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Football Friday nights, gameday Saturdays and NFL Sundays are here. Football is back and everything feels right in the world, if only for four sacred quarters. The return of football to our stadiums and screens is a welcome one, but arguably more dear to our hearts (and taste buds) is the return of football finger foods. We love a good game as much as the next guy, but a well-executed tailgate party has been known to bring a tear to these eyes. We’ve pulled together recipes for three exceptionally tasty game day crowd pleasers that you can make all season long this fall. Since high-fiber flour is the name of our game, these recipes are all secretly healthier than their traditional all purpose flour counterparts, with no sacrifices made on the flavor. Everyone will come out a winner once they get their hands on these delicious finger foods. It’s game time!

These mouthwatering wings are made with all the flavor and crunch you’re used to in a chicken wing, but without the need of a smelly deep fryer. If you don’t have an air fryer yet...it’s time. These wings can be prepared in the oven, but the versatility and cooking quality that’s possible with an in-home air fryer is just *chef’s kiss* wonderful. The slight, smokey flavor lies in the breading: a combo of flour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. If you’re making a big batch of these chicken wings for halftime, they can be eaten as-is, per the recipe, but once they’re out of the air fryer, they’re also primed to be tossed into a bowl of your favorite sauce to coat them in the flavor of your choice. Chuck them back in the air fryer for an additional 2-3 minutes to get that characteristic glaze to seal in all your flavors and you’ll be good to go. Juicy, breaded, dry rubbed, saucy, sweet or savory, chicken wings a la air fryer is a guaranteed W.

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Crispy on the edges, golden on top, moist yet crumbly, this from-scratch cornbread is packed with flavor and begging to be slathered with a heaping pat of butter and a side of chili. Beyond the high fiber flour from Flourish and a high quality cornmeal, the most important ingredient in this cornbread recipe is the cast iron skillet. A preheated cast iron skillet is the key to get that sizzling, buttery, crispy, crumbly edge all the way around. You’ll know you’re on the right track when you hear that sizzle as you pour the batter into the skillet. If you’re headed to a tailgate, chili cookoff or backyard BBQ to take in the big game, showing up with this delicious homemade cornbread in hand is a surefire way to win over the good graces of your fellow fans. 
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The international sandwich of self-respecting tailgates the world over, the secret to these ham and cheese sliders is the subtly sweet, homemade Hawaiian rolls that bookend these bite-sized sandwiches. If you’ve ever made a quick run to the store between plays to restock on bevs and snacks, you’ve no doubt passed the alluring orange packages of King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls, taunting you with their fragrant, citrusy scent and glistening buns peaking out at you, daring you to walk by without snatching a bag to take on home. And I’ll be honest, it’s a fight I gladly lose. Those things are delicious and I love them. But now, armed with this homemade Hawaiian sweet roll recipe, we can all make those bad boys at home and honestly, they’re the real deal. The pineapple juice and buttermilk are the keys to this recipe, with all the other ingredients being basic pantry staples that you’ve probably already got on hand. The dough has to prove two times, each for 60-90 minutes, so make sure you plan ahead for this one to avoid a two-minute drill where the whole family is loaded up and ready to head out and you’re chained to the kitchen waiting for the bread to rise. The melt-in-your-mouth bread is then coated with a touch of honey butter to supply the alluring sheen that’ll carry your sliders to sweet, sweet victory.

The only secret in our playbook is that our high fiber flour results in finished baked goods lower in net carbs and higher in flavor than your average APF. You’re going to enjoy your snacks regardless if kickoff is at noon or it’s a night game, so you might as well partake in the goods with the kicker of a sneaky little flour that delivers an extra dose of fiber this season. We’ll call it a new game day tradition, and that’s the real win.

Cheers to you!

Your Team At Flourish Flour