Finger foods are the name of the game for any good football party—who wants to fool with forks and spoons and bowls? To that end, here are five wild-game finger food recipes we’re looking forward to serving at our next football-watching party.
Photo: themeateater.com
Flamin’ Hot Pheasant Sticks
Wings are the quintessential football food, but at your wild-game-themed party, try switching things up with Meat Eater’s recipe for flamin’ hot pheasant sticks. The recipe is for an entire bird, cut up, but if you’ve got an abundance of pheasants or any other game birds in the freezer (or just wings you’ve been saving all season), you can use any parts you like—I’m betting it would even work well with squirrel. These wings are hardly traditional, coated in Flaming Hot Cheetos to give them crunch and keep the meat moist while they fry, but what a fun way to spice things up. Head’s up: They do need a little marinating time, so you’ll have to start a few hours before kick-off.
Photo: sportingchef.com
Turkey Spring Rolls
Spring rolls are a non-messy finger food with almost universal appeal, and if you happen to still have some of last year’s spring turkey in your freezer, Scott Leysath’s wild turkey spring rolls can add a ton of flavor to your big-game menu (no pun intended). Scott even recommends using the thigh meat, which makes these a great way to use up those parts of the turkey we’re sometimes not sure what to do with. You will need a grinder, which is a smart investment if you don’t already own one; even a manual crank model will work for small amounts of meat like this. The spring rolls are a little labor-intensive—all those julienned vegetables, plus having to wrap and seal the rolls—but they sure look work the effort, don’t they?
Photo: honest-food.net
Goose Tacos
Who can say no to a taco? And if you struggle to find new ways to prepare goose meat, these wild goose tacos from renowned wild-game chef Hank Shaw can help you clean out the freezer and feed an army of hungry football fans. This is not only a recipe, but also an instruction on traditional taco construction. Hank cooks the thinly sliced, marinated goose breasts on a Mexican flat top called a comal, with a bacon press to keep them smashed flat—but I’m thinking I’d use my Blackstone griddle or a screaming hot cast iron skillet on the stovetop. Click around the links in the recipe to find more of Hank’s taco tips regarding tortillas, toppings and more.
Photo: fourkidsandachicken.com
Grilled Rabbit Bites
While the fryer and the stovetop or griddle are busy with the previous recipes, send someone out to man the grill and cook these rabbit bites from fourkidsandachicken.com. This is a very versatile recipe of the wrap-it-in-bacon-and-grill-it variety (it’s a classic for a reason), and you could use almost any wild game, depending on what you have in the freezer. With just three ingredients, it’s a simple crowd-pleaser. Personally, I’d marinade the meat the night before and do all the wrapping and securing the morning of the game, to save on last-minute prep time.
Photo: primalpioneer.com
Loaded Venison Queso Dip
What’s a party without a good dip? This loaded venison queso from Primal Pioneer takes the standard Velveeta-and-Rotel dip we all know and love and amps it up several notches with the addition of pepper jack, beans, beer and ground venison. It’s a true one-pot recipe, all cooked and served in a cast iron skillet for extra flair—but depending on how many people you’re serving, you could do it in a Dutch oven or even prep it ahead of time and keep it warm in a slow cooker. If you’re like me, you probably have more ground venison in the freezer than anything else, and this is a great way to use it up and get your non-hunting friends to try venison.
