5 Easy Game Day Spreads for Football Watching
Five Make-Ahead Appetizers That Belong on Your Football Snack Table
Football food does not always have to be hot, fried or something you need to keep checking during the game.
Sometimes the best thing on the snack table is a cold, creamy spread surrounded by crackers, pretzels and little pieces of bread. You can make it ahead of time, pull it out when everyone is getting hungry and actually sit down to watch the game instead of standing over the stove.
Over the years I have ended up with quite the collection of spreads on The Tipsy Housewife. Some are old-fashioned recipes that remind me of family parties and card clubs. Some came from my love of Wisconsin cheese and lake house snacking. One is a little fancier, although it is still very easy to put together.
Instead of making you hunt around for them, I thought it was time to put five of my favorites in one place.
Whether your football crowd wants something cheesy, smoky, pickle-filled or completely retro, there is a spread here for them.
If you are like me, and watch football for the snacks, these are some elevated treats that both non football and football fans will love.
1. Chicken Spread
The Retro Party Spread That Deserves a Comeback
This Chicken Spread is one of those old-fashioned recipes that proves people knew how to snack long before any of us started calling everything “game day food.”
The recipe came from a collection of recipes that belonged to Mr. Tipsy’s mom, Rose. She loved food, belonged to all kinds of clubs and social groups, and knew the value of a good appetizer that could be carried into a party and set down next to a sleeve of crackers.
It is made with Underwood Chicken Spread, canned chicken, cream cheese and seasonings, then topped with salty roasted pecans. The Underwood spread gives it a very savory chicken flavor, while whipping everything together makes it light, creamy and easy to scoop.
This is especially good with buttery round crackers or Chicken in a Biscuit crackers. If you have guests with nut allergies, you can use toasted panko or crushed buttery crackers on top instead of pecans.
Make This One For:
- People who love retro recipes
- Family parties and potlucks
- A football crowd that likes familiar flavors
- Anyone who remembers chicken roll deli meat
- When you need an affordable appetizer that feeds a group
- Butter cracker and Chicken in a Biscuit fans
2. Red Stick Cheese Spread
The Cheese and Cracker Snack Pack From Childhood
If you remember those little cheese and cracker snack packs with the tiny red plastic spreader, this recipe is for you.
As a kid, I loved going grocery shopping with my mom at West Lawn near our house on Pulaski Avenue. There was a basket of those snack packs in the produce section, and getting to pick out a couple felt like hitting the jackpot.
This homemade version has the same salty, smooth, processed-cheese-style texture without the bright orange coloring. Sharp cheddar, American cheese, cream cheese and butter are whipped together with seasonings and evaporated milk to make everything creamy and spreadable.
Worcestershire powder gives it extra savory flavor without thinning it out. You can also add a tiny pinch of MSG if you want to lean even harder into that nostalgic snack-pack taste.
I love this with Club Crackers because they were one of my Gram’s favorites, but it is also delicious with pretzels, celery sticks, breadsticks or just about any cracker you already have in the pantry.
Make This One For:
- Anyone who grew up with cheese and cracker snack packs
- Kids, grandkids and picky eaters
- A simple football snack everyone will recognize
- Club Crackers, pretzels or celery sticks
- People who want a milder cheese spread
- A make-ahead snack you can keep in the refrigerator
3. Smoked Salmon Bagel Spread
The Fancy-Looking Spread That Is Secretly Easy
This is the spread to make when you want your football snack table to look like you put in much more effort than you actually did. Especially when you want to put in zero effort.
It takes everything people love about a classic bagel and lox platter and turns it into an easy appetizer. The base is whipped cream cheese mixed with mayonnaise, caper brine, dill and Beau Monde seasoning. It is topped with chopped smoked salmon, red onion and capers, then finished with a bright lemon dill oil.
The result is smoky, creamy, salty and fresh all at the same time. Because the salmon and onion are chopped small, every cracker gets a little bit of everything instead of one guest accidentally dragging off half the salmon with a single scoop.
Serve this one with buttery crackers for easy football snacking, or use mini bagels, bagel chips, crostini or toasted baguette slices if you want to go with the brunch-board feeling.
Make This One For:
- A morning or early-afternoon football game
- Brunch before kickoff
- Smoked salmon and bagel lovers
- A smaller group that enjoys something a little fancy
- Holiday weekend football watching
- Anyone who loves capers, red onion and dill
4. Liver Sausage Spread
The Old-School One That Wins Over the Skeptics
I know liver sausage is not going to be an immediate yes for everyone. That is fine. The people who understand this recipe will be standing next to the plate with their crackers while everyone else is still asking what braunschweiger is.
This classic spread combines braunschweiger with cream cheese, very finely minced onion, dill pickles, herbs and either horseradish or Dijon mustard. After it rests, it is shaped into a loaf and covered with dill and optional Everything But the Bagel seasoning.
It is rich, savory and delicious with plain saltine crackers. I also like to serve extra minced onions, pickles and capers on the side so everyone can build the perfect cracker.
Every time I serve this to someone who says they do not like liver sausage, they end up trying it and joining the dark side. If you are introducing people to braunschweiger for the first time, the Oscar Mayer version has a milder flavor and is a good place to start.
Make This One For:
- Fans of old-fashioned party food
- Braunschweiger lovers
- Adventurous snackers
- A football party with plenty of cold beer
- Anyone who appreciates onions, pickles and horseradish
- People who still believe saltines are an excellent cracker
5. Lake House Pickle Pimiento Cheese
The Wisconsin Lake House Answer to Pimento Cheese
I have a deep and unwavering love for pimento cheese, but I also know better than to tell Southern women that my version is authentic.
Instead, I leaned all the way into my Wisconsin supper club and Northwoods lake house roots. This version combines Merkts sharp cheddar cheese spread with freshly shredded extra-sharp cheddar, chopped dill pickles, sweet pimientos and horseradish.
It is creamy, sharp, tangy and very pickle-forward. The horseradish gives it that little bit of Wisconsin supper club zing, and you can add as much as your sinuses can handle.
This is fantastic with pretzel thins, saltines or toasted sourdough. You can also pile it onto burgers, use it on sandwiches or melt it between two slices of bread for a very bold grilled cheese.
Make this one the day before the game if you can. It tastes good right away, but an overnight rest gives the flavors time to come together and lets the spread thicken into the perfect scoopable texture.
Make This One For:
- Pickle lovers
- Wisconsin cheese fans
- Northwoods and lake house snacking
- People who like bold, sharp flavors
- Pretzel crackers and toasted bread
- Anyone who wants to upgrade a game day burger
Five Spreads, Five Completely Different Reasons to Make Them
The thing I like about putting these five recipes together is that they all bring something different to the football table.
Chicken Spread is the familiar, retro recipe I make when I want something creamy and savory that almost everyone will eat.
Red Stick Cheese Spread is pure childhood nostalgia and probably the easiest choice for a crowd with kids or picky eaters.
Smoked Salmon Bagel Spread is the one I make for an early game, brunch or a smaller group that appreciates a slightly fancier snack. It is also a nice one for tailgating or to serve everyone before you leave to GO to the game.
Liver Sausage Spread is for the old-school appetizer people and the guests who are willing to try something that may surprise them.
Lake House Pickle Pimiento Cheese is the bold, tangy Wisconsin one I want with pretzels, beer and a football game at the lake house.
There is room on the snack table for all five.
In fact, making two or three and setting out several kinds of crackers would be a pretty great way to feed a football crowd without cooking all afternoon. All can be made ahead of time as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which spread is best for a large football party?
The Chicken Spread is a great choice for a crowd because it makes approximately 15 appetizer servings and uses familiar, savory flavors. The Red Stick Cheese Spread and Lake House Pickle Pimiento Cheese are also easy to double if you are feeding more people.
Which spread is the most kid-friendly?
The Red Stick Cheese Spread is probably the safest choice for children and picky eaters. It was inspired by the cheese and cracker snack packs many of us ate as kids, and it has a smooth, mild texture that works with almost any cracker or pretzel.
Which spread should I serve for an early football game?
The Smoked Salmon Bagel Spread is perfect for a morning or early-afternoon game. Serve it with mini bagels, bagel chips or crostini and it can easily be part of a football brunch.
Can I make these spreads ahead of time?
Yes. All five are good make-ahead choices, and several actually benefit from resting in the refrigerator so the flavors can blend. Follow the storage and resting directions in each individual recipe. Keep the spreads refrigerated until shortly before serving and do not leave dairy-based appetizers sitting out for extended periods.
What crackers should I serve with these spreads?
Buttery round crackers or Chicken in a Biskit crackers are especially good with the Chicken Spread. Club Crackers work well with the Red Stick Cheese Spread and Smoked Salmon Bagel Spread. Serve saltines with the Liver Sausage Spread and pretzel thins with the Lake House Pickle Pimiento Cheese. A mixed cracker basket is always a good idea if you are serving more than one spread.
Which spread is best for pickle lovers?
Make the Lake House Pickle Pimiento Cheese if you want the boldest pickle flavor. The Liver Sausage Spread also contains finely minced dill pickles and is good with extra pickles served on the side.
Can I serve more than one spread together?
Absolutely. Choose two or three with different flavors and put them on a large snack board with assorted crackers, pretzels, mini bagels, toasted bread, celery sticks and pickles. The Red Stick Cheese Spread, Chicken Spread and Lake House Pickle Pimiento Cheese would make an especially good game day trio.
Save This List for Football Season
Bookmark this page for the next time you need an easy football appetizer that can be made ahead.
These spreads also work for card nights, holidays, potlucks, happy hour or any occasion when people are standing around a kitchen island looking for something good to put on a cracker.
If you make one, let me know which recipe you picked. I always love hearing which of these old-fashioned and slightly unusual snacks become favorites in someone else’s house.
Apparently, I have never met a creamy spread I did not want to put on a cracker.