Score at your next big game get-together with a menu that will win points with both sports fans and non-sports fans alike.
Let’s face it, it’s all about the food and that holds true whether you’ve assembled for a Saturday night hockey game, a midweek basketball game or a big weekend championship football match.
Munchies make a great pregame show
Dip is a non-negotiable for watching sports. But whip up your own for the game-day experience and you’ll be glad you did. A few of our crowd-pleasing favourite recipes include Roasted Red Pepper Dip, Butternut Squash Hummus, Baked Goat Cheese Dip. They’re classics but each comes with a delicious, savoury twist.
A game day signature cocktail makes a most refreshing sipper for your gathering, too. The requirement: It should be fresh, fruity and effervescent. If there was ever a moment for a big- batch cocktail, this is it.
Our Winter White Wine Sangria recipe fits the bill. It blends apple cider and cranberry juice with crisp white wine, white rum and plenty of fresh fruit and soda. The Winter Red Sangria is based on Merlot, and then generous amounts of fresh fruit, warm baking spices and grapefruit sparkling water are added in. Both versions are super easy to assemble and have a celebratory vibe!
Serve a magical main course
Why not forgo the chicken wings this time around for fare with a little more style and substance? On our lineup of much-loved main course recipes: Pulled Pork With Red Wine BBQ sauce, Blue Cheese Burgers, Chinese Five-Spice Ribs and Red Wine Chili. Whatever recipe you choose to serve, a fresh salad and fresh crusty bread or rolls on the side is all you need to go with it.
On the wine-matching front, these ribs, burgers, pulled pork and chili recipes would all pair perfectly with big, bold reds. A local Baco Noir or Cabernet Franc would be ideal. A Syrah too: Its dark berry and smoky, coffee and spicy notes would complement all of those boldly flavoured dishes. If in doubt, a versatile red blend would also team well.
Wow, them with dessert
For a sweet course to celebrate your game win or boost spirits after a loss, pick a dessert your guests will remember. Our Red Wine Chocolate Bacon Brownies is just the ticket. A classic brownie recipe, this one is enhanced with red wine and then topped with a decadent chocolate and bacon frosting. That’s sweet, savoury and salty: Talk about wow factor.
Icewine would also be a winning combination with this one-of-a-kind brownie.
For non-meat eaters, a casual buffet setup full of sweet choices – think bowls of chocolate bar chunks, wine gummies, caramel popcorn and cookies – caters to every palate in the room. We've also provided wine-matching tips for this high-low dessert in our Junk Food and Wine Pairings article. (And we use the term junk affectionately here.)
Now you have all the makings for a great game-day experience, because we all know what happens off the field, ice or court is just as exciting as what’s going on in the game.
