Hello and welcome to Kelly’s Kitchen. Football season is upon us. Both college and professional football have begun. And today is UGA’s first home opener. To get in the spirit, I’ve pulled together 6 easy appetizers perfect for game day.
Even if you’re not a football fan, these recipes are sure to please a crowd. And with Fall fast approaching, I’ve got a feeling you just might be entertaining this year. If you’re interested in making any or all, just follow the links for the full recipe card.
The Summary
Kelly is sharing 6 easy appetizers perfect for Game day.
You can get the full recipe card for a dish by clicking the link at the end of each section
6 Easy Appetizers Perfect For Game Day
1. Ham & Cheese Slider
We will have a small group of family over for the game and while we will likely have a few of the usual suspects (I’m looking at you Hot Wings), I wanted to toss a new recipe in the mix. Something easy and unfussy, delicious and unexpected. So I came up with these Ham and Cheese Sliders. Store-bought brioche rolls, deli sliced Black Forest ham, gruyere cheese and caramelized onions, with a horseradish mayo – toasted to perfection. Let’s get right to it!
[GET THE RECIPE CARD HERE]
2. Brisket Nachos
These nachos have it all: savory and sweet; spicy and sour; with smooth queso blanco and extra sharp cheddar. The smoked brisket adds smoke flavor with meaty texture. I am using seasoned tortilla chips, which adds extra savory flavor. You can use plain, if you prefer.
The slight sweetness comes from chunky mango peach salsa, It’s a nice contrast with the spiciness of the jalapeños. To offset all the richness we will top the nachos with pickled red onions and cilantro.
[GET THE RECIPE CARD HERE]
3. Classic Ballpark Soft Pretzel
Classic Ballpark Soft Pretzels are so much easier to make at home than you may think. I thought it seemed like too much work. But it’s really not. This recipe makes 12 pretzels, and even if there’s only two of you, they keep really well in an airtight container at room temperature. We made a couple into sandwiches the next day and they were great!
[GET THE RECIPE CARD HERE]
4. Wing Showdown: Air Fryer vs. Deep Fryer
Alex and I wanted to test out an at-home wing technique that could hold its own against our favorite wing spot. They needed to be beautifully crisp, tender and flavorful. We tested three methods: deep fry, naked air fry (without a dusting of flour) and air fry with a dusting of flour. Are you ready for our Super Bowl Wing Showdown? Let’s do it!
We decided to go with lemon pepper wings instead of Buffalo hot wings. Mostly because we really love lemon pepper wings, but also because we wanted to see how well the wings held up without much of a sauce on them. These wings are tossed in a buttery lemon pepper sauce after they are fried, but it’s a thin sauce; only butter and seasoning. It’s drizzled over them and then they’re quickly tossed and set on a wire rack.
[GET THE RECIPE CARD HERE]
5. Air Fryer Toasted Ravioli
Today we are trying our hand at Toasted Ravioli. I never knew about Toasted Ravioli until I lived in St. Louis, which is where it originated. Lou Oldani Sr. is credited with inventing the deep-fried ravioli in the 1940’s, at his restaurant Oldani’s in St. Louis’s Italian neighborhood, The Hill. There is always contention when it comes to recipe origins and Toasted Ravioli is no different. In addition to Oldani’s (now Mama’s on The Hill), Angelo’s (now Charlie Gitto’s) also boasted the invention of Toasted Ravioli. Whoever actually came up with it, I am sure glad they did because Toasted Ravioli is genius. Let’s do this Air Fryer Toasted Ravioli!
[GET THE RECIPE CARD HERE]
6. Crispy Artichoke Hearts
I have a quick and easy appetizer, or side dish for you today: Crispy Artichoke Hearts. Recently we went for dinner at a new restaurant here in Athens where they offered fried artichokes with a lemon aioli dipping sauce. At the time I thought, these would be great to feature on the blog. Then I saw crispy artichokes topping a Caesar salad in the new issue of Eating Well. Message received! Let’s do these Crispy Artichoke Hearts!
[GET THE RECIPE CARD HERE]
In Case You Missed It
Yesterday, Beth continued her Fall fashion preview. If you missed her post, make sure to click the title or image below to read the article.
Fall Fashion Means I Can Wear This
About The Author
