FOOTBALL + WINE + FOOD

Hey y’all! Wondering what we are drinking and eating during the fall? Well, today we are sharing our favorite pairings for football Saturdays + Sundays! We will be discussing our favorite recipes and our must have wines!Molly here! I love food – I pretty much eat anything and I am willing to try anything once! I tend to eat pretty healthy most of the time, but love to splurge when trying new restaurants, traveling or having friends over on the weekends. I tend to steer clear of dairy most of the time, as I have a mild intolerance. A cheese board is a real treat for me and I usually try to fill it with plenty of fruit and hummus so that I do not eat too much cheese, ha! I am sharing my favorite recipes for Football season below, majority are dairy free, but two contain dairy! Comment and let me know what your favorites are – always down to try a new recipe 🙂

Molly’s Top 10 Football Recipes:

1. Best Buffalo Wings Ever! Just trust me! Oh, and I pair with Tessemae’s Creamy Ranch linked in our Amazon store.
2. Not a fan of buffalo wings? Try the Defined Dish’s Salt + Vinegar Wings!
3. Texas Caviar, it speaks for itself!
4. Jambalaya! The Cajun girl in my craves Jambalaya during football season and the Cajun Ninja delivers with this recipe in the linked video!
5. I am not usually a pork chop fan, but these espresso rub pork chops are to die for!
6. As I mentioned above, I try to steer clear of dairy most of the time, so this guac recipe is my go-to! Paired with the Late July chips linked in our Amazon store! So yummy!
7. Craving Chicken Salad? Try Defined Dish’s Pimento Chicken Salad!
8. Looking for a lighter bite? Try these Roasted Jalapeño Pineapple Chicken bites!
9. Who doesn’t like pizza + wine? Better yet, HBH’s pizza + wine + football!
10. Last but not least, when I do eat cheese, I am drawn to goat cheese or brie! Check out HBH’s Goat Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates with Rosemary Honey!

Molly’s Top 10 Football Wines:

*TOP 5 FOR DAY/WARM GAMES*

1. Rose during the day is necessary for warm games! Check out Cote des Roses, not only is the bottom of the bottle great, but so is the wine!
2. My all time favorite may be this Sauvignon Blanc by Craggy Range!
3. I discovered that I really liked Vinho Verdes while in Portugal. My favorite Vinho Verde!
4. I am not the biggest Chardonnay fan, but this Chardonnay from Chablis that Carina introduced me to is a real gem!
5. 11 o’clock game? Pop the champagne! My all time medium priced Champagne! Although Veuve is a little more than I normally spend per bottle, it is always a good choice!

*TOP 5 FOR NIGHT/COOL GAMES*

1. My go-to Cabernet Sauvignon, Daou! This Cab is very nice, full bodied and smooth! Check it out, you won’t regret it!
2. Another great Cab, Unshackled by The Prisoner! All the greatness of a Prisoner wine at half the price!
3. This Malbec from Argentina is awesome! Making Filets for a night game? Pair them with this El Enemigo Malbec!
4. Making the espresso rubbed pork chops linked above? Pair them with this Meiomi Pinot Noir!
5. My all time favorite and go-to Red Blend for special occasions, The Prisoner!

​Carina here! Although we may be college football enemies- I think Molly and I get along so well because we both love football, food and of course- wine!  You will always find me near the snacks, but I will admit, I am not the best cook so I’m usually the one that brings the wine.  Here are few of my favorite, easy recipes that mostly include cheese.

Carina’s Top 10 Football Recipes:

1. Who doesn’t like queso? Check out the Defined Dish’s Crockpot queso recipe, it’s seriously the BEST!
2. I am ALWAYS in the mood for Mexican & Defined Dish’s Nachos hit the spot!
3. Instant Pot Texas-Style Brisket Tacos! Easy, delicious and pretty quick!
4. This Pimento Cheese recipe takes Pimento Cheese to an entirely new level! This is smoked gouda Pimento Cheese with a little spice. Try it now, thank me later!
5. For all the buffalo chicken and cheese lovers, we have Buffalo Chicken Dip! Personally, I omit the blue cheese, but you do you!
6. Baked Ham and Cheese Hawaiian Rolls with all the flavor! The dijon mustard, the poppy seeds, the dried onions and the Worcestershire sauce – y’all my mouth is watering!
7. Okay, who doesn’t like pizza rolls?! Well, here are some pretty easy to make homemade pizza rolls.
8. Bacon Wrapped Jalapeños? Count me in!
9. Mac N Cheese Balls! Crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside! YUM!
10. 11 o’clock game? Pigs in a Blanket!

Carina’s Top 10 Football Wines:

*TOP 5 FOR DAY/WARM GAMES*

1. I prefer light and crisp Roses, this is one of my go to bottles.
2. Typically, I tend to lean towards Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand, this Giesen is a great one!
3. Another one of our trustworthy Sauvignon Blancs that you can find anywhere is this Nobilo!
4. Okay, who doesn’t like Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc? If you haven’t tried, please do so!
5. The Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc is always great to have on hand!

For night time games, I tend to go with red wines, which happen to be my favorite! I see Molly beat me to some of my favorites already, but don’t worry, I have more!

*TOP 5 FOR NIGHT/COOL GAMES*

1. Such a great bottle from Cotes du Rhone! This one is my absolute go-to lately. 
2. This Juggernaut is a recent discovery for me. A top shelf cab for a mid shelf price!
3. Rioja – 2014 was a great year for this region, if you can find the 2014 of this bottle, grab it fast!
4. ​Recently, I have become interested in IGT Italian Reds. This Ruffino Modus is a good one.
5. Lastly, a red I can always count on to hit the spot is Smith and Hook’s Cab. 

Be sure to share your favorite recipes and wines for football season in the comments! We love trying new recipes and wines! Thanks for stopping by!

-Carina + Molly