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20 Game Day Football Food Must-Have Party Main Dishes

BySusan Buonpane

Football season is here, and that means it’s time for good food, great friends, and loud cheering. These football party main dishes are everything you need to feed your hungry crew. From cheesy casseroles to slow cooker favorites and big, bold flavors, there’s something here for every fan at your table. These are the kind of recipes that make game day feel extra special, no matter who wins.

a collage of football party foods like pulled pork sandwiches, chili, meatballs, sliders, and sausage sandwiches. Center text overlay reads “20 Game Day Food Favorites Football Party Food” in bold black font on a cream background with a red border. this …


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Easy Chili Recipe Football Party Idea 

chilli in a black bowl with a spoon getting a scoop and shredded cheese on top with cornbread on the side.

Fairly Football Party Main Dishes score big with crowd-pleasing recipes that are hearty, easy, and made for cheering on your team! From cheesy sliders to spicy chili and fan-favorite wings, these dishes are perfect for any football watch party or fantasy football draft party. Whether you’re hosting a full-on football game party or just need easy tailgate food, this roundup has everything you need to feed a hungry crew.g you need to feed a hungry crew.

Best Healthy Sloppy Joes Recipe

sloppy joes on a bun with pickles and peppers on a plate.

Healthy Homemade Sloppy Joes are the perfect quick meal for any football game party. This 30-minute main dish is made with lean ground beef and simple pantry staples—easy to prep and full of flavor. Serve on soft buns with fries or a football veggie tray for a crowd-pleasing watch party food that’s always a hit.

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Crack, Chicken Bacon and Ranch

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Crack Chicken Bacon and Ranch. on a bun with sesame seeds on top and blue corn chips on the plate.

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Crack Chicken is creamy, cheesy, and made for game day! Loaded with juicy chicken, smoky bacon, and zesty ranch, it’s the kind of football watch party food that disappears fast. Serve it on buns, in wraps, or as sliders for an easy football party snack that’s always a crowd favorite.

Easy CrockPot Italian Sausages Peppers and Onions

2 slow cooker sausages with onions and peppers in hotdog buns on a counter.

CrockPot Italian Sausage and Peppers is the perfect make-ahead meal for your next football game party. Just toss everything in the slow cooker—sweet or spicy sausage, bell peppers, and Italian seasoning—and let it simmer to perfection. Serve on hoagie rolls or over pasta for easy, no-fuss watch party food everyone will love.

Teriyaki Flank Steak Delicious Slow Cooker Recipe

teriyaki flank steak slow cooker white plate with a pile of shredded flank steak with bits of onion on a black serving fork with a slice of bread crockpot recipe

Teriyaki Slow Cooker Flank Steak is a flavorful and easy football party main dish your guests will love. Slow-cooked in a sweet and savory sauce, this tender beef recipe is perfect for serving over rice or in sandwiches. It’s a no-fuss way to serve up hearty, delicious football watch party food without spending hours in the kitchen.

Creamy CrockPot Dry Ranch Dressing Chicken 5-Ingredients

Creamy CrockPot Dry Ranch Dressing Chicken 5-Ingredients the chicken shredded on a bun with sesame seeds on the top bun and a sprig of parsley on the chicken and 2 sliced tomatoes all on a gray plate.

Creamy CrockPot Dry Ranch Dressing Chicken is the ultimate easy comfort food for your next football watch party! With just 5 simple ingredients, this rich and flavorful dish is perfect served over rice or on sandwich rolls. It’s a warm, hearty football party food that’s sure to be a crowd favorite with zero hassle.

Easy Chili Cornbread Skillet Casserole Bake Recipe

Chili Cornbread Skillet Casserole Bake Recipe with a serving spoon and a scoop taken out.

Easy Chili Cornbread Skillet Casserole Bake is a cozy, crowd-pleasing main dish perfect for any football party. With hearty chili on the bottom and golden cornbread baked on top, it’s the kind of warm, filling football game party food your crew will ask for again and again. Bake it all in one skillet for a no-fuss, flavorful watch party dinner everyone will love.

Easy Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Slider Sandwiches

Three Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches are stacked on a plate, loaded with shredded chicken tossed in spicy buffalo sauce, topped with creamy slaw, crumbles of cheese, and colorful shredded veggies. A side of crunchy celery sticks chopped into the slaw adds a fresh bite. The sandwiches look like mini versions of buffalo chicken dip on a bun—an easy recipe perfect for the whole family with bold flavor and satisfying texture. In the background, there's a bowl of favorite toppings including extra buffalo sauce and cheese, making this dish ideal for game day or busy weeknights.

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Slider Sandwiches are a must-make for your next football watch party or busy weeknight dinner. With bold buffalo flavor and tender shredded chicken, these sliders are the perfect football party food to serve a hungry crowd. Just toss the ingredients in the slow cooker and let it do the work—easy, spicy, and always a hit!

Easy Instant Pot Barbecue Chicken

Instant pot barbecue BBQ pulled shredded chicken

Easy Instant Pot Shredded Barbecue Chicken is a total winner for your next football watch party. It’s quick to make, full of smoky flavor, and perfect for piling onto buns or sliders. This is one of those go-to recipes you can throw together fast, making it great for last-minute football party food when game time sneaks up on you.

Impossible™ Meat Vegetarian Chili

impossible chili in white bowl with spoon and cheese in a small bowl in t the side

Impossible™ Meat Vegetarian Chili is the perfect game day dish for your next football party or Super Bowl spread. Hearty, comforting, and packed with flavor, this easy chili uses Impossible™ Beef for a plant-based option that even meat-lovers will enjoy. Whether you’re eating vegetarian or just cutting back on red meat, this crowd-pleasing football watch party food will keep everyone coming back for more.

Crockpot Meatballs in Grape Jelly and Chili Sauce

grape meatballs with chili sauce in a white bowl on a green table.

Crockpot Meatballs in Grape Jelly and Chili Sauce are a retro classic that’s still a hit at every football party. Sweet, tangy, and cooked low and slow, these vintage-style meatballs make the perfect football party snack or easy tailgate food. Serve them straight from the slow cooker to keep the crowd happy from kickoff to the final play.

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Honey Chipotle Chicken Wings

Honey chipotle wings on a white plate with a woman's hand holding up one wing dripping honey on the plate.

Honey Chipotle Wings are a game day essential and my husband’s all-time favorite! Sweet, smoky, and just the right amount of spicy, these wings are perfect for any football party or Super Bowl watch party. Serve them up hot and watch them disappear—this is one football food appetizer that scores every time. Courtesy of https://thesoccermomblog.com/

White Chicken Chili with Bacon

A bowl of creamy white chicken chili topped with shredded cheddar cheese, filled with black beans, corn, shredded chicken, and diced peppers, with a spoon scooping from the bowl.

White Chicken Chili with Bacon is creamy, smoky, and packed with bold flavor—perfect for your next football party. Made in the crockpot with just 10 minutes of prep, this hearty chili is loaded with shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and crispy bacon. It’s a warm and filling football game day food that keeps everyone coming back for more. Serve with shredded cheese and tortilla chips for a touchdown-worthy meal. Courtesy of https://ourlovelanguageisfood.com/

Creamy Chicken Quesadillas

Cheesy quesadillas cut into wedges and served on a black plate, topped with fresh pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and garnished with chopped cilantro. Bowls of guacamole and salsa are in the background.

This easy creamy chicken quesadilla recipe takes things up a notch with a tasty chicken, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and mozzarella filling. Top it all off with homemade guacamole and pico de gallo for a fun meal that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser! Courtesy of https://wanderzestblog.com/

Crispy Bean and Cheese Tacos with Chipotle Sauce

Crispy pan-fried bean and cheese tacos garnished with chopped cilantro, served on a wooden board with a small bowl of creamy chipotle sauce in the center. The tacos are golden brown and filled with melted cheese and refried beans.

Bean and Cheese Tacos are a fast and flavorful dinner perfect for busy nights. Crispy pan-fried tortillas are stuffed with seasoned refried beans, melty cheese, and a creamy chipotle sauce. Ready in just 30 minutes, this easy recipe is packed with bold flavor and sure to be a hit with the whole family. Courtesy of https://homecookingcollective.com/

Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

Tender slow cooker baby back ribs coated in sticky barbecue sauce, served on parchment paper with a small jar of extra sauce and a basting brush on the side. The ribs are juicy and fall-apart ready, perfect for game day or party serving.

These flavorful Slow Cooker Ribs turn out perfectly every time! The secret is coating them in a homemade dry rub, slathering them in sticky-sweet barbecue sauce, and slowly cooking them until they are so tender that the meat falls off the bone. Courtesy of https://theforkedspoon.com/

Taco Sliders

Close-up of a cheesy taco slider made with seasoned ground beef and melted cheese, baked in a soft golden Hawaiian roll. Served with bowls of guacamole and salsa in the background.

Switch up your Taco Tuesday with these Taco Sliders—packed with seasoned taco meat and melted cheese, all baked into soft Hawaiian rolls. They’re fun, flavorful, and perfect for parties. Courtesy of https://www.eatingonadime.com/

Loaded Sheet Pan Nachos

Close-up of loaded sheet pan nachos topped with ground beef, melted cheese, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, jalapeño slices, and a drizzle of sour cream. A hand is lifting one cheesy chip from the pan.

Say goodbye to soggy chips and topping-less bites! With these Loaded Sheet Pan Nachos, every chip is layered with love and packed with seasoned taco meat, refried beans, melty cheese, and all your favorite toppings. They’re easy to make and perfect for feeding a crowd on game day. Courtesy of https://www.evolvingtable.com/

Sizzling Smoked Chicken Wings

Barbecue chicken wings served on a wooden board with corn on the cob, creamy coleslaw in a glass bowl, and golden cornbread muffins. A colorful and hearty spread perfect for a game day or backyard party.

Create an impressive party platter with flavors everyone will reach for, featuring Smoked Chicken Wings in a cast-iron skillet. Picture this: tender, juicy chicken infused with rich, smoky flavor that’ll disappear in seconds. Warning: Napkins are definitely recommended! Courtesy of https://www.dutchovendaddy.com/

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Baked ham and cheese sliders made with soft Hawaiian rolls, topped with poppy seeds and a buttery glaze. The sliders are filled with layers of sliced ham and melted cheese, arranged on parchment paper and ready to serve.

These simple 7-ingredient ham and cheese sliders are an excellent appetizer recipe for game day or the big game.  Courtesy of https://thebutteredgnocchi.com/

Cuban Sliders

Close-up of a Cuban slider sandwich filled with shredded pork, melted cheese, pickles, and mustard on a golden, buttery roll. Served on a white plate with more sliders in the background.

These Cuban Sliders take the classic Cubano and do it a little differently. Pulled pork, deli ham, pickles, cheese, and mustard are served on garlic-buttered rolls. Courtesy of https://mariasmixingbowl.com/

No matter who you’re cheering for, great food makes every football party better. From cheesy sliders to hearty chilis and saucy wings, these crowd-pleasing recipes are made for sharing with family and friends. Keep it simple, keep it delicious, and enjoy every bite of game day together.

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