Foods For Your Next Football Party

It's fall, and that means one thing-football! For some sports fans, this is their favorite time of year because they get a free pass to do silly things like dancing around with numbers painted on their chests. They also get to take part in a ritual known as 'tailgating'-eating junk food out of the back of someone's truck, playing loud music and drinking lots of beer. Even if you don't actually go to games, though, there are plenty of opportunities to get together with friends and watch the game from the comfort of your living room. Regardless of where you watch, here are some recipes to make things that much more fun for everyone.

First, you've got to have an awesome dip. Here is a simple recipe for chili dip that can be made in a matter of minutes.

Easy Chili Con Queso Dip

2 15-oz cans of chili without beans

1 2-lb loaf of processed cheese food

chili powder to taste

Basically, just melt the cheese in a saucepan over medium-low heat, add the chili and chili powder and you're done!

As you probably know, no football party is complete without at least one type of baby back ribs. They take a long time to make but, trust me, they're worth the wait!

Apple and Barbecue Sauce Baby Back Ribs

4 cups baby back pork ribs

4 cups barbecue sauce

4 cups applesauce

Salt, to taste

Garlic powder, to taste

Black Pepper, to taste

Cayenne pepper, to taste

Mix the applesauce and barbecue sauce together in a bowl. Then, spread out a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and place the ribs. When you've rubbed the spices into the ribs and covered them with sauce, seal them in the foil and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours overnight.

Preheat the grill to high and place the ribs (still in the foil) on the grate and cook for about 1 hour. Take the ribs out of the foil and put them back on the grate to cook for another 30 minutes, coating frequently with the sauce. When they're done, enjoy! Just be sure to put some aside for yourself before you serve it to the others because, trust me, they'll go fast!

Like any get-together, you're going to want something sweet to snack on. Cakes and cupcakes are great but, when you've got this much commotion going on, it's probably better to have something a little less messy. This is something that is chocolatey but won't stain your carpet as much if the bowl is knocked over.

Puppy Chow

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups milk chocolate chips (semi-sweet may work too)

½ cup butter

1 pound confectioners' sugar

1 17.5-oz package crispy rice and corn cereal

Just melt the butter, peanut butter and chocolate together. Then, pour the mixture over the cereal and toss until coated. Now, put the cereal in a large paper sack, add the confectioners' sugar and shake the bag well. Serve in a bowl.

Your hands might get sticky, so put out plenty of napkins!

Now you have a few great recipes for your next tailgating party or get-together. Have fun!