10 Great Football Party Ideas BBQ Time

Big Fat Daddy's end of season.

It's that time of year when the fairs and festivals wind down on the East Coast. I know when the football season is here, it's time for me to relax and kick back enjoying some great football parties with my friends and family. When I get asked of things to "bring" or "cook" for the party, I often find myself often thinking of what I was serving at the fair. Here's my ideas for a football party!

Big Fat Daddy's serving traditional Fair food!

Ten Easy Things to Have At Your Football Party (Game Time):

Main Entrees: 

1.  Angus Burgers:  Instead of going with regular old ground beef, find some great quality Angus and pat those patties thick. Sprinkle yoru favorite seasoning on them and top them with barbecue sauce, fried onions and peppers for a texas taste! Buy potato rolls or small size buns, to make the burgers appear even larger than life!

2. Buffalo or Bison Sliders:   Bison is much more expensive but yield is pretty true to size.  Grill up some Bison mini sliders and have your friends wanting more. I love to sprinkle real crumbled blue cheese on top and throw a dash of hot sauce on for a differnet taste.  I use small slider buns for these.

3. Pork BBQ:  Prepare this your favorite way using whatever cut you desire. Add your own touch by adding your favorite sauce!  This is quick and easy to reheat for the party, and if you have leftovers great to take to work the next day!  Small to medium sandwich rolls will help you guests sample a bit of everything!

4.  Beef BBQ:   A different version of a tradional dish, try making your favorite pork bbq recipe but by using beef. If you don't have time to grill or broil, you can simmer down a chunk of top round or rump roast to pull for this!  Serve with small to medium rolls so your guests may not fill up on just one thing!

5.  Dinner Roll Sausages:    We love getting Hatfield's rope sausage and pre cutting them into portions, and tossing in fresh grilled onions and peppers.  We slice these in 3" strips diagonally so they are just about long enough to hang off of a dinner roll.  Why fill up on steak or sausage rolls when you can use dinner rolls and get a great taste of sausage without all that bread?  Small enough to eat a few and big enough to satisfy your craving for sausage!

Football grilling aprons are a must. Get them here DomesticDivaz on Etsy, $35.

Drinks, Desserts and Sides Items: 

My team colors are represented here by the Party Fairy, 30 straws, $5

6.  Straws:  Attention to small details will get you big points with the kids and ladies in your party. Anyone who isn't drinking beer will want to try a team straw.  These are easy to find on Etsy, and you can stock up on your favorite team colors. The set above, is for the Baltimore Ravens! 

These Ice Ball Molds are here on Amazon! I love them!

7.   Ice Balls are a must-have at a winter Football party!  These are made ahead of time from easy to use molds, then individually sat into a team ice bucket. The balls are 2.5" across and bob around in your favorite team glass. This keeps the need for ice down in drinks.  Get the Ice Ball Molds here. Did I mention this is a great conversation piece?

TulleandTwig on Etsy offers these download the pattern  for $2.99

8.  Chips, Peanuts, Pretzels:  To cut back on overeating of snacks, try serving them in  these little "football" snack trays. You can download the pattern to your computer on Etsy and have your wife and kids making them up ahead of time! Buy Download here.

Sweet Stephanies offers 9 chocoloate covered football cookies for $9

9.   Football Cookies :   Simple Oreos have been transformed into footballs then dipped in chocolate. If you don't want to make your own you can find them, special order 9 for $9 at SweetStephanies on Etsy.

Football cupcake toppers, you can eat them, $20 at KonopaseksKrazyCakes

10. Cupcakes:   I love to cheat on these and if we don't have time to whip them up simply get store bought, but the kicker here is that you can eat the footballs. Unlike the plastic picks, these are actually made of edible fondant and available at the store above!

 You will be the talk of the party, even if your team does lose.....

You may also enjoy reading my BBQ Party Ideas. 

Did you hear that Hogging Up is coming to West Virginia?

Barbecue Party Grilling Tips and Party Hints

Soon we will be grilling it up at our own shindig.

Party Time
This year we are planning our first annual barbecue party for our closest friends and family. At the end of our busy season, we want to kick back and relax at the farm compound with a band, some good old fashioned pork BBQ, great contests, and maybe even play some football or have a backyard cookoff. A lot of people write in and ask for Grilling Tips for a home party, never knowing how much food to order.

Home Party Grilling Tips
In my experience, when the average cookout only lasts a few hours, people on average, eat six to seven ounces of meat each. The reason being, they will make a decent size (maybe even heaping) sandwich the first time through the party line, which consists of a roll or bread, grab some side items, a drink, and snacks. Now, if they are big eaters, they maybe come back through to the food once. You have to factor in the some will eat more, some will eat less rule.  If you have burgers, pit beef, and hot dogs, you don't necessarily have to figure in one of each per person.  We also find that when people consume alcohol, they generally eat less.  Now this will change if you have an all day into the night party,  you had better grill for the masses.  They will be eating grub with you all day long.

Party Mayhem
Now my wife stresses over the tiny details and has found these great five things I wanted to share with you.

These cow ice trays are only $3.69 each at LovelyMold on Etsy.

1. Cow or Bull Ice Cube Trays 
The first thing is the ice cube trays as pictures above.  These take the cake. My wife is going to be busy for a month making tiny ice cows and bulls with silicone molds (above) in the shape of little cows.  We listed these first because you can only make four at a time, so get freezing.

Thanks to Sweet Magnolia Design on Etsy for having such kick ass invitations.

2. Invitations
A good old country BBQ invitation is a great way to make a good first impression. Now my wife is an artist so she did up her own but if we hadn't, we would have gotten these off Etsy at Sweet Magnolia Design. They can personalize them just the way you want them.  Hell Yeah.

Source: cake-links.com via Cindy on Pinterest

3. Sweet Treats to Eat 

You have to make a cake, in fact there are plenty of recipes where people are making hickory maple cakes or adding in barbecue sauce now to get a really cool flavor. For our barbecue party we may go with a cow cake, a state of Texas cake since we sell big ass Texas Beef, or maybe just a bunch of little cupcakes with cool toppers like the ones we found over at  Cake Links, the cake decorating supplies specialist .  These folks are out of Christchurch!

They stock Cake Decorating tools and equipment, including Cake Toppers, Icing Cutters, Sugarpaste, Modelling Paste, Modelling Tools, Cupcake Decorations, Boards, Boxes and Ribbon. Basically everything you would expect in a cake makers aladin's cave and more! They pride ourselves on offering a first class service to all our many customers. They  have a fantastic product range which they are always adding new innovations, and trends!

Patty out of Illinois on Etsy makes these for just $12 at alpacapatty

4. Costumes and Fun Stuff

What a great way to embarrass your friends or wait til a few beers kick in and dress up like pigs and cows. Oh yeah, have to have some costumes and mascots going on at the farm party.  If you don't feel like getting a Halloween costume and dressing like a pig or cow, have your old faithful bff do it.

Thank heavens for Little Dog Fashion on Etsy, where we can let the costume task go to the dogs!

Of course I'm not talking hubby or wife, but the family dog.  We've seen everything from three little pigs costumes for your dog to a bull mascot.  If your little buddy can handle it let him run around and spread some piggy or cow love and cheer at your barbecue party.

Signs are essential. Go to TrueConnection on Etsy to see more!

5.  Signs and Decorations
What would a party be without signs and decorations? If you don't feel like making them yourself, here are plenty places to buy them. Signs like the one above can be used for just about any party.   They don't have to cost a lot but they are essential to your party!