Football Sunday Menu: v1

What a fun day! I volunteered at the Fortify table at the Minnesota Cheese Festival, handing out recipes and talking to food enthusiasts of all sorts about what to cook and where to eat. I also got to mingle with tons of local food vendors that make everything from cheese, to beer, wine, vinegar, jams, honey and pretty much anything artisan. The weather was perfect, the food tasted great and everyone was happy. What more could you want?

One of the things the other members of Fortify and I were joking about is how much we talk and think about food throughout the day compared to the average human being. No need to get super scientific here, but lets just day it’s a high percentage of the time

But for real, I’m already thinking about what food to cook for the football games tomorrow afternoon! Maybe you are too?

Sunday afternoons at our house are very much about watching the game itself, but they’re also about what we’re going to eat while watching the game. Yes, its important that your game day food spread includes lots of low maintenance, snack-like, bite-sized options that are appealing to a lot of different people. Easy + simple + snacky does not equal hard. Your game day spread does not have to come from a package!

This football season, I’m going write about football party food ideas that are homemade, easy, healthful and appealing to everyone. Here’s what I’m thinking you should have tomorrow:

A big bowl of cherry tomatoes

Homemade black bean quesadillas with fresh avocado and chunky salsa

Crispy Parmesan Zucchini Fries

You can also put out some nice, juicy grapes, cut up a melon, chop some carrot wedges. Crackers + brie cheese is always good. Apples + brie are always good. Ooo! What about apples dipped in caramel? Now we’re talking. But back to the menu…

Cherry tomatoes are a good idea because they are poppable, not messy and taste like straight up candy. Easy sell.

I love serving quesadillas to large groups of people because of the build- your-own nature and endless combinations!! Use whole wheat or spelt tortillas to get a little extra flavor and nutritional value. Rather than just sticking with plain shredded cheddar, think about how you can get creative with the cheese component!! I think Brie and feta cheese go exceptionally well in quesadillas

You can come up with your own set of ingredients, or take a look at a how I made an Avocado + Sauteed Onion Quesadilla here.

And of course, crispy veggie fries are always a crowd favorite. They are easy to throw together and pop in the oven while you get the other food ready or watch the pre-show analysis. I wrote a little bit more about why I like this recipe here and I think your friends would like it if you made it for them.