photo by vox_efx

Invite friends over, and have a football party. It’s a frugal, fun night you can spend at home. Food and football go hand in hand. Finger foods work well, but a hot mug of chili will satisfy energetic sports fans. You can set it up in a slow cooker and plug it in nearby, so no one has to go to another room and miss a thing during the game. The following recipes are crowd pleasers. They’re so delicious you’ll get recipe requests for the big game.

Hot Cheese Dip

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 green onions, chopped
pepper, to taste
pinch of ground nutmeg
8 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, onions, pepper and nutmeg. Mix in the Swiss cheese. Transfer to glass casserole dish. Top with almonds. Bake for 7 minutes. Stir and bake for an additional 8 minutes. Serve with crackers. — Ellise, South Carolina

Bacon Dogs

1 (14-ounce) package beef cocktail wieners or hot dogs
1 pound sliced bacon, cut into half or thirds, depending on the size of hot dogs
3/4 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Wrap each cocktail wiener or hot dog with a piece of bacon, and secure with a toothpick. Place on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle brown sugar generously and evenly over top. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve in slow cooker or cook entirely in slow cooker on low until bacon is cooked and sugar is bubbly. — Brenda, Missouri

Spicy Chili

1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (16-ounce) can kidney beans, undrained
1 (16-ounce) can chili or pinto beans
1/2 teaspoon sugar
5-1/2 ounces tomato juice

Brown together ground beef, onion, green pepper and garlic; drain well. Add all the spices along with the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, sugar and tomato juice. Mix well, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. — Kathy, Texas

Buffalo Chicken Dip

3 chicken breasts, shredded
1/2 cup Frank’s RedHot sauce
2 (8-ounce) packages cold cream cheese, cubed
1 cup ranch salad dressing
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4-inch pieces
1 (8-ounce) box chicken-flavored crackers

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on low until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and crackers. — Theresa S., Pennsylvania

Drunken Kielbasa

1 package kielbasa
1 bottle chili sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 can beer

Slice kielbasa into 1-inch pieces. Place in saucepan. Combine chili sauce, brown sugar and beer. Pour over kielbasa, and simmer for 45 minutes. Serve warm with toothpicks. — Brenda, Missouri

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