Game on, Seafoodies!
Thanksgiving week comes with two guaranteed traditions: a table that takes days to plan and a rivalry game that takes over the living room. The turkey gets all the attention, but the real hosting test happens on the couch, when a houseful of relatives, neighbors and college friends home for the holiday all show up hungry at kickoff. Our advice is to treat the game like the party it is, and we’ve got the hacks (and 15 seafood recipes) to make it the easiest one you host all year.
Hack 1
Prep like it’s a four-quarter game, because it is. Nobody wants to miss the second half standing over a stove. Make-ahead dips are your first-quarter heroes—Smoked Salmon Dip and Spicy Clam Dip taste better after a night in the fridge, and Baked Spinach Artichoke Shrimp Dip assembles in the morning and goes into the oven right before the coin toss. Set them out with a mix of chips, crackers and veggies and the first hour handles itself.
Hack 2
Let the air fryer play offense. With the oven already booked for the holiday, the air fryer becomes the most valuable player in the kitchen. Air Fryer Calamari with Chipotle Dipping Sauce, Coconut Shrimp, Crunchy Air Fryer Fish Sticks, Air Fryer Tuna Quesadillas and Air Fryer Mac ‘n’ Cheese Tuna Bites all come out perfectly golden in batches during commercial breaks. Line the basket with a new liner for each recipe, and cleanup between rounds takes seconds.
Hack 3
Skip the plates entirely. The best game-day food is eaten with one hand. Fish Walking Tacos come with their own built-in serving bag instead of requiring extra bowls, Simple Salmon Sliders are built for the couch with a napkin in one hand and a slider in the other and Shrimp and Pesto Naan Pizza slices into perfect pick-up squares. Fewer plates means fewer dishes, and the fewer dishes, the more of the fourth quarter you actually get to watch.
Hack 4
Give the table a real centerpiece. A Seacuterie Board is sure to have a crowd around it that is celebrating, no matter who’s in the lead on the screen! Smoked salmon, shrimp, tinned fish, cheeses, pickles and crackers arranged on one big board with zero cooking involved—now that’s our kind of hands-off appetizer. Sheet Pan Crab Nachos do the same job on the hot side, and for an updated spin on a retro option, a spread of Ceviche-Style Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktails set out on a side table gives the grown-ups something to talk about besides the officiating.
Hack 5
Turn the rivalry into a menu. Split the spread by team: one dip labeled for each side, color-coded toothpicks on the sliders, a friendly tally of which platter empties first. Fans of the losing team still get seconds. And with protein, omega-3s and vitamin D in every bite, the spread keeps everyone fueled straight through overtime (and right into the leftover turkey sandwiches the next morning).
Whether your team wins or loses, the host always comes out ahead.
Enjoy The Big Game!
Baked Spinach Artichoke Shrimp Dip
Assemble it in the morning, bake it right before kickoff and let the creamy, cheesy bubbling do the rest. The shrimp turn a classic party dip into something guests treat like a meal, so plan on it disappearing by halftime.
Ceviche-Style Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail
This twist on classic shrimp cocktail marinates in bold Bloody Mary flavors along with crisp celery for that signature crunch. It chills in the fridge while you do absolutely nothing, which is exactly the energy a busy game day calls for!
Our house rule: nachos go on the table at the start of the second quarter, when the first round of dips is running low. One sheet pan of chips, cheese and sweet crab feeds a whole couch, and the fork-versus-fingers debate settles itself.
The centerpiece that draws a crowd before the coin toss. Smoked salmon, shrimp, tinned fish, cheeses, pickles and crackers arranged on one big board—and it involves absolutely no cooking, which makes it the ultimate hosting hack during Thanksgiving week.
Air Fryer Calamari with Chipolata Dipping Sauce
If you always order the calamari appetizer at restaurants, why not try it at home? Ask the fish counter for cleaned calamari tubes and the prep is basically done for you. The trick is to cook in batches, double-coating it so the air circulates evenly in the fryer—resulting in an easy 10-minute cook time.
Sweet, crunchy and impossible to eat just one of—these are the shrimp that get requested by name at every gathering we host. The recipe covers two cooking methods, so the air fryer and the oven can both get in on the action—whichever one is free!
Air Fryer Mac ‘n’ Cheese Tuna Bites
Kid-approved and adult-loved—mac ‘n’ cheese and canned tuna are rolled into golden, poppable bites that air fry in batches during commercial breaks and vanish just as quickly.
Make it the night before and thank yourself on game day. This creamy, tangy dip tastes even better after the flavors mingle overnight, and it pairs with everything from bagel chips to cucumber slices.
The single easiest way to feed a crowd with no plates and minimal cleanup. Crispy air-fried fish gets added into individual chip bags with whatever toppings each guest wants, and everyone eats straight from the pouch. Genius!
Canned salmon is the hosting shortcut nobody thinks about—except now you will (you’re welcome in advance). Mix, shape and cook these patties ahead, but be warned…one slider is never enough!
Store-bought naan, jarred pesto and shrimp become the foundation for quick-cooking pizzas that can be loaded up with whatever extra toppings guests prefer. Slice each pizza into pick-up squares and they fit on a platter right next to the dips.
Fifteen minutes, two cans of tuna and plenty of ooey-gooey-cheesy wedges to go around. These air fryer quesadillas are ready before the next quarter— just cut into wedges, stack them high and watch them disappear by halftime.
Tangy, creamy and with a little kick of heat—our recipe contains only 6 ingredients and some seasoning, making it easy to throw together as the cars start pulling into the driveway.
Dipping sauce is highly encouraged. These 20-minute air fryer fish sticks are crispy on the outside, tender inside and made with mild white fish for an easy kid-friendly seafood bite—if the adults haven’t devoured all of them yet!
Bite-sized, oven-baked and made for a bowl passed down the couch. Instead of deep-frying these little morsels of deliciousness, we’re baking them to perfection. The result? All the crunch and flavor you love, with a fraction of the calories and saturated fat.
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