If you are still scrambling to figure out some easy, quick menu items for Super Bowl, look no further. These recipes are sure to please a crowd. Best yet, they’re so simple, anyone can make. So, don’t forget to enlist your kids to help.

Football Cake Pops

I’ve made cake pops for years, with simply baking a cake, crumbling it, and mixing in some frosting(canned stuff is fine) to shape into whatever comes to mind. Then dipping the into chocolate. Footballs are no exception.

You’ll need:

• 1 box of any flavor cake mix
• 1-2 cans of complimentary flavor frosting, to match your cake flavor
• 2 bag of choc. chips and/or choc. bark
• 1 premade Betty Crocker or Great Value white or black icing in bag, or homemade
• Optional choices for mounting: wooden skewers, cake pop sticks, mini dowels, long lollipop sticks, forks, etc.
• Optional presentation: Stick them upright into a green foam rectangle, topped with green grass (like used in Easter baskets), or simply place in a wide tumblers.

Directions:

1. Bake your cake according to the package, and let cool.
2. With clean hands, crumble cake into small bits, and add frosting, a half a can at a time, mixing well in-between, before adding more. (Don’t just dump both frosting cans into cake crumbs, because some cakes are moister than others, needing only about 1 can)
3. As you are adding frosting in increments, keep checking to see if mixture is moldable, and stays firmly together into a football shape. (Over doing it with frosting will give you an unworkable mess, and shapes will not stay together)
4. After making your football shapes, you can put them on a skewer, and set aside.
5. Melt chocolate in microwave, stirring every 25 secs., and repeat a few times, until choc. is smooth. (See tips for working with choc., under heading: Chocolate Covered Edibles)
6. Dip footballs into melted choc., set in refrigerator to harden.
7. Add the “leather” ties on the footballs with white or black cookie icing.

Brownie Footballs

These are probably one of the fastest, and easiest Super Bowl treats to make.

You’ll Need:

• 1 box brownie mix (or homemade)
• 1 premade Betty Crocker or Great Value frosting bag
• A football cookie cutter, or an Easter Egg cookie cutter
• Optional: Frost footballs with choc. frosting, before adding “leather” ties

Directions:

1. Make the brownies per box directions.
2. Once cool, press your cutter into brownies, carefully removing each football to a platter.
3. Add “leather” ties on top of brownies.

Dill Pickle and Ham Roll-Ups

These have been a big crowd pleaser, at many of my parties. People can’t believe the simplicity of making them. Appetizer Addiction makes them almost exactly the same as I do, but instead of her plain cream cheese, or suggested spices and/or horseradish, I use a container of Garden Vegetable cream cheese. I haven’t met a person who could eat just one!

You’ll need:

• 1 large jar of spears or whole pickles
• a pack or two of large tortillas
• a half pound of sliced thin, ham
• Garden vegetable cream cheese
• Toothpicks
• * Another Variation: omit the tortillas, and just roll with ham/ garden veggie cream cheese/pickle

Directions:

1. Lay out your tortilla, and spread a thin coat of the garden veggie cream cheese.
2. Lay two slices of ham near edge/center, of tortilla.
3. Top the ham with a spear or whole pickle. (following from edge to edge, like ham)
4. Roll up tightly, and place toothpicks every inch, fully through to the bottom of the wrap.
5. Slice in between toothpicks, and place on a platter.

Easy and Versatile Baked Nachos

What makes this recipe interesting is that it can be made so many ways. Feel like pulled pork? Use shredded pork/ BBQ sauce, instead of salsa. Pulled turkey and chicken goes well with BBQ too. Want a more Mexican flair? Stick with salsa as your sauce, and maybe even add jalapeno slices too! Peppers can be really any kind you choose. You can basically switch out or add items, to make this your own.

You’ll need:

• Pre-cooked, shredded meat, such as chicken, pork, or beef ( or you can go meatless)
• Bag of tortilla chips
• 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans
• 8 oz. of shredded cheese of choice (Cheddar, mozzarella, etc. )
• 1 large jar of salsa or BBQ sauce
• onions and green peppers, both sliced into long strips
• A large cookie sheet with edges
• *Optional: foil for easy clean up

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line your cookie sheet with foil, if you wish to do little or no scrubbing, during clean up.
3. Spread out the chips over pan, overlapping here and there.
4. Spread the meat over nachos, sporadically, but enough to be hearty.
5. Depending on your desired flavor outcome, add an approx. Tbsp. of BBQ sauce or Salsa to the top of each place you have meat (this will keep meat from drying out while baking).
6. Add drained/rinsed black beans – scattered over pan.
7. Spread the thin slices of onion/pepper, in the same manner.
8. Cover entire pan with shredded cheese of your choice.
9. Bake for approx. 14 min. or until cheese is melted.

If you enjoyed any of my shared recipes, please let me know. Heck, take a pic of your spread, and maybe share a tip or two with me. Thanks! Happy Super Bowl, and may the best team win!