Game-day food has a different job from dinner. It has to be ready before kickoff, stay good for three or four hours, and let the host watch the game instead of standing at the stove. The answer is a short menu built around one pot that cooks itself, a few dishes that are happy to wait, and a plan for what comes out when.
Build the menu around the clock
Start with one hot main that holds well. Chili is the obvious choice for a reason: it improves as it sits, it goes from the slow cooker straight to the bowl, and guests can build their own with toppings. Around it, add two or three sides that do not need the oven at kickoff, such as a crunchy cabbage slaw, a big tray of cut vegetables with a yogurt dip, and a pan of cornbread baked in the morning.
Then plan a second wave for halftime. A fresh tray of something different does more for a long afternoon than refilling the same bowls, and it gives the kitchen a natural point to tidy up.
Slow-Cooker Beef and Bean Chili
Serves 10 to 12
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions, chopped
- 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 pounds ground beef, or half beef and half ground turkey
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes
- 3 cans (15 ounces each) kidney, pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup beef stock or water
- 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- To serve: shredded cheddar, sour cream, sliced scallions, pickled jalapeños, lime wedges
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions and peppers until soft, about 8 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Push the vegetables to the side, add the beef in batches and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Pour off most of the fat.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano and paprika and cook for a minute so the spices bloom.
- Scrape everything into a 7-quart slow cooker, or split it between two smaller ones. Add the tomatoes, beans, stock and salt and stir. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4.
- Stir in the vinegar, taste for salt, then switch the cooker to warm for serving.
Set the toppings out in small bowls next to the cooker with a ladle and a stack of mugs as well as bowls. Mugs are easier to hold on a couch.
Keeping a spread safe for four quarters
A table that sits out all afternoon needs a little attention. The USDA advises keeping hot food at 140°F or above and not leaving perishable food out for more than two hours, or one hour when it is above 90°F, as at a sunny tailgate. Its page on the temperature danger zone explains why. In practice, that means leaving the chili on the warm setting, putting cold dishes out in smaller bowls, and swapping them for fresh ones from the fridge at halftime rather than topping up a bowl that has been out since kickoff.
A plan for the host
- The day before: chop the onions and peppers, mix the slaw dressing, and clear fridge space for the halftime trays.
- In the morning: bake the cornbread, brown the meat, and start the slow cooker.
- An hour before kickoff: set out the toppings, plates, mugs and more napkins than seem necessary.
- At halftime: swap the cold trays, stir the chili, and bring out the second wave.
One more item belongs on that list, and it has nothing to do with food: check where the game is actually on. Baseball, basketball and hockey games are often carried by a regional sports network rather than a regular channel, and which one has your team depends on where you live, so a quick look before guests arrive saves a scramble at the first pitch or tip-off. This explainer covers which channel actually carries your team’s local games and what changes when you are watching away from home.
Leftover chili freezes well. Cool it quickly in shallow containers before it goes into the freezer, and it makes an easy weeknight dinner later in the month.
