Hot Dogs, Burgers and Buns, Oh My! Game Day Done Right!

What’s bigger than the biggest football game of the year? How about the appetites of the mob of friends and family you invited over to watch the game!

While the athletes are out on the field, your favorite football fans will be working up an appetite. Make sure you’re prepared to feed a hungry crowd with these six Pepperidge Farm® SUPER BIG Game Day Recipes. We guarantee no guest will go hungry if you use these tips and tricks specially designed for cooking for large parties.

Grab your favorite Pepperidge Farm® products, like the Side Sliced Hot Dog Buns or the Sweet Hawaiian Slider Buns, and whip up a batch of mouthwatering Meatball Sub Bites and Sheet Pan Sliders. You can even save space on the grill by using our helpful hack for cooking hot dogs in a slow cooker!

Whether you’re rooting for your favorite team or just a lover of the game, make sure all of your guests leave full with the Pepperidge Farm® SUPER BIG Game Day Recipes!

Sheet Pan Sliders

Makes 12 sliders 

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs ground beef
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 12 slices cheddar cheese
• 1 bottle chipotle mayonnaise (or mix mayo with your favorite hot sauce)
• 1 bag Pepperidge Farm® Bakery Classics Sweet Hawaiian Sliders

Preparation: 

1. Preheat the oven to a high broil (500-550 degrees fahrenheit).
2. Place the ground beef on a rimmed baking sheet (roughly 11×17”) and roll out the meat with a rolling pin, or press it with your hands until it fully fills the baking sheet with an even thickness. Season with the salt and pepper and broil until the top forms a dark, sizzling crust.
3. Remove the baking sheet from the oven carefully and pour off any liquid into the sink, place the baking sheet on a heat proof surface. Switch the oven to a bake setting of 400 degrees fahrenheit.
4. Cover the meat completely with cheese slices, place a rack over the burger meat and place the buns on the top of the rack in an even layer. Place the baking sheet with rack back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the buns are toasted.
5. Remove from the oven, set the bun rack to the side and using a pizza cutter or a knife, cut the burger meat into evenly sized squares that are similar to the size of the buns. Place the burger squares inside each bun and top with chipotle mayo or serve with a bowl of chipotle mayo on the side.

Slow Cooker Hot Dogs for a Crowd

Ingredients:

• Hot Dogs
• Water
• Pepperidge Farm® Bakery Classics Top Sliced White Hot Dog Buns
• Condiments of your choice

Preparation:

1. Turn your slow cooker to high and add the hot dogs to the pot vertically (if you have a large amount of them) or horizontally (if you have a smaller amount of them).
2. Add water until it reaches 2 inches in depth at the bottom of the pot.
3. Cover and cook until the hot dogs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees fahrenheit (using a meat thermometer) or until they’re piping hot inside and out.
4. Place the cooked hot dogs inside the buns and top with your favorite condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, hot sauce, pepperoncini, bacon, guacamole, relish, jalapenos, cheese sauce, chili, etc)! Serve immediately.

Meatball Sub Bites 

Makes 30-36 bites 

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder (optional)
• 2 teaspoons onion powder (optional)
• 45 oz jar tomato sauce (your favorite brand)
• 2 lbs shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 packs Pepperidge Farm® Bakery Classics Side Sliced Hot Dog Buns

Preparation: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Mix together the beef, salt, pepper, garlic powder (if using) and onion powder (if using) until just combined. Don’t overmix as this will make the meatballs tough.
3. Form the meat into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each meatball (use 2 baking sheets if you need to).
4. Bake in the oven until golden brown and cooked through with no pink meat in the middle (or 165 degrees fahrenheit in the center using a meat thermometer).
5. Meanwhile, heat up the sauce in a saucepan until hot.
6. Place 3 cooked meatballs on each hot dog bun and top with hot tomato sauce and then cheese.
7. Cut each meatball sub into thirds so there’s a meatball in each bite-sized serving. Serve on a platter with a small bowl of extra sauce for dipping. Enjoy while they’re hot.

Butter Burgers

Makes 8 burgers 

Ingredients: 

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 slices
• 1 bag Pepperidge Farm® Bakery Classics Sesame Hamburger Buns
• Condiments and toppings of your choice

Preparation:

1. Place a cast iron or stainless steel pan over medium high heat. Form the ground meat into 8 patties and season evenly with the salt and pepper.
2. Cook the burgers on the hot pan 1 or 2 at a time, pressing a slice of butter into the center of each one once it’s placed down on the pan. Cook the burgers for 3-4 minutes on the first side and 3-4 minutes on the opposite side.
3. Serve the burger patties, condiments and toppings on a platter alongside the buns and allow guests to build their own burgers.

Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwiches 

Makes 8 sandwiches

Ingredients: 

• 2 quarts vegetable oil
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 egg whites
• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup sriracha hot sauce
• ½ head red cabbage, shredded
• ½ head green cabbage, shredded
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 bag Pepperidge Farm® Bakery Classics Sesame Hamburger Bun

Preparation: 

1. Heat the oil in a medium sized pot over medium-low heat until it reaches 350 degrees fahrenheit. Meanwhile, cut each chicken breast in half diagonally towards the cutting board so that you’re cutting through the fattest part of the meat into 2 evenly sized pieces. Pound the chicken to half-inch thickness if you’d like it thinner. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and cornstarch. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg whites.
3. Prepare a baking sheet with a rack on top. Dip a piece of chicken in the buttermilk mixture, lift it out without letting excess batter drip off and place it promptly in the flour mixture, coating both sides and then transfer the chicken to the rack. Repeat with each piece of chicken and let the pieces sit on the rack for 10 minutes to dry up a little bit.
4. Prepare another clean rack set over a clean baking sheet, or a paper towel-lined plate for the fried chicken. Once the oil is hot, using tongs, carefully lower 1-2 pieces of chicken in the hot oil and cook until deep golden brown. Check the inside of the chicken with a meat thermometer (it should read 165 degrees fahrenheit) or cut into the center and make sure the meat is white throughout and not pink at all. Transfer to the clean rack or plate (do not transfer to the rack with the raw chicken as this will contaminate your cooked chicken). Once all the chicken has been fried, season it all with more salt.
5. Meanwhile, whisk together the mayonnaise and hot sauce in a small bowl and set aside. You can adjust the taste by adding more mayo or more hot sauce depending on how spicy you like it.
6. In a large bowl, toss the shredded red cabbage and shredded green cabbage with the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and remember to toss it again before using.
7. Place a piece of fried chicken on each bottom bun, top with spicy mayo and some cabbage slaw; place the top bun on top. Serve immediately.

French Onion Grilled Cheese Sliders 

Makes 12 sliders 

Ingredients: 

• 2 large yellow onions, peeled, halved and sliced into ¼ inch strips
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt
• 1 bag Pepperidge Farm® Bakery Classics Sweet Hawaiian Sliders
• 24 slices gruyere cheese (you can also use gouda, monterey jack, cheddar or swiss)
• 2 tablespoons picked fresh thyme leaves

Preparation: 

1. Set a large saute pan over medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the onions and a sprinkle of salt and toss frequently. Let cook for about 25-30 minutes, tossing occasionally and adjusting the heat so that the onions are lightly browning, but never searing or burning. Add more oil if the pan gets too dry. Once the onions are deep brown and soft, taste them and add more salt if needed. They should be very sweet from being cooked slowly for a long time. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. In a large baking sheet, place 12 bottoms of the slider buns, cut sides up. Top each bottom bun with a slice of cheese. Spread the cooked onions evenly over each slice of cheese, sprinkle each bun with a bit of thyme and top each bun with another slice of cheese. Place the top buns on all the sliders.
3. Place another baking sheet on top of the sliders. Place a heavy, oven-proof pan on top of the top baking sheet to weigh it down. Place the whole contraption in the oven and bake until the cheese is very gooey and the buns are golden brown. Serve immediately.