⚾️ Homerun Recipes for the Perfect Spread
The best lineup of crowd-pleasing dishes for your World Series, NFL Week 7, and NBA tip-off watch parties 🎉
Confession: the snack table is the only game I'm watching at any sports party. The score is secondary. The dip situation is not.
The World Series is officially here, so this week we're diving into my favorite gameday spreads.
Coincidentally enough, I build my dish lineup just like a baseball team. We've got Leadoffs, Cleanups, and Closers!
Let's get into the perfect gameday lineup to celebrate the World Series, NFL Week 8, and the NBA season opener...
Before we get into it, I want to remind everyone we just launched our new DESKTOP EXTENSION! You can now import any recipe on the internet with just 1 click, right to your Pepper Profile!
Download & connect your Pepper account following the steps:
Go to any recipe on the entire internet. Recipe blogs, Instagram, Pinterest, you name it
Click the Red Pepper in the bottom right corner of your screen.
The recipe is automatically imported to your account on your phone!
It's built to help you bring recipes you find around the web into Pepper, so your gameday plans live in one place instead of scattered across your browser.
THE PERFECT LINEUP ⚾️
1-3: LEADOFF: BALLPARK CLASSICS, MADE AT HOME
Your leadoff hitters get people on base fast, and nothing does that like the stuff you'd normally pay stadium prices for. Hot dogs, nachos, soft pretzels. Don't get me wrong, I love a stadium. But your couch has better seating and zero lines.
Hot dogs: set out a toppings bar and let everyone build their own. Done.
Nachos: Game Day Nachos is basically the whole ballpark in one pan.
Pretzels: warm, salty, and made for dunking.
TLDR: familiar food, zero surprises, everybody's happy.
4: CLEANUP HITTER: THE SHAREABLE MAIN
Every lineup needs a big bat in the fourth spot. For a crowd, that means something people can scoop, grab, or pile onto a plate without a fork-and-knife production. Chili, wings, or sliders all do the job.
Pick one and commit.
Three mains is how you end up with a very stressed host and a sink full of pans (ask me how I know. Actually, don't. Kidding, it's just obvious).
6-9: THE BENCH: ONE VEGGIE, ONE DRINK, TWO SWEET
The bench players don't get the glory, but they win games.
Veggie option
A big platter of raw veggies with a creamy dip is the easy win. Cut them ahead, keep them cold, and watch the carrots vanish faster than you'd expect.
Serving Hack: Crunch is a nice break from all the cheese.
The drink
Make one batch drink so you're not playing bartender all night. Warm spiced cider or a pitcher of something cold, depending on how your fall is behaving.
The Closer
Dessert is your closer, so keep it simple and handheld. Brownies, cookies, anything people can grab with one hand while watching the ninth inning with the other.
STARTING LINEUP PICKS 🌶️
Need a few names to write on the card? Here are my go-tos…
Garlic ranch pretzels: a leadoff snack that fits the ballpark vibe perfectly.
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings: the classic shareable main for a game day crowd.
Chili: a cleanup hitter that's made for a slow cooker and a big group.
SHOW US YOUR SPREAD
Open Pepper, save the recipes that make your lineup, and then share your game day spread with us.
You can post it on Pepper or tag @peppertheapp. We want to see the full roster.
And hit reply: what's your Cleanup Hitter?
Go enjoy the games, keep the dip stocked, and don't let anyone tell you nachos aren't dinner. Happy cooking!
Xx, Penny with Pepper