Football is a holiday in our house — albeit one that happens on a weekly basis for months out of the year. Just like any other holiday, food is a vital component. I like to get my kids involved in our family football traditions by having them help in the kitchen on game day.
But cooking with kids can be a challenge. My time is short and their attention spans are limited. So here are five extremely simple, but delicious, football-themed treats that you can make with your kids in less time than it takes to throw a Hail Mary. Well, not really. But you know what I mean.
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Football-Shaped Brownies
Ingredients:
- Brownies
- White gel frosting
Directions:
I mean, what's easier than buying a tray of pre-made brownies and cutting them into football shapes? Use the tube of white gel frosting to make the football laces, let the kids eat the leftovers, and boom. Done. Referee won't be blowing the whistle on this one.
Total time:
5 minutes.
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Touchdown Strawberries
Ingredients:
- Strawberries
- Semi-sweet chocolate
- White gel frosting
Directions:
Melt the chocolate. Roll the strawberries in it. Place the strawberries, flat end down, on a sheet of wax paper. After they are dry, use that same tube of white gel frosting to make the football lacing. No flag on this play!
Total time:
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End-Zone Deviled Eggs
Ingredients:
- 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp. yellow mustard
- Dash of salt & pepper
- Chives
Directions:
Cut the eggs in half and remove the yolks. In a separate bowl, mash the yolk, mayo, mustard, and salt and pepper together. Fill the eggs with the mixture. Cut the chives into small pieces to form the laces of a football over the top of the egg half. So delicious it's worth an end zone dance penalty.
Total time:
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Football Charcuterie
Ingredients:
- Meat sticks
- Sliced meat
- Olives
- Variety of hard cheeses
- Favorite fruits and veggies
- Crackers
Pro tip: Buy cubed cheese and precut veggies to save time on the prep.
How to:
Cut everything into bite-sized pieces. Decide which items will shape the football, laces, and background. Arrange the snacks to look like a football and laces with the rest of the snacks spread around it.
Total time:
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Pigskin Pizza
Ingredients:
- Pizza dough
- Marinara sauce
- Mozzarella cheese
- Pizza toppings
- Herbs
How to:
Pre-heat your oven to the temperature specified for your pre-made dough. Shape your dough into the approximate shape of a football on a greased pizza sheet. Your choice -- make them small so everyone gets their own, or make one big one for everyone to share!
Next up: Toppings! We used marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, oregano, basil, and olive oil. We brushed the olive oil on the crust to give it a little crunch ... time.
Total time:
It took us 5 minutes to make and 12 minutes in the oven.
You could spend hours in the kitchen on game day, but why? These easy family-friendly recipes are perfect for the whole family to make together – and that's a win in my book!
Mary Monahan is the publisher of Macaroni KID Lincoln, Neb.
