Wings, Potato Skins and Sausage Balls: 3 Super Easy Super Bowl (Or Anytime) Appetizer Recipes To Try This Weekend!

I love an excuse to cook appetizer food!  I don’t care about who is playin in the Super Bowl; but I do care about what is available for me to snack on during the game.  Today, I wanted to share 3 easy appetizers that anyone can make:  sausage balls, wings and potato (tater) skins.

I don’t mean to brag, but I am pretty famous for my sausage balls.  Haha!  I would love to say it is because of my talent, but I am pretty sure it is because of the sausage itself.  The key to great sausage balls is two things:  great quality sausage and thick shredded sharp cheddar cheese.  I am totally biased, but I pick up all of my sausage, and all of my meat from my local butcher, M&M Meatlocker.  If you are local, you should give them a try.  They make their sausage in house and it is fabulous!  If you aren’t local, try to find your local butcher, I am sure you can tell a difference.

The other secret is the thick cut cheddar.  I think because it is thicker it is more flavorful when it is mixed.  Every time I have used the finely shredded they just taste off.  Bisquick used to make a 3 cheese mix that I can’t find anywhere anymore.  It made the absolute best.  If I ever find it again, I am getting a whole case.  LOL! Here is my quick and easy recipe for sausage balls:

Sausage Balls

1 lb Fresh Hot or Mild Sausage

1 cup Bisquick

2 cups Thick Cut Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Allow your sausage to sit out for 15 minutes or so to make it easier to mix. Put it in a bowl and add the Bisquick and cheese.  Mix with your hands and kneed until everything is well blended.  Roll into balls and place on a broiler pan.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until brown.  Serve warm.

I wish I could say I am a pro at making wings.  But alas, it is not something I have perfected.  For some reason, I always feel intimidated by them.  I don’t have a smoker, so I tend to think I can’t make them at home like an expert.  One day soon, I hope I can get my friend to film a tutorial with me.  He is the best at making them and has all the fancy pellet grills and smokers.

Since I don’t have the equipment I started to wonder if there was a way I could make some tender and juicy wings at home in my crock pot.  So I did some experimenting and I have to say, they are pretty darn good.  They have good flavor and are fall off the bone tender.  If you are looking for a simple, no fuss way to make them at home, this might just be one you love!  It is an easy appetizer for sure.

Savory and Sweet Pineapple Wings

2-3 pounds of fresh, whole chicken wings

2 cups of pineapple juice

Urban Accents Brazilian Barbeque Sauce (to taste)

Place the fresh wings in the bottom of a crock pot, cover with the pineapple juice and cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Once cooked, carefully remove from the crock pot and place on a lined baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Brush with the bbq sauce and finish on the grill or in the oven until the sauce is warm.  Serve with blue cheese or ranch for dipping.

I am a total carb lover.  And taters are one of my favorite things.  I like them mashed, fried, baked…pretty much any way you can make them.  For parties, I love to make potato skins.  They are easy and a crowd pleaser.  You can add anything you want to them as well and customize them with a topping bar if you want.  My full recipe is below.

Cheesy Bacon Tater Skins

7-9 Baking Potatoes

Kosher Salt

Olive Oil

2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese (or cheese of your choice)

1/2 lb Bacon (pan fried and crumbled)

Toppings of your choice such as sour cream, chives, ranch dressing, butter, etc

Wash the potatoes and let dry.  Pierce the skin with a knife or fork.  Coat the potatoes in olive oil and sprinkle generously with kosher.  Place on a lined cookie sheet and bake at 450 until tender.  Remove from oven and cut potatoes in half.  Allow to cool and then scoop out some of the potato center with a spoon, creating a well in the center.  Add a little pat of butter if you like, fill with cheese, top with bacon and place back in the oven until the cheese melts.  Top with all the fixings from your topping bar.

I would love to know what are your go to recipes for easy appetizers?  And if you try these, please let me know if you like them!  I hope that you all can enjoy these recipes with your family to celebrate the Super Bowl.  Just remember to stay safe and keep your gatherings small.  🙂  Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and visit my blog today.  I appreciate you all!

*Original post January 2020, it has been updated and recirculated Feb 2021