Food September 8, 2023

Football is back, here are all the game day recipes you need this season

WATCH: These ‘Buffalo Chicken Football Biscuits’ are perfect for game day

With the Detroit Lions' 21-20 victory Thursday over the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, football is officially back in action.

That means a new season of upsets, injuries, fantasy smack talk and -- of course -- game day food.

Football game day and tailgate recipes

Wholesome Yum
Air-fried crispy chicken wings.

With an overwhelming amount of delicious pre-game and tailgating recipes to choose from, "Good Morning America" tapped a handful of top food content creators and recipe developers to share their favorite dishes to enjoy before and during the games on Sunday, Monday and Thursday all season long.

MORE: Easy game day snacks to make for a small-scale Super Bowl

Check out their recipes below for everything from chicken wings to chili that will disappear faster than a wide receiver with an unprotected route to the end zone.

Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

The popular creamy baked chicken dish, packed with bold buffalo wing flavor, is a top search term during football season, and food blogger Jamie Milne of Everything Delish shared her simple spin on the go-to gameday dish in salad form.

Buffalo Chicken Filled Football Biscuits

Jaymee Sire
Buffalo chicken stuffed biscuits for football season.

Who doesn't love a self-contained snack that's easy to enjoy while cheering on your favorite team?

Food Network podcast host, food personality and content creator Jaymee Sire shared her simple riff on the beloved buffalo chicken dip below.

How to make buffalo chicken filled biscuits

Gameday chili recipes

Another classic football food is chili, and Jessie James Decker's 10-can recipe is sure to rack up points with friends and family during the game.

The Seasoned Mom
Bowls of beef chili topped with sour cream, red onions and shredded cheese.

The Seasoned Mom, Blair Lonergan, also shared this recipe for an affordable, one-pot meal to feed a hungry crowd.

Philly cheesesteak recipe

Football fans in Philadelphia have the ultimate luxury of ordering a fresh cheesesteak from their favorite local spot to watch the game. For those who aren't local, loyal Eagles fans, but still crave a taste of the City of Brotherly Love's staple sandwich, this fun riff on the beef and cheese combo from Anne Burrell -- for cheeseteak nachos -- is a delicious alternative.

Pigs in a blanket

Grab a pack of lil smokies and crescent roll dough to make this popular two-ingredient game day favorite. Jazz them up with an assortment of gourmet mustard and dips to elevate the easy, tasty game day snack.

You can also check out Carla Hall's vegetarian version here.

Chicken wings

Natasha Kravchuk of Natasha's Kitchen and Maya Krampf of Wholesome Yum both suggested taking advantage of cheaper chicken wing prices for an affordable and classic appetizer.

Toss together a batch of lemon pepper rubbed wings from Chef Nancie Greene, resident chef on the "I Am Athlete" podcast, for a taste of the popular alternative to traditional buffalo wings.

Or, try this zesty garlic wings recipe from food personality and creator Will Coleman for another delicious variation.

Chef Lorena Garcia's spicy honey wings recipe adds a sweet contrast to the heat of regular wings.

Editor's Picks

Easy, Affordable Million Dollar Dip

The Recipe Critic
Five-ingredient million-dollar dip.

Alyssa Rivers, aka The Recipe Critic, told "GMA" that this five-ingredient "million dollar dip" combines bacon and cheese for a perfect game day bite. Plus, it's ready in just five minutes, so it's a no-fuss recipe.

"To keep things simple and affordable for game day, I like making recipes that use pantry staple ingredients," she said. "Dips are always a great way to do this and once you throw in some crackers or pretzels to go with it, they can go a long way and serve a big crowd."

Loaded Smashed Potatoes

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 pounds mini potatoes

4-6 slices bacon, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

6-8 dollops light sour cream

2 jalapenos, thinly sliced

1 cup shredded cheese

Potato seasonings:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon paprika

Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add bacon to a lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until bacon is crispy. Once cooked, set aside.

Once water is boiled, add in potatoes and cook for 8-10 minutes, until fork tender. Add potatoes to a large bowl and let cool for 5-6 minutes.

When potatoes are cooled, add all of the potato seasonings and toss until potatoes are evenly coated. Add potatoes to a lined baking sheet. Using the bottom of a glass, smash the potatoes. Add potatoes to the oven for 25-30 minutes until crispy.

Remove potatoes from oven and top with cheese. Bake for another 8-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove potatoes from the oven and add all of the toppings over top. Serve and enjoy!

Baked Feta Dip

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 block feta cheese

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

3 tablespoons olives, chopped

4-5 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1 tablespoon oregano

1/2 lemon, juiced and zested

Salt and pepper

Fresh basil or parsley, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F. Add tomatoes, garlic, and chopped olives to a baking dish. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper, and oregano. Mix together.

Add a block of feta to the center of the dish. Add olive oil, honey, black pepper and red chili flakes to the feta. Add baking dish to the oven for 30-35 minutes until tomatoes are roasted and garlic and feta are soft.

Remove from oven and burst tomatoes with the back of a fork and mix everything together. Once combined, add to a medium-sized bowl. Top with fresh basil or parsley, olive oil and black pepper. Serve with chips and enjoy!