4 Unconventional Takes on Game-Day Appetizers

Football season is upon us, and we’ve been cooking up game-day recipes left and right here at Brit HQ. We wanted to kick things up a notch, so we teamed up with LAY’S® Wavy to dream up some unconventional appetizers inspired by their Hickory BBQ, Ranch, Roasted Garlic & Sea Salt and Cheddar Potato Chips. Whip these up for your next watch party and we guarantee you’ll score a touchdown in the flavor department! ;)

BBQ Zucchini Fries

zucchinisticks_5

A healthy take on fries that EVERYONE will love!

Ingredients:

– 1 cup LAY’S® Wavy Hickory BBQ Potato Chips, crushed

– 3 large zucchini

– 4 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

– 1 cup all-purpose flour

– 2 eggs

– BBQ sauce, for dipping

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut zucchini into 1/2-inch strips. In a small bowl, beat eggs until combined. In another bowl, mix together the crushed chips, Parmesan and flour.

2. Dip zucchini sticks in egg mixture and then dredge in the flour mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with your dipping sauce of choice!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut zucchini into 1/2-inch strips. In a small bowl, beat eggs until combined. In another bowl, mix together the crushed chips, Parmesan and flour. Dip zucchini sticks in egg mixture and then dredge in the flour mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve with your dipping sauce of choice!

When I dip, you dip, we dip…

Crispy, crunchy and *so* easy to make.

Ranch Onion Rings

Ingredients:

– 2 cups LAY’S® Wavy Ranch Potato Chips, crushed

– 2 large sweet onions

– 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

– 1 cup all-purpose flour

– 2 cups buttermilk

– 3 eggs

– vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions:

1. Heat oil to 350 degrees F. Cut onions into rings. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and buttermilk. In a separate bowl, combine chips and breadcrumbs. Place flour in a third bowl. Dredge onion rings in flour, dip in egg mixture and then dredge in crushed chip mixture.

2. Fry battered onions in batches for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with dipping sauce of choice.

Heat oil to 350 degrees F. Cut onions into rings. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and buttermilk. In a separate bowl, combine chips and breadcrumbs. Place flour in a third bowl. Dredge onion rings in flour, dip in egg mixture and then dredge in crushed chip mixture.

Fry battered onions in batches for two to three minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve with dipping sauce of choice.

How good do these look?!

Garlic. Butter. Parsley. Carbs. Does it get any better?

Crunchy Garlic Knots

Ingredients:

– 1 cup LAY’S® Wavy Roasted Garlic & Sea Salt Potato Chips, crushed

– 1 can refrigerated biscuit dough

– 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter

– 4 cloves garlic, minced

– parsley

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll each biscuit dough out into a long rope. Sprinkle with chips and tie into knot.

2. Place knots on a baking sheet. In a saucepan, combine butter, garlic and parsley. Heat over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Brush over dough.

3. Bake knots for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll each biscuit dough out into a long rope. Sprinkle with chips and tie into knot.

Place knots on a baking sheet. In a saucepan, combine butter, garlic and parsley. Heat over low heat for two or three minutes. Brush over dough. Bake knots for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Fresh out the oven! YUM.

We’re in heaven.

You’re gonna want to make a lot of these… they’ll go FAST.

Mini Cheddar Meatballs

Ingredients:

– 3/4 cup LAY’S® Wavy Cheddar Potato Chips

– 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

– 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

– 1 small onion, chopped

– 2 cloves garlic, chopped

– 1/2 cup whole milk

– 2 eggs

– 1 Tablespoon parsley

– salt and pepper, to taste

– marinara, for dipping

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, garlic, salt, pepper, eggs, onions, milk, breadcrumbs, parsley and chips. Squish everything together with your hands until totally combined.

2. Shape mixture into small meatballs. Place on baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve with marinara sauce.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, garlic, salt, pepper, eggs, onions, milk, breadcrumbs, parsley and chips. Squish everything together with your hands until totally combined.

Shape mixture into small meatballs. Place on baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Serve with marinara sauce.

Happy game day!

Spring 2025 beauty is all about bold yet wearable, polished yet playful looks. From the return of the lip liner to fresh, nature-inspired nail and eye colors, this season’s trends blend nostalgia with modern minimalism. Expect soft, dramatic eyes, skincare-infused makeup, and lip liner that enhances without overpowering. These trends are all about embracing your natural features in an elevated, beautiful way so you glow, and look your best, all season.

Here are spring 2025 beauty trends to try this season.

City Lips® Defining Liner

Liner Revival

The lip liner trend for spring 2025 embraces bold definition with a fresh, modern twist. This season, it's about pairing rosy nudes with soft, lighter lip colors and rich, warm tones with deep browns and cherry reds for a sculpted, high-impact look. City Lips Defining Liner is our favorite new lip liner. It prevents color fading, smudging, and feathering, so you can keep your look intact all day or night! It’s available in two pretty shades: Blush, a soft, rosy nude that pairs beautifully with pink hues and lighter lip colors, and Willow, a rich, warm-toned nude that complements brown tones and deeper shades.

City Beauty

Multitasking Makeup

The trend toward skincare-infused makeup is making your beauty routine work harder with nourishing ingredients. City Lips Defining Liner features vitamin E, helping to keep the lip line smooth while subtly enhancing its shape for a fuller, more defined look. For the ultimate plump and polish, pair the pigmented liner with City Lips Plumping Gloss — a duo that gives you a naturally voluminous pout, plus extra hydration.

Shutterstock

Pastel Pop

From butter yellow to sage green, this season’s nail trends are embracing soft, yet statement-making hues that bring a fresh pop of color. Alongside these chic shades, almond-shaped nails are offering a sleek, elegant look that flatters your mani aesthetic.

Monserrat Tosca | Dupe

'90s Nostalgia

A softer, smudged take on the classic cat-eye is making waves, with eyeliner staging a bold comeback in full, effortless sweeps. Blue eyeshadow is also back and better. Expect a nod to cool-toned, ’90s grunge eyes, a trend that lends itself to easy, minimalist lines, like a single, clean swipe of liner, proving that less can truly be more.

Claire Craig | Dupe

Lobs, Bobs & Natural Manes

Haircut season is in full swing, and lighter, fuss-free bobs at all above-shoulder lengths, plus natural curls, are making their way in and out of salons for spring. We couldn't be happier for the low-maintenance 'dos!

Katie Mansfield | Dupe

Satin Skin

This understated look highlights healthy, natural skin with a soft-matte finish — radiant, yet never flat or overly glossy.

City Beauty

Glossy lips, instead, shine this season. Upgrade your lip routine this spring with City Beauty’s new City Lips Defining Liner and lip glosses for a refreshed look.

When I ended up in the ER for stomach pain my senior year of college I didn't know that six years later I'd be relatively pain-free. I out gluten, high-acid foods, and red meat, and started consistently buying stomach-safe foods like broccoli, sweet potatoes, and chicken, and my first thought was Is this what everyone feels like all the time?

Those foods swaps genuinely changed my life — and now I'm on a (semi) permanent anti-inflammatory diet that features lots of whole foods and only the occasional coffee (hence the "semi" permanence). And an absolute must-have in my fridge these days? My homemade, 3-ingredient tzatziki sauce. Give it a try and tell me it's not the perfect topping for Mediterranean bowls!

Keep reading for the easiest 3-ingredient tzatziki sauce recipe for Mediterranean bowls, breakfast dishes, and more.

Here's what you'll need for this 3-ingredient tzatziki sauce.

Shameel mukkath/Pexels

Ingredients

  • Non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

Tools

  • Bowl
  • Grater

How to make Brit + Co's easy tzatziki sauce

Shameel mukkath/Pexels

Instructions

  1. Grate your cucumber into your bowl: I like to use at least half the cucumber if not the whole thing!
  2. Next you'll want to get rid of all the water: I dump out the liquid in the bowl then soak up any extra with a paper towel. Don't be afraid to squeeze the cucumber out!
  3. Mix in your Greek yogurt: I prefer equal parts yogurt and cucumber, but you can play with the ratio until it's a mix you like. That's the best part about homemade recipes!
  4. Add in your lemon juice: I prefer to taste the lemon so I love to really add it in but you can keep it light, and even mix in a little salt or garlic powder for a different edge.
  5. Mix it all together and you're good to go! I store mine in a mason jar in the fridge and it's ready for me whenever I need it.

This tzatziki sauce is the perfect topper for my Mediterranean chicken bowls, potatoes, or even on top of an egg (trust me!). There's no better time to make these 26 Mediterranean Recipes That Will Make You Feel Like You're On Vacation;).

Tag us in all your cooking adventures @britandco and follow us on Pinterest for more recipes!

In our Take 5 series, sponsored by Verizon, we ask women in business about unexpected challenges, their inspirations, recent wins, and how the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program has helped propel their business forward.


In this segment, Paige Wiese, founder & CEO of Tree Ring Digital in Denver, CO, walks us through some of the ways she encourages clients to double down on marketing when business is slow. Paige built her business as a solopreneur graphic designer to a team of 15, helping clients with SEO, online ads, and social media management. Here’s her Take 5, plus more tips for surviving the business lulls below!

What's a recent small win for you and your business?

Paige: A recent small win has been just seeing business pick up again. I am seeing businesses start to engage with their marketing efforts and really trying to get to the root of why their website might be underperforming. We look at what they can be doing to see their money actually go to a place that it should be going.

What's a big piece of advice that you give to your clients?

Paige: A lot of them want to back off anytime there's a little bit of scarcity. I really think that's the time to double down, whether it be your digital presence, your website, or just adjusting how you're spending your money. But instead of just saying, ‘Hey, we're going to stop [investing in marketing],’ ask ‘How do we double down in the correct way and make sure we're seeing measurable results out of it?’ I do it myself anytime business is a little slow. I think we have to either change or we need to be doubling down. A lot of clients come to us when the pipeline is already dry and money is tight and they’re hoping for a quick fix. Marketing, unfortunately, isn't a quick fix.

See more tips for surviving business lulls below!

What's an unexpected business challenge you’ve faced and how did you overcome it?

Paige: I think one of the bigger challenges that we've run into has been more on the employee side, some of the retention or the hiccups that come along the way and then just learning from them. So how can we be a better, stronger company coming out of this and how do we use it as a growing opportunity?

How has the Verizon Small Business program helped propel your business forward?

Paige: I learned about the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready program through the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). It's a free resource that’s self-paced and very digestible. The variety of topics it covers is a large gamut for any size business. The Selling with Storytelling course, especially, was really valuable to me, just really getting your messaging out there. I laugh that I sometimes enjoy the marketing ones a little bit more just because it is a refresher or another take on how we do this.

Thanks Paige!

Here Are More B+C Tips For Surviving The Small Business Lulls

Photo by Kampus Production

  1. Refine Your Strategy
    • Review your business plan and goals. Are you on track? What can be improved?
    • Analyze customer feedback and sales data to spot trends and areas where you can grow.
  2. Boost Your Marketing Efforts
    • Refresh your website or social media profiles. Verizon Small Business Digital Ready’s free Put Your Website to Work course will help you get started with best practices for building your business website.
    • Create engaging content through blogs, videos, and newsletters. Verizon’s free Creating Compelling Content course can help you create consistent, quality content for your target customers.
    • Offer promotions or limited-time discounts to attract new customers.
  3. Invest in Learning
    • Take an online course related to your industry, like Verizon’s free Planning for the Unexpected course for building resiliency in your business.
    • Stay updated on industry trends and innovations.
    • Engage with customers too. Send personalized emails to loyal customers or clients. Ask for reviews!
  4. Improve Your Processes
    • Streamline operations or explore new tools to increase your efficiency.
    • Organize your workspace and declutter your digital files.
  5. Self-Care and Rest
    • Take advantage of the slower pace to recharge. A refreshed mindset is exactly what you need to bring forth fresh ideas!

Learn more about the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program and Tree Ring Digital.

Illustration by Daniela Jordan-Villaveces.

There’s always a bit of an ick factor when you move into a new home — especially if it’s a fixer-upper. When I closed on my home five years ago, the place reeked of cigarette smoke. I had the floors refinished and the walls painted before I moved in, but even then, I couldn’t relax until I gave everything a deep clean. If you’re about to settle into a new space, don’t skip these often-overlooked spots when you're cleaning your home — they make a big difference!

Here are places you should always clean when you move into a new home.

Photo by Kam Idris on Unsplash

Inside Kitchen Cabinets & Drawers

Crumbs, dust, and mystery smudges often get left behind when previous homeowners move out. Wipe with a gentle all-purpose cleaner, then add drawer liners for a fresh, finished look.

Photo by Liliana Drew

The Fridge & Freezer

It always feels good to start with a clean slate in the fridge; after all, you don't want your groceries mingling with someone else's leftovers. Take out all shelves and drawers to soak in warm, soapy water, then wipe down interior walls with a baking soda and water solution.

Photo by Christian Mackie on Unsplash

Bathroom Fixtures

Faucets, handles, and shower heads can harbor buildup or bacteria. Use a vinegar soak on shower heads and a disinfectant spray on all high-touch surfaces.

Shutterstock

Air Vents & Filters

I was living in my home for a year before a friend pointed out that I needed to replace my HVAC filter every 6 months to a year. Now I'm consistent about it. Apparently, dust and allergens can build up fast — especially if the home was vacant for a while. Vacuum vent covers and replace HVAC filters so your new space breathes better.

Photo by cottonbro studio

Light Switches & Doorknobs

These are touched constantly — and rarely cleaned. Go room by room with a disinfecting wipe or spray to wipe down all the switches and knobs.

Photo by Max Vakhtbovycn

Baseboards & Trim

Vacuum your carpets and floors thoroughly, then mop using the right cleaner for your floor type (wood, tile, vinyl, etc.). Don't forget baseboards and trim, which collect dust and scuffs — especially during a move-out and move-in. Use a microfiber cloth and warm, soapy water to clean up dust. I'm love a Magic Eraser to remove tougher marks too.

Photo by Nacho Posse

Washing Machines

Lint, detergent buildup, and even mildew can linger in your washer from previous use. Wipe down the inside of the washer drum, clean the detergent drawer, and vacuum out the dryer lint trap and vent. Run a hot cycle with white vinegar in the washer to freshen things up. Do the same for your dishwasher too!

Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more home cleaning and organization ideas!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

For every amazing Aldi find, there’s unfortunately one that’s… not so amazing. In fact, Aldi fans are pretty quick to identify the worst products sold at the grocery chain, whether it has to do with taste or overall quality. We scoured the r/Aldi Reddit page and uncovered the top 10 worst Aldi products shoppers say are “horrid,” “garbage,” and even “vile.”

See the 10 "worst" products you’ll definitely want to avoid when shopping at Aldi.

Reddit

1. Frozen Lobster Mac & Cheese

Lobster mac & cheese most certainly should only be eaten fresh – this frozen iteration from Aldi is allegedly not worth the hype. One shopper even said it was "horrid.”

“I thought the lobster mac would be good..." one Redditor commented. "But way too fishy and briney.”

“I still have bad memories from when I bought that lobster mac n cheese," another person said. "Terrible taste, terrible smell. Cannot believe they still carry that garbage.”

“The smell of the lobster Mac and cheese haunts me," one more user confided. "It’s been a year and I still gag when I think about it.”

Gül Işık / PEXELS

2. Sliced Deli Turkey

Deli turkey of any kind can really be hit or miss. According to one Aldi shopper, the grocer's deli turkey is undoubtedly a miss.

"“I bought the deli turkey once and it was slimy and tasted terrible," they wrote. "I might have made two sandwiches just to feel less bad about wasting the food, but I remember throwing the rest out. But the salamis and charcuterie-esque meats are all really good imo.”

Aldi

3. Sweet & Spicy Candied Pecans

Sweet and spicy – or 'swicy,' if you're cool like that – is typically a great flavor combo. One Redditor simply did not care for this Aldi product that incorporates the duo into a nutty snack.

“Sweet and Spicy candied pecans are one of the worst things I’ve ever bought there," they said. "They taste like candy pecans that were dunked in extremely vinegary hot sauce."

Reddit

4. Cauliflower Crackers

This Aldi version of Cheez-Its, essentially, is crafted with cauliflower for a "healthier" take. Anyone who tends to reach for the health-ified versions of certain snacks knows there's a risk of them being absolutely appalling. Well, one Redditor wasn't shy to say these Aldi crackers are “nasty vile things.”

Aldi

5. Toaster Tarts

Aldi shoppers have long debated the quality and taste of the grocer's off-brand Pop-Tarts. In one succinct conclusion, one fan ruled the crust "flavorless and dry," though another shopper countered their point and said that Aldi's version typically has more filling. 👀

Aldi

6. Deli Pickles

Aldi shoppers also have grown to dislike the deli pickles, noting a weird change in their flavor over time.

“The deli pickles used to be amazing and now they taste like they’re contaminated with cleaning products," one Redditor said.

“The ones I got were so mushy and tasteless," another person commented. "So bad.”

Reddit

7. Organic Chicken Lemon & Lavender Bone Broth

Though bone broth can be a great source of protein, Aldi just might have messed up by flavoring their with lemon and lavender.

“This was absolutely disgusting. The smell is god awful," one Redditor said. "The person that came up with this flavor needs to be fired.”

Aldi

8. Crab Rangoon Dip

In theory, this sounds really good, but Aldi shoppers say otherwise.

“We try to not let anything go to waste in our house and will zhuzh up bad meals but that one went into the trash," one person said.

“I’ve not heard a single person say that dip was good lol," another commented.

Aldi

9. Confetti Brownies

These off-brand Cosmic Brownies put shame on the name of the OG, according to Aldi fans. To give you a better idea, one person even called them "a f-cking travesty.” LOL.

"Ugh they are terrible!!” another shopper said.

“Yes! Just threw a box of those away," one more person chimed in. "Like play doh on the top with no taste.”

Aldi

10. Shelf-Stable Tortellini

This packaged pasta seems to be notoriously gross. Some shoppers did note it tastes better in a recipe, rather than by itself. But still, others are disgusted by it.

"I bought mushroom ones. Terrible. Just dreadful," one person said. "They were …tart. And with no mushroom taste whatsoever.”

“It smelled like wet dog,” another user wrote.

“I farted so terribly,” one more person admitted.

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