Football Stadium Platters are a lot of fun to make and they are an impressive addition to any big game celebration. To make mine, the key is starting with a lot of sheets of 18” square heavy duty aluminum foil. It’s critical that they are all the same size. Then, after that the only thing you have to do is patiently do some folding. Here are the instructions, but it’s easier to watch the video.
Here are the aluminum foil pieces you’ll need:
For the Inner Ring
22-23 Sheets heavy duty aluminum foil (18″ size)
For the Outer Ring
18-19 Sheets heavy duty aluminum foil (18″ size)
For Upper Deck Cradles
18-19 Sheets 7″ x 5 1/2”
I put the entire platter on a big pice of particle board. You can use whatever you may have.
1/2″ thick piece of particle Board (optional) 30″ x 36″ wrapped in parchment or craft paper
Guacamole and Salsa Dip Pan
2 disposable broiler pans (roughly 8 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ x 1″) (one to build around and one to drop into first at serving time).
Here’s the food I put in my stadium platter:
OUTSIDE SURFACE OF THE STADIUM
Club Crackers (roughly ” x ” size)
54 Graham Crackers
2-3 80z containers Spreadable Cream Cheese
(optional – Toothpick Mini American Flags)
GUACAMOLE AND SALSA DIP DIP TRAY
2 containers of guacamole dip (or make your own)
1 container of bean dip
1 container of salsa
5-10 Cooked Spaghetti Noodles (to make yard markers)
FOOD FOR THE STANDS (lower)
Assortment of chips, popcorn, pretzels
FOOD FOR THE STANDS (upper)
Assortment of cheeses and meats
OUTSIDE BASE OF STADIUM SITTING ON THE BASE
Hot Dog Buns, cut in half crosswise
Method
To make the box seats for the lower section:
Take a sheet of aluminum foil. Fold two ends toward the center until they meet (don’t overlap). That will make a rectangle 9″ by 18″. Fold the piece once again to form a piece 4 1/2″ x 18″. Bring the two short ends together and fold them together with a small 1/8″ fold. Fold 2 more times (keeping the folds very tight and only 1/8″ wide). The result is a big circle of aluminum. Next you want to turn that circle into a rectangle with two short sides 3″ wide and two long sides #” wide. Simply form the basic rectangle shape and crease the corners so that it holds its shape. create it so that the seam is in the middle of one of the short sides. Take the short side without the seam and make a 2″ cut down each of the two corners. Fold the front flap down. You should now be able to fold each long side to form a triangular wing that starts at the top of the short side that you didn’t cut and goes to the cut edge of the opposing side. Make 14 boxes like this. When you line two boxes side by side, you can use the wing of one box to flap over and connect to the adjoining box. You’ll need four on the long side of your dip tray and three on the short side.
To make corner boxes, follow the same process, but squeeze the front end of the box together and fold the extra aluminum to the inside of the box to make a pie wedge shape. You’ll need two of these at each corner to complete the lower deck of your stadium for a total of 8. I make one extra box just in case I make a mistake along the way. Build this row of stadium boxes around one of your disposable broiler pans. You can put tape across the back wall of this ring of boxes for added stability. If you are using a board or other portable surface, use a bit of tape rolled inside out on the bottom of the broiler pan to hold it in place as well.
To make the upper deck. Take a piece of 18″ square aluminum and fold a 6″ wide piece toward the center. Take the opposite side and completely fold it over the first forming a pice that is 6″ x 18″. Use the same method of forming a big circle from above (making 3 tight folds over the short edge). Then, make a rectangle that is 2″ on the short side and about 5 1/2″ on the long side with the seam along one of the long sides. This time you will be making a flap along the long side. So, cut only 1″ down from the top along the corners of the side opposite the seam side. Fold the front flap down. Fold the sides out to form little triangular wings. Repeat to form 18 of these pieces (I make one extra just in case I make a mistake…or the inner circle of boxes is a bit larger than it should be and you need to expand then outer row of boxes.
Line these large pieces behind the lower boxes and join them together by connecting the winds. At this point you stadium basic shape should be complete. if you have a gap, use the extra box piece. You can size it down, accordion style, to make it fit.
Upper deck cradles.
Take a 7″ x 5 1/2″ sheet of aluminum and lay it over one of the upper deck pieces. overlap about 1″ of the long side over the back of the upper deck piece and press it into place. Overlap about 1″ of the opposite side over the front edge of the piece and press it into place. This should create a “hammock” like cradle in the piece for placing food.
Covering Surfaces.
You can cover the front edge of the lower deck front by spooning a generous amount of cream cheese on the back of a club cracker and simply pressing it into the aluminum. Repeat the process, with pieces overlapping each other slightly and cover the top edges. Repeat the process with the front surface part of the upper deck that is exposed above the lower deck. The crackers can raised a bit above the rim of the upper deck aluminum as well.
For the outside, use full graham crackers to cover the walls of the upper deck. Be sure to overlap the pieces and take them just a bit above the top edge of the aluminum. Place hot dog halves around the lower portion of the stadium.
Place mini flags into the aluminum foil at equal intervals along the top of the upper deck out wall.
Filling it up
Fill broiler pan with guacamole in the middle, and salsa on the ends.
Pipe a line of cream cheese along the edge and press in curly parsley.
Fill the lower boxes with chips, popcorn and pretzels.
Fill the upper deck with meats, cheeses and other assorted snacks.