Fall is in the air. This means lots of things – shorter days, cooler temperatures, sweaters. For most people, it also means logging hours cheering for a favorite football team. It always feels like a bit of a shameful confession to let people in on the secret that I don’t watch sports very often. When asked about my insights or opinions on certain teams (football or otherwise), I’ve taken to saying “I’m not much of a sporty spice.” This silly description tends to disarm people, letting them know that I get that not being a sports fan puts me in the minority. Even though I can’t engage in your Monday morning quarterbacking at the water cooler, we can still be friends. Right?

I am also very quick to let them know that even though I do not really understand the minutiae of what is happening on the screen, I still very much want to be invited to the viewing party. People are often surprised to know that in college I was a season ticket holder for both football and basketball games. Why, you might ask? Well, what could be better for a raging extrovert like me than a stadium full of people to talk to? I could catch up with old friends, meet new ones and grab a snack. On occasion, I even watched a few minutes of the game, cheering when appropriate and taking on a hang dog expression when everyone else did.

It is now a rare occurrence for me to attend a sporting event live, but I still love a gathering of friends, and any snacks I make and consume are worlds better than stadium cotton candy or nachos. True friends understand that my interest in sports isn’t really about sports, but most of them also know that an invitation to a watch party means I will bring something tasty along to share. Sure, I might have to be shushed when I try to strike up a conversation during a critical moment in the game, but everyone will eat better if I am there.

I have nothing against the ubiquitous chips and salsa that seems to be required at any sports-viewing party, but having me in attendance generally means there will be a little more variety on the snack table. At the same time, I am a firm believer that game day eats need not be fancy – a great snack for a football game should be simple and a little reminiscent of a childhood treat like sticky Cracker Jacks or a salty hot dog. But taking those flavors and infusing them with elevated quality and little more time than the average stadium vendor means you end up with something really good and really crowd pleasing.

The recipe I’ve shared here is one of my favorites for lots of reasons: it is an almost perfect balance of salty and sweet, it can be made quickly, and its ingredients are readily available. Pecans are the star of the show, so use nuts that are fresh, but because they are bathed in a sweet and savory sauce, there’s no need to get anything particularly special. Nuts from the baking aisle or the snack aisle at the grocery store will work just fine. I love to serve this with sturdy crackers, which can hold the dip without crumbling, but because there is a generous amount of butter here, sliced baguette would be delicious, as would tart slices of Granny Smith apples.

In this dish there are hints of caramel corn in the sweet, buttery, nutty sauce, while a dash of mustard pairs with garlic and onion in the cream cheese base to create something deliciously crave-worthy. So, grab a cracker and load it up. Then, wait for a really important play and sneak back to the table for two or three more. Trust me, no one will ever know.

Game day dip

• 1 8-ounce brick cream cheese, at room temperature
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp spicy brown mustard
• Crackers, sliced baguette, or apple slices for serving

Using a hand mixer, place the cream cheese in a small mixing bowl and thoroughly blend with the garlic powder and onion powder. Gently pat the mixture onto the desired serving plate into a roughly circular shape. In a microwave-safe dish, melt the butter. Stir the brown sugar, pecans, Worcestershire sauce and spicy brown mustard into the butter until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is well combined. Pour the nut mixture over the cream cheese and serve with crackers, baguette, or apples.

 

 

Article and photo by Lisa Crockett