The calls have been made and everyone you know is coming over to your house to watch the big game this weekend. And, just like your favorite team will be heading into the stadium with a game plan to win, you’ve got to have your own game plan for being the best game day host or hostess ever. But you want to watch the game too, not spend all your time in the kitchen, which is why I’m going to share some tips for game day bites that won’t take you hours or cost you a fortune.
The answer can be found in your supermarket’s freezer and dairy aisles. There you’ll find all your favorite take-out items perfect for game day, like pizza, chicken wings and tenders, beefy taquitos, cheesy garlic bread, jalapeño poppers, and much more. And grocery stores know you’re going to be doing some extra shopping for these items, so many of them may be on sale -BONUS! You say you still want to make something that’s semi-homemade and shows off your creativity in the kitchen? I totally understand. That’s why our Test Kitchen came up with an easy, cheesy idea for your bash: QUESADILLAS…three ways!
Quesadillas are really simple to make, and they take just a few minutes on the skillet. Sure, you’ll have to cook the “fillings” (chicken, shrimp, sausage), but you can just pop these in the oven while you finish setting the table or cleaning up around the house. Since all these frozen items are pre-cooked, most take less than 20 minutes to prepare.
So, without further ado, here are the three semi-homemade quesadillas the Test Kitchen came up with for your game day bash:
Step One: Gather your ingredients: pizza sauce, frozen sausage crumbles, shredded Italian cheese, butter, and flour tortillas.
Step Two: Spread your sauce on half of the tortilla. (You’re going to be folding it over when it cooks, so you don’t want toppings on both sides.) Top with sausage crumbles and cheese.
Step Three: In a skillet (or griddle) over medium heat, melt some butter and place your tortilla, toppings side up, in the skillet. (Note: Some people may find it easier to fold their tortilla in half before placing it into the skillet.) Cook for 30 seconds, fold the tortilla in half, and cook for another 1-2 minutes on each side, or until both sides are golden brown.
Step Four: Slice into four wedges and serve. We served ours with a little extra pizza sauce, because who doesn’t love dipping?
All of these quesadillas have about the same cooking process, so I’m going to show you the ingredients and finished product.
Ingredients: shredded mozzarella cheese, frozen buffalo chicken strips, chopped celery, butter, and flour tortillas.
Serve them with a side of your favorite blue cheese dressing and you’ve got this picture-perfect appetizer.
And last, but certainly not least, we’ve got a tropical variation that’ll have them celebrating more than just football.
Ingredients: shredded mozzarella cheese, frozen breaded coconut shrimp, frozen pineapple chunks, butter, and flour tortillas.
You can still use the dipping sauce that comes with the shrimp, so nothing goes to waste!
For the complete recipe, including ingredient amounts and full instructions, please click on the recipe names below.
I hope you’ll give these quesadillas a try and come up with some tasty variations of your own. In fact, I’d love to know:
What other flavor combinations would you put inside a quesadilla?
For more easy recipes to serve at your game day bash, check out Easy Home Meals or MrFood.com.
This conversation is sponsored by National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association. The opinions and text are all mine.