Fall means football and football means tailgating! It's time for that annual rite of gathering with friends and family in the parking lots of football stadiums, and enjoying brotherhood, brews, and barbecue. If you're ready to break the tailgate mold this year, move away from the same old burgers and hot dogs and impress the crew with some of these great tailgating recipes.
Mini Meatballs On A Stick
For a real crowd favorite, you can't beat meatballs! Make the meatball mix at home (Italian sausage, beef, breadcrumbs, egg, spices) and then bring it to your tailgate. Just roll the balls, place three on a skewer, and grill at the party.
Sweet & Tart Fingerling Potatoes
Toss fingerling potatoes in 1/2 cup of honey and 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, bake at 350 for 45 minutes to make a crispy sweet and sour potato side dish or snack.
Pork & Chorizo Burgers
Mix equal parts of ground pork and chorizo for these uniquely delicious burgers. Place on grilled bun with green chili mayo or gaucamole.
Frito Pie
For a twist on nachos, serve up a Frito "Pie." Tear open the top of a personal sized bag of Fritos, ladle in your own chili, cheese and sour cream. This popular snack is also know as a walking taco due to the similarity in taste.
Tempura Green Beans
For a crispy and salty tailgating treat that's almost good for you, dip green beans in an egg wash, roll in tempura, and lightly fry. Healthier than French fries with all of the same great taste.
Praline Bacon
Because who doesn't love bacon? Simply bake a half pound of bacon at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, and stir together a 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of chopped pecans while you wait. Sprinkle the mixture onto the bacon and bake it for another 10-15 minutes for an irresistable tailgating favorite.
Reuben Egg Rolls
Here's a combination that you'd never expect, but it's perfect for gameday. A pinch of corned beef, sauerkraut and swiss cheese rolled in egg roll or wonton wrappers and fried gives you something new and amazingly good.
Ham Biscuit Sliders With Hot Pepper Jam
Sometimes you'll have to tailgate early in the morning for a game, and these awesome, buttery biscuits will be the perfect thing to eat in the morning. Add chile jam and ham to each biscuit and your friends will be clamoring for more.
Muffaletta Quesadillas
A new take on the New Orleans sandwich. Put salami, ham, olive salad and provolone between two flour or corn tortillas on the grill and delight your gang with these delicious and easy snacks.
Stuffed Baby Bellas
Put baby portabello mushrooms on the grill, stuffed with Italian sausage, a diced cube of mozzarella and a sliver of a garlic clove. Everyone will love these simple but filling snacks.
Wasabi Dip Or Spread
Combining 1 tablespoon of wasabi cream with a half cup of cream cheese and a cup of sour cream in the blender gives you a new taste that all of your friends that like some spice in their life withh go crazy for.
Spicy Sweet Shrimp Skewers
Place four large peeled shrimp on skewers, grill until opaque, brushing with a marinade made from equal parts of Sriracha and honey for a minute before removing from grill and serving your the perfect shrimp skewers.
Bourbon Peanut Butter Cups
The most important parts of any tailgate are the booze and the food, so why not combine them with these homemade peanut butter cups infused with bourbon? Combine a 3 cups vegetable shortening, 1/2 pack of chocolate chips, and a shot of bourbon in a saucepan on low heat. Put half of the melted mixture into a lined muffin tin and freeze, then top that with a mixture of peanut butter, confectioner's sugar, salt, and butter, and top that with the rest of the chocolate mix. Freeze for another 3 hours.
Philly Cheesesteak Jalapeno Poppers
Jalapeno poppers are a perennial gameday favorite, and these ones throw philly cheesesteaks into the mix as well! Mix ground beef, onions, cream cheese, and provolone and fill hollowed-out jalapenos with the mixture. Coat the jalapenos in a beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs, then fry them in oil.
Avocado-Stuffed Meatballs
Avocado is everyone's favorite superfood, so combining it with meatballs is sure to be a hit. Spoon an avacado and lemon juice spread into a divet in each meatball and pincht he edges to enclose the center before cooking. It'll be a welcome surprise for your friends!
