Happy Football Friday. We have been snacking our way through the season. Are you finally ready for the Natty on Monday? Who would have thought we would get Indiana and Miami in the National Championship? Did you save last week’s semi-finals recipes? For this week we have championship worthy snacks. I hope you enjoy the tasty treats and the semi-final game this weekend.
Football Friday Tailgate Recipes: The National Championship
Cheez-It Party Mix
Ingredients:
- 1 box Cheez-It® Snack Mix
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle brine
- 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 250F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large zip top bag, combine all ingredients.
- Spread party mix on prepared baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted and fragrant, 20 minutes, rotating pan half way through.
- Let cool slightly, then transfer to a serving bowl.
- Mix will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Bacon Cheeseburger Buns
Ingredients:
- 2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
- 2/3 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
- 2/3 cup warm 2% milk (110° to 115°)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
- 1 pound sliced bacon, diced
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound Velveeta, cubed
- 3 to 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- Optional: Sesame seeds and ketchup or barbecue sauce
Directions:
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, sugar, shortening, eggs, salt and 3-1/2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
- Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels. In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, onion, salt and pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add bacon and cheese; cook and stir until cheese is melted. Remove from the heat.
- Preheat oven to 400°. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into fourths. Roll each portion into an 12×8-in. rectangle; cut each into 6 squares. Place 1/4 cup meat mixture in the center of each square. Bring corners together in the center and pinch to seal.
- Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 9-11 minutes. Brush with butter. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with ketchup.
Blooming Quesadilla Ring
Ingredients:
- 3 cups shredded, cooked chicken (from 1 rotisserie chicken)
- 1/2 cup store-bought jalapeño pimiento cheese (4 oz.) (optional)
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish (optional)
- 1 Tbsp. hot sauce (such as Cholula)
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 8 oz. pepper Jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
- 6 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 16 (6-inch) flour tortillas
- Avocado Dipping Sauce (recipe below)
Directions:
- Prepare oven and baking sheet: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a 4-inch-wide ovenproof ramekin in center of prepared baking sheet; set aside.
- Mix quesadilla filling: Stir together chicken, pimiento cheese, cilantro, hot sauce, kosher salt, and black pepper in a large bowl; set aside. Stir together pepper Jack and Cheddar cheeses in a medium bowl; reserve 1 cup cheese blend in a small bowl.
- Stuff and roll tortillas: Cut tortillas in half. Working with one at a time, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the remaining cheese blend in an even layer over a tortilla half; top with 1 tablespoon of the chicken mixture.
- Fold in one corner of tortilla to cover half the filling. Fold over again to enclose the filling and form a cone shape; place seam side down.
- Repeat the process with remaining tortilla halves, cheese blend, and chicken mixture.
- Arrange rolled tortillas: Arrange half of tortilla cones, seam side down, in an even layer around ramekin on prepared baking sheet, with pointed ends against ramekin.
- Sprinkle half of the reserved cheese blend over cones. Repeat with remaining tortilla cones and cheese blend, arranging cones, seam side down, on top of first layer. Spray with cooking spray.
- Bake quesadillas: Bake in preheated oven until cheeses are melted and edges are crispy and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve with Avocado Dipping Sauce; garnish with cilantro.
Avocado Dipping Sauce:
- Process 2 pitted and peeled large avocados
- 1 stemmed medium jalapeño chile
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt in a food processor until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
Touchdown Brownies
Ingredients:
- 1 box (16 oz) Betty Crocker™ Delights Supreme Original Brownie Mix
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- Betty Crocker™ white decorating icing (from 4.25-oz tube)
Directions:
- Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Line 13×9-inch pan with foil, letting foil hang 2 inches over sides of pan. Grease bottom only of foil with shortening or cooking spray.
- In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, chocolate syrup, oil, water and eggs until well blended. Spread in pan.
- Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Using foil to lift, remove brownies from pan. With 3 1/2×2 inch football-shaped cookie cutter, cut brownies into football shapes. Pipe on decorating icing to look like football laces.
On The Menu
We hope you enjoyed the 2025-2026 tailgate treats season. When the opportunity arises will touch base throughout the off season. We love any opportunity to whip up a snack for a crowd.
Main Photo: Photo Courtesy of Betty Crocker dot com
