Happy Football Friday. Today we have: Football Friday Tailgate Recipes: Football Shaped Treats Part One. Did you save last week’s Toppled Teams Tombstone Treats? This week I picked some tasty football-shaped treats because who doesn’t love a cool-looking football-shaped treat? We have sweet and savory! Y’all have fun with these and enjoy!
Football Friday Tailgate Recipes: Football Shaped Treats Part One
Pepperoni Football
Ingredients:
- 2 – 8-oz. blocks cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 c. shredded mozzarella
- 1 c. finely grated Parmesan
- 1 tbsp. Freshly Chopped Parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 c. mini pepperoni
- 1 slice mozzarella, cut into thin strips
- Crackers, for serving
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Stir together until completely combined.
- Transfer cream cheese mixture onto your serving platter and form into a football shape. Smooth top and top all over with a layer of mini pepperoni. Top with mozzarella “laces” and serve with crackers.
Pigskin In A Blanket
Ingredients:
- 2 tubes (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
- 24 mini hot dogs
- Egg wash
- 1 tsp. Black pepper
- 1 tsp. Coarse salt
- yellow mustard – I hear there is a huge supply of yellow mustard in Knoxville.
- Ketchup, for serving
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375º. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice crescent rolls lengthwise into thirds. Place a mini hot dog on the thick end of each triangle and roll-up.
- Arrange the pigs in a football shape, side by side, on the baking sheet. They should be touching! Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crescents are golden.
- Draw lines with yellow mustard to mimic the laces of a football. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with ketchup for dipping.
Jalapeno Popper Football Cheese Ball
Ingredients:
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 8 oz grated/shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4-1/3 cup chopped green onion divided
- 1/2 cup diced pickled jalapeños extra as desired
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- pinch of salt
- 3 slices of bacon
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2-3 TBSP fresh parsley
- 2-3 fresh jalapeños (approx. 1/4 cup finely chopped)
- 1 slice mozzarella or white cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, cheddar, pickled jalapeño, garlic powder, salt, and around 2-3 TBSP chopped green onion.
- Using a hand mixer or a fork and some elbow grease (my method of choice), mix well.
- Use a silicone spatula to scoop out the cheese mixture and shape it into a ball with your hands.
- Place on a sheet of parchment paper or a cutting board and flatten the top of the ball, pinching and shaping it into a football. You’ll want to press down on the middle and sort of pinch the sides while you press it into an edible football. It’s super easy.
- If the cheese ball is too soft, cover it with plastic and pop it in the fridge for 15-60 min. Mine was still firm yet soft enough to coat with toppings after 15 minutes so I went with it.
- While your cheese ball chills, chop the bacon into pieces and cook until crispy in a hot pan or skillet.
- Remove bacon from pan and wipe clean, leaving a teeny bit of the bacon grease behind. Add your panko and lightly toast it, stirring frequently for about a minute or two until golden.
- Remove the seeds, veins, and stem from your jalapeño and finely chop/mince.
- Sprinkle/cover your cheese ball with panko, the remaining green onion, parsley, fresh jalapeño, and bacon, and press firmly into the cheeseball to coat.
- For the laces, snag a slice of mozzarella cheese (or any cheese really!) and use a sharp knife to cut it into thin slices. Cut one long slice for the center of the football and smaller slices for the laces. Place the long slice horizontally along the center of the football, then arrange the small slices horizontally on top. Again, super simple and you can basically use any cheese you’d like if needed!
- Add all your favorite dippers from the list above and dig in!
- Leftovers taste delicious spread on pretty much everything in sight the following day, especially buttery whole grain Ritz crackers!
Football Spinach Dip Breadsticks
Ingredients:
- 10 oz Frozen Chopped Spinach thawed and squeezed dry
- 6 oz Cream Cheese softened
- 1-2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian Powder
- 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese divided
- 1 tube Refrigerated Thin Crust Pizza Crust
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions:
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-
In a bowl, beat together the spinach and cream cheese. Add garlic, salt, onion powder, pepper, chili powder, Italian seasoning, and beat to combine. Add parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and beat to combine.
-
For shaping directions, visit this post:https://wp.me/p405LX-4BW/
-
Bake football for about 22 minutes until a quite golden brown on top. While it bakes, cut string cheese. Brush melted butter on top of baked breadsticks. Arrange string cheese on top to create laces and stripes. Serve warm.
On The Menu
See you next week for another Friday Football Friday Tailgate Recipe. Next week is part two of the football-themed treats. We will have some SWEET treats in the shape of our beloved football. Enjoy your weekend of games. Hope you get to enjoy football cheese or pepperoni balls too!
