Homegating Playbook
Tips to make a game day party fun for everyone
Game day is no time to be sidelined in the kitchen. Do a little pre-game planning so you can spend less time cooking and more time cheering on the home team.
Keep it simple – Instead of taking up space with a lot of dishes to hold condiments, use muffin pans. Each well in the pans can hold a different topping for your burgers, hot dogs or chili. Put a spoon in each for easy dipping. It’s simple, fun, and you’ll have fewer post-game dishes to wash.
Set up a dipping station – Have a selection of salsas and guac available so everyone can have their favorite. From 
Wholly Salsa’s classics to the new red pepper mango or roasted tomato varieties, fans can find a salsa to cheer about. And for guacamole lovers, try Wholly Guacamole’s all-natural, gluten free varieties. In addition to chips, set out some of these tasty dippers:
– Bell pepper slices
– Baked mozzarella sticks
– Shrimp
– Pita chips
– Bagel chips
– Jicama sticks
– Mini rice cakes
Make sure you have enough – Don’t disappoint guests by running out of munchies or drinks. Here’s how to figure out how much you need to prepare:
– If you’re having 8 to 10 guests, figure on three different appetizers. For up to 16 guests, plan four or five appetizers.
– For non-alcoholic drinks, plan on two 16-ounce cups per person. Plan on about two glasses of wine or three beers per person.
– To have enough ice for drinks, as well as to keep drinks cold in a cooler, get about a pound and a half of ice per person.
Homegating Snackers
Yield: 10 to 12
1 tube pre-made pizza crust (thin)
1 7-ounce package Wholly Guacamole dip
1 red bell pepper cut into small strips
- Roll out uncooked pizza dough on counter.
- Use football or other shaped cookie cutter to cut pizza dough and place on cookie sheet sprayed lightly with oil.
- Cook dough according to packaging instructions. Allow to thoroughly cool.
- When cool, spread with guacamole and use cheese shreds and pepper to create football
- laces and markings.
- Optional: Plate on a bed of shredded lettuce, and use sour cream to create field yard lines.
Avocado Cream Cheese Dip
Serves: 6
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 7-ounce package Wholly Guacamole
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 cups sour cream
3 tablespoons chipotle peppers in
adobo sauce, pureed
1 cup 3-cheese blend shredded cheese
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
3/4 cup Roma tomatoes, cored, seeded
and diced
- Allow cream cheese to soften and warm to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Whip cream cheese at medium speed for 3 minutes to fluff. Add guacamole and beat for another minute.
- Season mix with 1/4 teaspoon salt, half of lime juice and cilantro.
- Transfer mixture to a 9 x 9-inch pan, and dust with chili powder.
- Mix together sour cream, chipotle, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the rest of the lime juice.
- Add to pan as the second layer.
- Top with cheese; garnish with green onion and tomatoes.
Guacamole Chicken Taquitos
Yield: 28 taquitos
1 orange, juiced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 tablespoons canola oil, divided
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/3 cup minced yellow onion
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
1 7-ounce package Wholly Guacamole
28 corn tortillas
- Mix together orange juice, lime juice, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and 3 tablespoons canola.
- Add to chicken and marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Heat remaining canola oil over medium high heat.
- Remove chicken from marinade. Reserve marinade for later.
- Cook chicken for 3 minutes on one side. Flip over and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add reserved marinade, turn heat to low, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Uncover, and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes.
- Shred chicken into a separate pan. Coat with a little of the reduced sauce – don’t use all of it or the taquitos will be oily.
- Mix chicken with guacamole, cilantro and onion.
- Warm tortillas, between wet paper towels, in the microwave (about 5 at a time), or by dipping them into a hot pan with a few tablespoons of oil.
- Add about 2 tablespoons filling to each tortilla. Roll up and skewer with a toothpick to hold it together.
- For best results, prepare deep fryer according to manufacturer’s instructions, and fry in batches for 2 minutes. When all taquitos have been fried, warm them up in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.
These game day recipes will score big with the crowd at your house. You can find more delicious ways to homegate at www.eatwholly.com.
(Family Features)
