Game? What game? I’m just here for the food. If you’re like me, game day eats are the main reason to get excited for football season. Let me help you plan your smorgasbord!

Let’s start with welcome munchies: I recommend a selection of munchie-crunchy things to kick off the party. A balance of a salty snack mix and crispy, cut veggies with an easy dipping sauce will do the trick. Don’t go all out here - just open a bag or a jar! Stonewall Kitchen has many good options to get you started. Save your homemade magic for where it really counts - like this hot dip that’ll get any crowd fired up!

Our Smoky Chipotle Queso Fundido delivers big melty-cheesy action and has a sizzling presentation that gets ooooos-n-aaaaahs every time. It’s a great make-ahead recipe: just have your two elements (meaty topping and cheesy base) ready to go, and then put them together and throw it in the oven or on the grill just before it’s time to wow the crowd. Serve with warm corn tortillas or chips, but watch out - it’ll go fast! Bonus: it’s easily made vegetarian by swapping the meat for beans. Simplicity is key when you’ve got hungry fans to feed.

Another hot-n-cheesy make-ahead hero are these classic Chili Cheese Fries made with Urban Accents Mesa Rosa Chipotle Seasoning Blend and Stonewall Kitchen’s Bacon Queso! Have the fries baked or air fried, the chili made (up to 5 days before!), and zap the queso just before serving. When it’s time to eat, layer a sheet pan with fries, chili, and sauce and give it a few minutes in the oven before placing out with a spatula and plenty (repeat: *plenty*) of napkins.

For lots of folks, it’s not game day without chicken wings, so we’ve got you covered with this easy, stress-free wing recipe. It offers a little make-ahead magic of it’s own (are you catching a theme here?)

Just bake or air fry the wings -without sauce- ahead of the festivities. When you’re ready to serve, toss the wings with our Smoky Spicy Wing Sauce and warm them in the oven. You’re gonna need more napkins. (Napkins are another game day theme - might as well grab some festive football-y ones, ya know?)

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Show your carb-conscious teammates some love with these adorable BLT Turkey Burger Sliders made with Urban Accents’ Tomato Basil Turkey Burger Seasoning. They deliver on cuteness factor, and the combo of flavorful protein and virtually no carbs is a serious score for the low-carb set. Don’t forget your favorite Stonewall Kitchen Aioli! I’m very into the new Everything Bagel flavor.

And now for my very favorite party trick: 7-Layer Dip. So simple, yet so amazingly delicious. I have friends who still talk about a 7-layer dip I made in 2006. I’m not kidding. It’s hearty, it’s creamy, and offers a total blitz of flavors and textures. Serve it with the G.O.A.T. party staple: tortilla chips.

This season, I like serving these in clear glassware - individualized with a striking presentation. Serving outside? Use wide mouth jars and pack them in the cooler! If you’re trying to keep it simple, you can layer each item in a baking dish or thinly spread the layers out onto a large platter. You’ll want to put this one together just before party time as they don’t age well after a few hours in the fridge.

Okay. It’s time to get serious. All the cute snacks and dips are just a warm-up to the half-time show. Oops, I meant the half-time meal: BBQ Pineapple Pulled Pork Sliders. I mean, come on - YUM!

The best part of this sweet-n-smoky recipe is that after the initial sear, it’s almost fully hands-off. A multi-cooker makes this one faster, but a slow cooker is always a good option - especially for keeping the finished pulled pork warm on a serve-yourself buffet. Caramelize your pineapple slices up to a day in advance, and lay it all out on the buffet for folks to build their own slider. And don’t forget extra sauce on the side!

Thanks for letting me share my Stonewall gameday favorites! Hope you and yours enjoy a winning season full of great food and lots of fun together. Tag us on social if you try any of these recipes - @stonewallkitchen and @urbanaccentsspices. We love to see what you’re cooking!