Bears vs. Packers Game Day Recipes
Chicago And Wisconsin Favorites For Your Football Snack Table
The Bears and Packers can settle their differences on the field. At my house, I am more interested in what we are eating while we watch.
I was born and raised in Chicago, but I also spend plenty of time enjoying the food of Wisconsin and the Northwoods. That means I have a soft spot for Italian beef, a properly topped Chicago hot dog, buttery ham sandwiches, and a good supper club cheese spread. Put them all on one table and you have a rivalry I can get behind.
These Bears vs. Packers game day recipes bring both sides to the snack table. There are cheesy appetizers, hearty sandwiches, brats, and make ahead snacks. Pick a side or make something from each. Nobody needs to check your team loyalty before handing you a plate.
The Cheesy Appetizer Matchup
There is plenty of cheese on both sides of this rivalry. Start with a warm Chicago pizza dip or a cold Wisconsin supper club spread. Personally, I see room for both.
Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Dip
Layers of ricotta, mozzarella, and provolone bake underneath a chunky seasoned tomato topping for a scoopable version of Chicago deep dish pizza. Serve it with the buttery pizza bread dippers and let everyone help themselves.
This is a good choice when you want a hot appetizer that feels substantial. You can assemble it up to a day ahead and bake it before serving. Give it a little time to rest after baking so those cheesy layers can settle.
Supper Club Cheese Spread
My love for Wisconsin supper clubs goes well beyond the main course. That bowl of cheese spread and buttery crackers before dinner is reason enough to show up.
This version combines cream cheese, sharp cheddar, bacon, sour cream, ranch seasoning, and tangy French dressing. Make it the night before so the flavors have time to come together, then put it out with your favorite buttery crackers.
The Sandwich Showdown
Chicago brings the beef. Milwaukee brings the ham. Both bring plenty of napkins.
Chicago Style Italian Beef
Thin sliced roast beef, crusty rolls, and a rich pepper and onion au jus make this my homemade take on a Chicago beef stand favorite. Add giardiniera if you like a little more zip.
This is a recipe worth planning ahead for because chilling the roast overnight makes it easier to slice thinly. The post also includes a slow cooker option for the pepper and onion au jus. Put out the rolls and toppings and let everyone build their sandwich.
Milwaukee Hot Ham & Roll Sliders
Inspired by Milwaukee’s Sunday hot ham and rolls, these sliders have shaved ham warmed in a buttery mustard sauce with a splash of beer. Add melty cheese and sweet Hawaiian rolls, then bake everything together.
They are warm, savory, a little sweet, and just the right size for a football snack table. This recipe makes twelve sliders, which sounds like plenty until people start going back for another.
Hot Dogs Versus Brats
This is the matchup for people who want an actual lunch with their football watching. Chicago gets all the toppings, and the Wisconsin side gets cheddar brats in a buttery rice bake.
Chicago Style Hot Dogs
An all beef hot dog with mustard, onion, tomato, sport peppers, neon relish, a pickle, and celery salt is practically a whole meal tucked into a poppy seed bun.
Put the toppings in little bowls so everyone can assemble their own. The recipe post walks you through the ingredients, steaming the buns, and building your Chicago dog at home.
Cheddar Brat and Rice Bake
Sliced cheddar brats bake with buttery seasoned rice, onions, and peppers in one dish. The rice soaks up the savory flavor and turns a favorite road trip snack into a comforting meal.
This is my pick for a chilly football Sunday when you want something hearty that you can scoop onto a plate. It also makes a nice change from another tray of sandwiches.
Small Bites With Big Midwest Flavor
These are the recipes for the people who say they are just having a little snack, then keep making trips back to the table.
Italian Beef Meatballs
These meatballs bring Chicago Italian beef flavors into an easy appetizer, with finely chopped giardiniera adding that familiar tangy bite. You can make them spicy or mild depending on your crowd.
Make them cocktail sized for game day and put out little plates and appetizer forks. They are a fun way to serve those beef stand flavors when you already have plenty of sandwiches on the menu.
Cheese Stuffed Meatballs With Spicy Cheese Sauce
For the cheese lovers on the Packers side, these beef meatballs stuffed with sharp cheddar and served in a creamy, spicy cheese sauce make a delicious matchup with my Chicago inspired Italian Beef Meatballs. I originally made them for an event in the Northwoods, and they are just the kind of hearty snack I want for football Sunday. Keep the cooked meatballs and sauce warm in a slow cooker, or serve the sauce separately so everyone can spoon on as much as they like.
Three More Picks For Your Game Day Table
Maxwell Street Style Pork Chop Sandwiches
If you want another Chicago sandwich option, these are a favorite of Mr. Tipsy’s. Thin boneless pork chops marinated in zesty Italian dressing are grilled and piled onto buns with buttery, slow cooked sweet onions and yellow mustard.
They have that Chicago hot dog stand inspiration with a backyard cookout twist. The post includes a slow cooker method for the onions, too.
Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned Slushy
The Wisconsin side gets a cocktail with this frozen version of a brandy old fashioned. Brandy, citrus juices, cherry juice, bitters, and lemon lime soda make a refreshing drink to go with all that rich game day food.
You can make it in a Ninja SLUSHi or use the freezer method in the post. No special machine required to join this part of the party.
Wisconsin Pâté
Do not let the name make you think this is fussy. My Wisconsin Pâté is an old fashioned beef and cheddar cracker spread made with roast beef spread, cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese spread, horseradish, and Worcestershire.
It is especially good made the day before. Serve it with sturdy crackers and little bowls of capers and finely diced shallots for topping. You can also build a whole Wisconsin inspired snack board around it with cheese, summer sausage, pretzels, and pickles.
Build Your Own Chicago And Wisconsin Spread
You do not need to make every recipe to have a good game day menu. I would choose one cheesy appetizer, one sandwich or hearty main, and something easy to snack on throughout the game.
For a little of both sides, try the Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Dip, Milwaukee Hot Ham & Roll Sliders, and Wisconsin Pâté. Or make Chicago Style Hot Dogs with Supper Club Cheese Spread and finish with a Brandy Old Fashioned Slushy.
Whatever happens on the field, at least we can make sure there is something good on the table.
Pick Your Game Day Lineup
Click any recipe name below to open the full post with ingredients, instructions, and a printable recipe card.
Chicago Bears Favorites
- Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Dip
- Chicago Style Italian Beef
- Chicago Style Hot Dogs
- Italian Beef Meatballs
- Maxwell Street Style Pork Chop Sandwiches