You don't have to be a Pinterest-project genius to serve game-day food your guests (especially the littlest ones) will really love. These fun football-themed snacks rely on store-bought items and don't have many ingredients — which means they're speedy to put together.
Photography by Tara Donne
Sweet Shirts
Turn blondies or brownies into pintsize jerseys with the help of a shirt-shaped cookie cutter. Use frosting, peanut butter or chocolate-hazelnut spread to "glue" on candy-coated chocolates in the colors of the competing teams.
Hike-It Cheese Ball
Go long and mold a store-bought or homemade cheese ball into the shape of a football (don't worry about being perfect — any oblong shape will do). Roll it in chopped pecans or walnuts to cover up any cracks, then top with roasted red pepper "laces."
Touchdown Cupcakes
Use a tube of white icing to draw yard lines on top of store-bought cupcakes arranged in the shape of a field. Cupcakes with green frosting are perfect, but plain chocolate works fine too. (Think pickup games in a muddy park.)
The Pizza Play
Arrange thinly sliced pepperoni in the shape of a football in the middle of a frozen pizza. Place strands of string cheese across the center for laces, and bake until warm and gooey. If your kid crowd can tolerate some greens, a "field" of chopped herbs sprinkled around the edges makes a cute finishing touch.
Walking Tacos
What's better than loading up a tortilla with your favorite fixings? Loading up tortilla chips. And what's even more fun than that? Scooping toppings right into the bag. Set out a pot of chili, bowls of toppings and a basket of single-serving chip bags with the tops cut open, then let each guest assemble his or her own dish. Serve with disposable forks for even quicker cleanup.
Healthier Heroes
Skip the bread and layer deli ham, salami, mortadella and cheese between cucumber rounds for a two-bite take on the classic Italian sub.
Fiesta Cups
Scoop salsa, guacamole, sour cream and cheese into clear cups (so you can see those fun layers!) and give one to each kid. Double dippers can go to town.
Pass-and-Play Eclairs
Bored with cupcakes and cookies? Follow the next food trend and go retro hip with chocolate eclairs that have white-icing laces.
Happy Feet
Get playful with plain deviled eggs by arranging snipped chives to look like laces on a pair of cleats.
Fruit Bowl
Score points with something fresh. Hit the grocery store salad bar and pick up a variety of cut fruit. Arrange the fruit in bowls according to team colors: Pair blueberries and pineapple (blue and gold), cantaloupe and blackberries (orange and black), and strawberries and kiwis (red and green).
