My Game Day Spread Timeline From Prep to Kickoff

A game day spread timeline works backward from kickoff, spacing out shopping, prep and cooking so hot dips and wings come out of the oven right as guests arrive instead of an hour early.

BBQ chicken sliders on golden buns arranged on a white platter, illustrating a game day food spread planning guide.

This is the schedule I use for hosting, plus how much dip, wings and drinks to plan per guest so nothing runs out at halftime.

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Jump To

How Much to Plan Per Guest
Two Days Before
The Day Before
Game Day, Working Backward From Kickoff
What I Put on the Game Day Table
Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
Crock Pot Jalapeno Popper Dip
Swicy Honey Garlic Wings
Easy Chicken Sliders Recipe
3 Ingredient Taco Dip With Cream Cheese
Game Day Spread Questions
More Recipe Collections
💬 Comments

How Much to Plan Per Guest

Dip: half a cup per person if it is one of several dishes.
Wings or wing style bites: six to eight pieces per person.
Chips or crackers: two to three ounces per person for scooping.
Drinks: three to four per person for a three to four hour game.

👩‍🍳 You'll find the complete list of ingredients below the recipe card.

Two Days Before

Shop for everything shelf stable and frozen.
Make any dip that tastes better after the flavors sit, like a spinach or bean dip.

The Day Before

Marinate or sauce wings and refrigerate.
Assemble baked dips through the point of adding the topping, then cover and chill.
Chop vegetables for a crudite platter and store them in water.

Game Day, Working Backward From Kickoff

Two hours before: set out room temperature items like chips, crackers and the crudite platter.
One hour before: put the wings in the oven or fryer, since they take the longest.
Thirty minutes before: bake the dip so it comes out hot right as kickoff approaches.
Fifteen minutes before: refresh ice in drink coolers and set out plates and napkins.
At kickoff: pull the dip and wings, plate everything, and enjoy the game.

What I Put on the Game Day Table

Pair the timeline above with a few make ahead favorites. These are the ones I make every year.

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip, which stays warm in the slow cooker for the whole game.

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip

This Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip is creamy, cheesy, and spicy—perfect for game day or parties! Super easy with just 6 ingredients and minimal prep.

MAKE THE RECIPE

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip in Slow Cooker.

Crock Pot Jalapeno Popper Dip, the other dip that holds on the warm setting for hours.

Crock Pot Jalapeno Popper Dip

This Crock Pot Jalapeno Popper Dip is a quick, easy, and creamy party favorite. Perfectly cheesy, warm, and loaded with bacon and jalapenos, it is the ultimate dump-and-go appetizer.

MAKE THE RECIPE

Swicy Honey Garlic Wings, cooked in the air fryer in batches while the dips heat up.
Cheesy Sheet Pan Nachos, built ahead and baked right before kickoff.

Swicy Honey Garlic Wings

Crispy air fryer chicken wings tossed in a sticky, sweet-and-spicy (swicy) honey garlic gochujang glaze. No deep fryer needed.

MAKE THE RECIPE

Easy Chicken Sliders, assembled ahead and warmed through just before serving.
Bacon Wrapped Smokies, always the first thing to disappear.

Easy Chicken Sliders Recipe

The barbecue chicken sliders is a simple recipe with so much flavor from the barbecue sauce, cheese, tangy red onions, and a garlic butter topping. If you are searching for an easy dinner or an appetizer for your next gathering you are going to love this recipe.

MAKE THE RECIPE

3 Ingredient Taco Dip, a cold dip you can make the night before.

3 Ingredient Taco Dip With Cream Cheese

This Taco Dip with cream cheese is a quick, meatless crowd-pleaser! It's ready in just 5 minutes with only 3 main ingredients and your favorite toppings. This kind of dip is perfect for parties, holidays, movie nights, or game-day get-togethers!

MAKE THE RECIPE

For even more ideas, my full list of game day appetizers has over 40 crowd pleasers.

Game Day Spread Questions

How do I keep dips warm during a long game?

A slow cooker on the warm setting holds dips at serving temperature for hours without drying them out. For baked dips without a slow cooker, plan to reheat in ten minute bursts between quarters.

What should I make ahead versus fresh?

Cold dips, marinated wings and chopped vegetables all hold well made ahead. Anything meant to be hot and crisp, like baked wings or a bubbling dip, is best cooked close to serving time.

How many appetizers do I need for a game that runs several hours?

Plan for people to eat over the whole game, not just at kickoff. Two to three different dishes with the per person amounts above cover a three to four hour game without constant refilling.

Work backward from kickoff using this schedule, and the hot food lands right when everyone is hungry instead of sitting out getting cold.