How to Build a Snack Stadium

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I had so much fun doing this post! If you'll be entertaining for any upcoming football games you are at the right place.  Today, I'm sharing how to make a Snack Stadium.You may ask, what is a Snack Stadium?  It's basically a bunch of really good food all arranged so that it all looks like it's in a football stadium - big, bold and awesome! {that's the Cupcakes and Crinoline unabridged definition}.I incorporated the help of my oldest son for this project.  He had BIG plans and when I say big I mean electricity in the house dimming with what he wanted to make.  I, being the total, 'let's think a bit smaller and practically' type of gal I am suggested we actually make something that could FIT in our house and be collapsible and reusable.  While one-time use is all fine and good I wanted to make something I could use over-and-over again and that was not too expensive to make.  

When we both got on the same page we went shopping and found everything we needed at a local craft store.

Supplies:
Two 36 x 48 inch presentation boards - these are the boards that kids often use for science fairs; they fold into thirds and can stand on tabletops, etc. We chose green because, well, football fields are green!

One 12 x 36 x .5 inch sheet of craft foam

One roll of duck tape in team color{s} of your choice.  

Sharpie 

Utility knife 

2 x 4 scrap wood 

rubber bands

For displaying/serving food:

Seven 8 x 3 ⅞ inch loaf pans 

Various disposable pans for cake, dips, etc.

NapkinsCut one presentation board so that it is 24 inches long (you will be cutting 12 inches off of the bottom).  From the 12 inch piece cut a 4 ½ inch by 10 ½ inch piece to be used as a template for steps 4 and 6.  Wrap loaf pans in duck tape.Line with napkins and put aside.  Mark and cut eight 4 ½ inch by 10 ½ inch pieces from your craft foam.  Cover foam in duck tape.  These will be your bleachers and will hold the loaf pans filled with snacks.  One of the craft foam pieces will be a template for measuring the slots you will be cutting in step 6.  

Tape the two templates together (the extra 4 ½ inch by 10 ½ inch piece of craft foam and the template piece cut from your presentation board).  You will use this piece to accurately measure the slots for step 6.  Open up the larger, uncut, presentation board.  You will be making markings and cuts on the BACK side of your boards only.  Measure 6 ½  inches in from each long side.  Mark a straight line all the way across each side of the two panels that are open.  Measure 1 inch in from each side and place a mark on your line.Use your craft foam cardboard template for this step.  Place the template standing up long side down on the line starting at the 1 inch in mark and trace with the Sharpie.  Do this 3 times across with 1 inch in between each slot.Cut clean through one long side and two short sides of each slot.  Score the top long line.  Gently push the slot through to the right side bending only on the scored top line.  Repeat steps 5 through 7  cutting only one slot in the center of one flap for the smaller presentation board.  

Put your snack stadium togetherPlace the double-flapped board in front of you on your table with one flap on the left and the other on the right.  Place the smaller board across the larger one with the open slotted flap to the back.  Close all flaps inward.  Place several rubber bands on each piece of scrap wood (the rubber bands will hold the boards in place on your table).  Place one piece of wood slightly behind each flap crease.  Open flap and adjust the wood as necessary to create the angle you desire.  Put the taped craft foam gently into each slot pushing through approximately ½ to 1 inch to the outside/back.  

Place decorated loaf pans and other snacks on each 'bleacher'.

Party food:

While grocery shopping at Walmart we picked up all of our snack stadium party food. *I made my favorite chocolate cake and buttercream frosting (dyed green) to the center using SNICKERS® Minis as players with Skittles® helmets.  The helmets were glued in place with frosting.*We also made a seven layer bean dip with TOSTITOS® Medium Chunky Salsa and served this with TOSTITOS® Scoops and TOSTITOS® Original.  My son made a goal post from beef jerky - it's a guy thing 😉 *Skittles® fireworks - place Skittles® in champagne flutes along with colorful licorice to create the look of fireworks.

Place the cake in the center of the stadium - this is your field.  The seven layer dip is one end zone - I didn't make two trays of this but instead used potato salad and TOSTITOS® Medium Chunky Salsa for the other end zone.  

Once all of the food was inside the stadium I used Pepsi™ and Diet Pepsi™ to close up the opening to the stadium a bit.  I then added a scrap piece of craft foam covered in aluminum foil across the top and placed subway sandwiches across this arch.

There you have it - a snack stadium fit for a true football fan!

Now that you've seen a snack stadium do you think you'll give it a try for your favorite teams special game? You can find more recipes and snack stadium inspiration on the Walmart site and be sure to enter the #GameDayGlory Sweepstakes.