Aldi, Target, Party City, or Amazon. A simple touch like this makes your house a festive one.
Big Game themed foods!
This annual championship is never complete without some SNACKS! But you may not have the most time to get things ready. So here are two super quick, super delicious, Big Game dip recipes.
Sausage Dip
3 ingredients, need I say more? This recipe will have you dancing in the end zone!
- One Jimmy Dean roll sausage (we do regular but you can do hot or mild)
- One can of Rotel diced tomatoes and chilies (we also use the original that has a bit of kick but you can go mild or hot!)
- One 8 oz package of cream cheese
Ladies, that’s all.
Total Time: Maybe 15 Minutes
Instructions:
- Brown the sausage in a pan, breaking it up into pieces.
- Drain the fat.
- Put into a serving bowl or mixing bowl.
- Mix in the can of diced tomatoes and chilies (don’t drain).
- Mix in the block of cream cheese. Sometimes I break it up into cubes prior to, to make mixing easier.
- Serve. Enjoy with some Tostitos scoops or your favorite chip!
This dip is fantastic warm or cold.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
A classic! I could eat buffalo chicken dip all day long.
Ingredients:
- Two cups shredded cooked chicken (I even use the canned chicken)
- One package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened (broken into cubes)
- Half a cup Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce (more or less to your liking)
- Half a cup ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing (or 1/4 cup and 1/4 cup)
- Finally, half a cup shredded cheddar cheese (save a handful to sprinkle on top)
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl or directly into a one-quart oven-safe baking dish. I like to start with the chicken, the sauce, dressings, and then the cream cheese. If you like more or less kick to your dips, add the Frank’s hot sauce slowly, tasting as you go. Sprinkle with some of the cheddar cheese on top so it melts on top.
- Bake 20 minutes or until your dip is heated through. Sprinkle with more cheese or some diced green onions.
- Serve with chips, crackers, Tostitos scoops, and/or cut up veggies like carrots and celery. Enjoy!
Big Game Jell-O Shots!
What pairs well with snacks? A few drinks! And one of my game day favorites is Jell-O shots! This recipe comes from a dear friend who is the “Queen of Jell-O shots.” It’s easier than you may think. They’re also so festive because you can make them in Big Game team colors! This year, because both teams have red in them, that may be the easiest way to go. (Go Tampa or Go Kansas City!)
You’ll need:
- 1 6 oz box of your favorite flavored Jell-O
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 cups cold or room temperature liquor (this depends on your likes. You can use spiced rum, pineapple rum, whipped vodka, or tequila if you’re brave…) my recommendation is to use flavored liquor to cut the strong taste of alcohol. As an example, my last Jell-O shots were made with strawberry flavored vodka and Captain Morgan rum.
You can get little 1 oz or 2 oz plastic cups on Amazon or Party City with tops or get shot glasses to prepare the Jell-O shots in. You can make them ahead, and save them if there are too many.
Instructions:
- Combine 2 cups boiling water with the boxed Jell-O mix.
- Mix and pour 2 cups liquor of your choice and stir.
- Then pour into your shot glasses/cups.
- Refrigerate for 4 hours!
This makes about 30 Jell-O shots, but you can always cut the recipe in half. Just buy the 3 oz box and do half the amount of liquids.
Finally, enjoy responsibly, and keep them away from the kiddos!
Big Game Activities!
Keeping the kids entertained if they’re young is another Big Game hurdle but can be resolved with some quick activities.
Set up a scavenger hunt with some stress-relieving foam footballs. You can buy bunches of these on Amazon and hide them around. Then have the kids go nuts looking for them. They get to keep their footballs in the end!
Football ring toss with glow in the dark necklaces. Pick up a few of these necklaces at Dollar Tree, set them up, and place a football standing upright in the grass or inside the house. Voila! Now they have a ring toss with minimal effort, and it’s got an extra fun kick to it with the glow-in-the-dark factor.
Have them make their own snack bags! With simple brown craft bags and some white duct tape, kids can make their own football snack bags. Just one long piece of duct tape going vertically and a few smaller ones going horizontally and you have laces on a brown football. Now they can fill up their bags with chips, popcorn, or other snacks.
Make This Sunday Super!
Whether it’s just your family or you’re getting together with a few friends, enjoy the day safely, and drink responsibly. I hope you enjoyed these easy tips for a fun Big Game experience. Remember, if your team didn’t make it, there’s always next year!
So, drop a comment below and let me know what your favorite team is, and don’t forget to tag us on social media on game day!
Miami Mom Collective is not an official sponsor of the NFL.
