Gridiron Grub: Regional Recipes for the NFL Final Four Conference Championship Games!
Unleash your inner foodie with regional recipes that will fuel your NFL conference championship football party! Go deep with Motor City fries, Coney Dogs and Detroit style pizza that’ll knock your socks off, or conquer the West Coast with a variety of Asian dishes from the Bay Area’s renowned Asian communities. Channel your inner Baltimore spirit with Old Bay spiced seafood tacos and wings, or ignite your KC pride with chili cheddar nachos and smoky Kansas City burnt ends that’ll have you performing the famous Arrowhead Chop!
These recipes are the ultimate way to enjoy and celebrate conference championship weekend, rom the diehard fan to the foodie only there to enjoy the classic regional dishes. So look at our recipes and save some time by ordering the ingredients with our Instacart link within our recipe cards and let the NFL fiesta begin!
Score big with these NFL Conference Championship Weekend feasts!
Regional Recipes for AFC Championship Game: Kansas City Chiefs vs Baltimore Ravens
It’s down to the two best teams in the AFC, and we chose a few regional dishes to represent each city.
Kansas City: Start off with chili cheddar nachos using our chili recipe from the link below with a slight change. Substitute the beef in our recipe for pork and make it Kansas City style. Layer the nachos with the chili and cheddar for a pile of chips fit for a Chief! Bonus tip, at the bottom of the plate start with a dollop of soft cheese or crema. By doing this, you guarantee a supply of molten cheese when the pile of nachos gets to the bottom of the plate.
As a second, we recommend Kansas City style burnt ends. At this time, we don’t possess a recipe for this classic midwestern dish that we are comfortable sharing, however, have used this simple recipe from Weber grills in the past with success. Smoked Brisket, when made at home, can be amazing. However, be prepared to accept a 12-15 hour smoke time depending on the size of your brisket and the temperature of your smoker. Check out some solid choices for grills to cook your burnt ends!
Baltimore: Dive into the Bay and grab a few Old Bay-kissed seafood tacos. To make these tacos, start with our seafood taco recipe from the link below and subsitute Old Bay seasoning for the pescado verde rub. Then, if you like spicy wings, choose the fiery old bay blend to create wings so fiery they’ll keep Lamar warm even in the coldest playoff weather. To make these wings, prepare the wings according to our recipe below, just sub in the fiery Old Bay seasoning for the rub and grill as described. Add additional fiery Old Bay while cooking on the grill. The Old Bay seasoning is enough flavor and makes the sauce completely optional.
Shredded Beef Chili con Carne
Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: EasyA simple and delicious chili recipe made with beef and beans in a tomato based sauce.
Seafood Tacos with Grilled Monkfish
Difficulty: EasyA light and delectable seafood taco prepared on your grill. Perfect to up the ante at your Summer BBQ or cookout.
Dr John’s Saucy Grilled Chicken Wings
Difficulty: EasyGrilled wings, crispy and caramelized skin. All the taste without the frying.
Regional Recipes for NFC Championship Game: Detroit Lions vs San Francisco 49’ers
The NFC championship features a newcomer, the Detroi Lions against a team most expected to play in this game, the San Francisco 49’ers. We hope you enjoy these regional dishes we selected to represent each city!
Detroit Lions: This old time blue collar town deserves a variety of simple yet magnificent dishes. To start, you have to go with the Motor City Chili and Cheese Fries. To prepare, make our chili recipe (link above), you will likely have some extra from the chili cheddar nachos made for game one. Simply make some fresh fries, air fry frozen fries or just grab a few orders of fries from a fast food joint. Layer those in a plate, cover with a healthy dose of chili and top with a hefty helping of cheddar. Place in oven until the cheese melts and enjoy!
Still some chili left over? We are going to make a coney. No formal recipe necessary. Simply grill up a hot dog, place it in a soft bun. Top with our chili, chopped onions and yellow mustard.
Finally, let’s make a grilled Detroit style pizza. Our dough recipe yields a soft yet crunchy undercarriage. Top it with a sweet spicy marinara, plenty of cheese, pesto and your choice of toppings. Check out the recipe below!
Homemade Grilled Pizza with Pesto
Difficulty: EasyHomemade pizza that will be better than most average pizzerias. Create a pizza with a crunchy crust, savory topping and a slight flavor of smoke from the grill.
San Francisco: This city has a world renowned Asian population and Chinatown. Let’s make some Asian food! Need a wok, click here for a great selection of woks! Or just check out the woks we have recommended in the equipment section.
To start, let’s make some fried rice. Everyone loves fried rice, but this isn’t just ordinary fried rice. We add kimchi to give it a unique and amazing flavor. If you aren’t familiar with kimchi, you can get it at an Asian market and it has a kick to it. If you don’t like spice, just skip the kimchi in the recipe. We think you will love our kimchi fried rice. This dish blends Chinese and Korean flavors, creating a dish quite different than what you will get for takeout.
Next, let’s make some Thai basil chicken. This is one of the most popular Thai dishes in America. Be forewarned, this recipe is loud, spicy and loaded with garlic and chili peppers. You will have to adjust the spice to your tolerance. If you are looking for something to serve together your guests attention, this is it.
Lastly, let’s go with a basic dish, chicken and shrimp with black bean sauce. Black bean sauce can be a bit salty, so be certain not to use more than suggested in the recipe. This is a dish that isn’t as popular as it should be. Give it a try, we think you will come back for more.
Kimchi Fried Rice with Chicken
Difficulty: EasyClassic fried rice with an added punch. Kimchi adds a powerful punch and nutritional benefit to this popular Asian dish.
Thai Basil Chicken
Difficulty: EasyA simple and fiery dish you thought you could only enjoy at your favorite Thai place. Thai basil chicken is simple, healthy and should be part of your dinner repertoire!
Chicken and Shrimp with Black Bean Sauce
Difficulty: EasyA healthy and simple Asian dish full of flavor!
Championship Weekend Post Game Roundup
Whether you’re rooting for the your favorite team, have a wager, or just love a good party, we’ve got ten touchdown-worthy recipes to fuel your NFL playoffs feast.
Craving classics? Dive into simple nachos smothered in chili, or loaded Motor City chili fries. Feeling fancy? Old Bay seafood tacos burst with light, fresh flavors. Or go global with an Asian smorgasbord of Thai, Chinese, and Korean inspired delights.
Bonus: We’ve got options for health-conscious fans too! So grab your spatula, cheer your team, and let the culinary competition begin!
Enjoy the games and the food! If you prefer shopping, click here to check out the latest movers and shakers on Amazon!
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