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Cooking with Kids: 5 Easy Football Day Snacks

By Mary Monahan, Publisher of Lincoln, Neb. Macaroni Kid January 29, 2020
Football is a holiday in our house -- albeit one that happens on a weekly basis for months out of the year. Just like any other holiday, food is a vital component. I like to get my kids involved in our family football traditions by having them help in the kitchen on game day.

But cooking with kids can be a challenge. My time is short and their attention spans limited. So here are five extremely simple, but delicious, football-themed treats that you can make with your kids in less time than it takes to throw a hail mary. Well, not really. But you know what I mean.

Football-Shaped Brownies

Ingredients:

  • Brownies
  • White gel frosting

How to: 

I mean, what's easier than buying a tray of pre-made brownies and cutting them into football shapes? Use the tube of white gel frosting to make the football laces, let the kids eat the leftovers, and boom. Done. Referee won't be blowing the whistle on this one.

Total time:

 Five minutes.

Touchdown Strawberries

Ingredients:

  • Strawberries
  • Semi-sweet chocolate
  • White gel frosting

How to: 

Melt the chocolate. Roll the strawberries in it. Place the strawberries, flat end down, on a sheet of wax paper. After they are dry, use that same tube of white gel frosting to make the football lacing. No flag on this play!

Total time: 

15 minutes to make and 2-3 hours to dry and harden.

End-Zone Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:

  • 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp. yellow mustard
  • Dash of salt & pepper
  • Chives

How to: 

Cut the eggs in half and remove the yolks. In a separate bowl, mash the yolk, mayo, mustard, and salt and pepper together. Fill the eggs with the mixture. Cut the chives into small pieces to form the laces of a football over the top of the egg half. So delicious it's worth an end zone dance penalty.

Total time: 

15 minutes.


Stadium Seating Bean Dip

Ingredients:

  • Salsa
  • Guacamole (we used three avocados)
  • 1 15 oz. can refried beans
  • Chips
  • Sour cream
  • Cherry tomatoes (optional)

How to: 

Time to get your Pinterest on: You're going to start your masterpiece with the refried beans. Fill in one end of a 13x9 dish with the beans. Next up: Use the guacamole to make the "field." Leave room at the other end for your salsa (you don't want to do this before the guacamole because the salsa will run everywhere). Pile up chips in your beans and salsa to make the "people" in the "stands." Put sour cream into a frosting bag (or a plastic zipper bag with the corner cut off) and make the marks and lines on your "field." Have the kids add cherry tomatoes on top as the "players." Gimme a D! Gimme an I! Gimme a...well just gimme a chip already.

Total time: 

10 minutes.

Pro tip: 

This dish does not travel in the car well. Make it onsite.


Pigskin Pizza

Ingredients:

  • Pizza dough
  • Marinara sauce
  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Pizza toppings
  • Herbs

How to: 

Pre-heat your oven to the temperature specified for your pre-made dough. Shape your dough into the approximate shape of a football on a greased pizza sheet. Your choice -- make them small so everyone gets their own, or make one big one for everyone to share! 

Next up: Toppings! We used marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, oregano and basil (fresh from the garden), and olive oil. We brushed the olive oil on the crust to give it a little crunch ... time.

Total time: 

It took us 5 minutes to make and 12 minutes in the oven.


You could spend hours in the kitchen on game day, but why? These easy family-friendly recipes are perfect for the whole family to make together --  and that's a win in my book!