Game-Day Recipes You Can Make with Your Family
Even the kids can help make this winning lineup.

yia thao
No matter which team you're rooting for in the big game, there's one thing we can all agree on: You must have the right snacks on hand. And, if there's anything being a mom has taught me, it's that you'll be a lot happier if you aren't the only one responsible for making said snacks. Whip up these delicious dishes with your whole family, then sit down and enjoy the game — or, heck, even just the commercials — together. You really can't argue with hand-held appetizers, mouthwatering sliders and sweet treats!
Softened cream cheese and shredded Cheddar are the base of this fun-shaped appetizer (pictured above). Combine the cheeses, a little hot sauce and some spices in a bowl, then let the kids get to work with a hand mixer. They can also form the cheesy football — and you won’t have to worry about their hands being super dirty afterward. Thank goodness for plastic wrap!
Store-bought pizza dough is the secret to these irresistible bites. And even if your kids aren’t willing to try the creamy, three-ingredient mustard dip or not (mine can be picky!), they’ll still be happy to stir it together, I’m sure. You can also keep their little hands occupied with rolling the dough into ropes; older kids can handle cutting the ropes into bites, with supervision.

Renee Comet, 2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
Anything mini is automatically more fun, if you ask me. Bigger kids can help you make these hearty meatballs by kneading the meat mixture and forming it into tablespoon-size balls. When it comes time to serve, let the kids add the cheese to the slider rolls and top with the saucy meatballs.

Alice Gao, 2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
Mac and cheese is a kid favorite that, I’m not going to lie, I’ve yet to outgrow. Why not turn it into bite-size portions everyone can enjoy? Kids will love using a mixer to combine the ingredients, and I’m pretty sure no one will complain about helping plop the mac and cheese into the muffin liners.

Alice Gao, 2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
Big and little kids can get in on the fun of making these chocolaty treats, from measuring the ingredients to shaping the footballs. This is also a great make-ahead dessert: The treats can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
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