This shopper has been compensated by SheSpeaks, Inc., The Coca-Cola Company and Mondelez International group. All opinions are mine alone.
As you probably have already noticed, I’m all about having fun. I love any excuse to fill my kitchen with friends and family, and feed them delicious food. There’s no better excuse to gather the masses than to celebrate game time. Typically, I like to put together an array of appetizers and finger food. Everyone can grab a plate, fill it with tasty bites, and pile into the living room to watch the game on the big screen. Living in Atlanta for six years, occasionally I find myself missing the southern vibe. Wait. Who am I kidding? It’s the crispy fried chicken and Coca-Cola that I miss for game time! However, the thought of having guests sit around my living room, chowing down on huge pieces of fried chicken seems a little too messy. How do I make fried chicken less messy for a party? Make it bite sized. You’re going to need these mouthwatering Chicken and Waffle Bites in your life.
Chicken and waffles are a southern staple. It’s part breakfast, part dinner, and totally delicious. Getting those bold flavors into a bite sized snack was pretty easy with the right ingredients. No, I’m not frying chicken from scratch. I used oven ready, crispy chicken strips and paired them with rich, buttery Ritz Crackers as my base “waffle”. Sorry, but this mom likes to watch the game too. I’m going for easy and fast for this filling snack.
There are always crispy chicken strips in my freezer. I’m a sports mom, and on busy nights we need fast dinner options. Walmart is my go to, one stop shopping store. I can stock up on dinner ingredients, snacks, game time refreshments, and even all the party supplies I need for entertaining.
This recipe can be made in minutes. While I popped the chicken strips into the oven to heat, I whipped up some maple bacon cream cheese. Yes, you heard me right. Let that sink in a bit. Maple bacon cream cheese. Mmmmmmm. Sounds like breakfast to me already.
The cream cheese mixture not only layered in amazing flavors for these tasty bites, but it also holds the chicken in place on the Ritz Crackers.
After you place the diced chicken on top of the cream cheese and crackers, get ready for the drizzle. Ahhhhh…maple syrup! Just what this chicken and waffle bite needed to take it over the top.
Don’t think that game time refreshments are an afterthought in my house either. We need something that pairs perfectly with this twisted southern treat and that’s ice-cold Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. I’ve been the Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta way too many times to not be a huge fan. My neighbors always know where to call if they run out. I always have a few 6-packs on hand in the pantry. My personal favorite is the Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. Now that I don’t live in Atlanta, I’ve been known to give a server the side eye if it’s not available in local pizzerias.
Gather your friends and neighbors and host your own game time get together. There’s no better way to share a fun afternoon than over some good food and refreshing Coca-Cola. Hopefully the weather is nice enough to even have your own game time throw down outside. Oh, and I have a great giveaway you need to check out asap! You can enter for your chance to win a #TogetherForGameTime Party Pack that includes a $40 Walmart Gift Card, two 6-packs of Coca-Cola and two boxes of Original Ritz Crackers! Head on over to She Speaks and enter the #TogetherForGameTime Recipe Giveaway!
What’s your favorite way to top a Ritz Cracker for entertaining your guests on game day?
- 24-36 Ritz Crackers
- 6-8 Crispy chicken strips
- Topping
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (if you would like your cream cheese mixture a little sweeter, you can also add 1-2 Tablespoons of regular maple syrup).
- 1 Teaspoon imitation maple flavor
- ¼ Cup crispy bacon pieces
- Extra maple syrup for drizzling the completed Chicken and Waffle Bites
- Prepare 6-8 crispy chicken strips as directed on package.
- In a medium bowl, mix softened cream cheese, maple syrup and maple flavoring.
- Add bacon pieces to cream cheese mixture and combine thoroughly.
- Carefully remove chicken strips from the oven when done cooking. Set aside to cool slightly.
- When chicken strips are cool enough to handle safely, dice into bite sized pieces.
- Spread 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture on an individual Ritz Cracker and and top with piece of crispy chicken strip.
- Repeat process to use all the chicken pieces.
- Before serving the Chicken and Waffle Bites, drizzle with maple syrup.
