Our Top-Rated Tailgating Recipes

August 23, 2016
Credit: Photo: Anna Williams
When September rolls around, there's excitement in the air. School is starting, the temperature is dropping, and football fans everywhere are dusting off their tailgating tents. Fresh, crisp, cool. We've compiled a list of our readers' absolute favorite game day-friendly recipes that have been wowing at tailgates across the nation. Find a new staple or try something new—they're all sure to please the crowd.
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Tennessee Burger with Bourbon and BBQ Sauce

Credit: Photo: Christina Holmes
View Recipe: Tennessee Burger with Bourbon and BBQ Sauce

You can play with tradition in the South, but best not mess with it. There's no quinoa or fish sauce in this burger. It starts with caramelized onions, cooked low and slow. Some of the onions then get folded into the beef, keeping the patty moist and juicy. Next come salutes to barbecue and bourbon. Bacon adds savory crunch, while a shot of bourbon keeps the made-from-scratch sauce smoky and sweet.

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2 of 25

Two-Cheese Veggie Nachos

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Two-Cheese Veggie Nachos

Being vegetarian doesn't mean you have to miss out on tailgating snacks. With a bit of creativity (and a few Cooking Light recipes in your repertoire) it's quite easy to make a football party menu that serves veggie and meat eaters alike.

We love the double-cheese contrast in this nacho recipe: Shredded cheese melts into a bubbly blanket over the tortillas, while crumbly queso fresco covers the veggies with a salty kick. It's an impressive dish for coffee table dining—it's fun to keep it all on the baking pan and serve as a shared platter.

3 of 25

Chili-Corn Chip Pie

Credit: Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Chili-Corn Chip Pie

This recipe is a healthy version of Fritos Chili Pie. Often served from concession stands at fairs, festivals, and sporting events, this crowd-pleaser usually involves splitting the bag of chips open, ladling chili into the bag, and then topping with cheese, onions, and other garnishes.

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Avocado Chicken Salad

Credit: Photo: José Picayo
View Recipe: Avocado Chicken Salad

Fresh, tasty, and delicious is how this 5-star Avocado Chicken Salad is commonly described. Mrs. Hartzell raves, “So delicious and easy! I could seriously eat this every day!” You’re not alone. We could, too. This particular recipe uses vinaigrette instead of mayonnaise but doesn’t lose its creamy texture, thanks to avocado. Salsa and fresh cilantro give this chicken salad its south-of-the-border flavors. So, instead of layering over a bed of greens, serve with tortilla chips for scooping and an added crunch.

5 of 25

Blazin' Baked Beans

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
Blazin' Baked Beans

Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce add smoky-hot depth to these easy-to-make baked beans.

*Remember to check for gluten in chipotle chiles and barbecue sauce.

6 of 25

Chunky Vegetarian Chili

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Chunky Vegetarian Chili

This vegetable chili recipe is a great way to get kids to eat fiber-rich foods. It can be taken on camping trips or packed in a thermos for school lunches.

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7 of 25

Spinach-and-Artichoke Dip

Credit: Photo: Raymond Hom
View Recipe: Spinach and Artichoke Dip

This recipe has been a staff favorite since we first tried it 13 years ago. It's rich, savory, and super creamy, with a nice hit of garlic. We made a few small tweaks—increased the amount of spinach and decreased the mozzarella to lower the sat fat to an acceptable level.

8 of 25

Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork

The slow cooker makes easy work of this pulled pork recipe. Serve on hamburger buns, if desired, for a hearty and satisfying sandwich.

9 of 25

Happy-Hour Hummus

Credit: Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Happy-Hour Hummus

It’s a quick snack to make before dinner. Throw all the ingredients into a food processor, give it a whirl, and presto−you’ve bought yourself an hour to make a meal. Healthy dippers include baby carrots, radishes, jicama, and sugar snap peas.

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10 of 25

Guacamole with Chipotle Tortilla Chips

Credit: Photo: Karry Hosford
View Recipe: Guacamole with Chipotle Tortilla Chips

Chipotle chile powder gives the crunchy chips a smoky kick that pairs well with the buttery guacamole. Use ground cumin or regular chili powder in its place, if you prefer. Prepare the chips up to a day ahead, and store in a zip-top plastic bag.

11 of 25

Grilled Stuffed Jalapeños

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
View Recipe: Grilled Stuffed Jalapeños

The rich and creamy combination of bacon, cream cheese, and cheddar nicely contrasts the muted spice of the grilled jalapeños in these poppers. You’ll never guess these are lightened up! That’s why this recipe—a healthy, fresh alternative to the popular breaded and fried snack—is one of our favorite appetizers to make.

12 of 25

Beef, Black Bean, and Chorizo Chili

View Recipe: Beef, Black Bean, and Chorizo Chili

Serve with classic condiments such as sour cream, chopped green onions, and shredded cheddar cheese. For a thinner chili, cook covered the whole time. You can prepare it a day ahead and refrigerate, or up to two weeks ahead and freeze (be sure to thaw the chili overnight in the refrigerator). Look for masa harina, the corn flour used to make tortillas, in the Latin foods aisle at the supermarket, or substitute fine-ground cornmeal. Use kitchen shears to cut up the tomatoes in the can.

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13 of 25

BLT Pasta

Credit: Photo: Justin Walker
View Recipe: BLT Pasta

We love the look of mezze penne, a smaller version of regular penne, but you can use any short pasta you like. The “lettuce” in this BLT is actually tender baby spinach. You could also substitute peppery arugula or even baby kale.

14 of 25

Hickory Pulled Pork

Credit: Photo: Justin Walker
View Recipe: Hickory Pulled Pork

As many Southerners know, hickory wood chips offer an almost magical alchemy, yielding sublime flavor when combined with four simple ingredients. Serve with potato salad, coleslaw, and iced tea for a delicious summer supper.

15 of 25

Five-Bean Chili

Credit: Photo: Squire Fox; Styling: Carla Gonzales-Hart
View Recipe: Five-Bean Chili

Here is a make-ahead chili that both meat lovers and vegetarians will love: It packs in all the classic flavors you want and is loaded with beans that give the dish a rich, almost meaty character. Serving this chili the next day lets flavors meld--if the beans soak up a lot of liquid overnight, you can add more vegetable broth or even water to thin out the stew.

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16 of 25

Quick Chicken-Corn Chowder

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Quick Chicken-Corn Chowder

You can have this chicken and corn chowder on the table in less than 30 minutes. Sounds too good to be true, right? We guess you will just have to try it to find out.

17 of 25

Grilled Asian Drumsticks

Credit: Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Grilled Asian Drumsticks

Smoky, sweet, and spicy, these drumsticks will be on your short list of favorites in no time. Serve with Spicy-Sweet Broccoli.

18 of 25

Pumpkin Dip

Credit: Photo: Lee Harrelson
View Recipe: Pumpkin Dip

This dip makes a delicious break from the overabundance of Halloween sweets. It's perfect for enjoying with fresh apple slices.

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Refried Bean Poblanos with Cheese

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Refried Poblanos with Cheese

You'll love the ease of this microwaveable dish. Pop the chiles in the microwave for three minutes, and prepare the filling while they cook. Serve with Creamy Chipotle Wedge Salad.

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Light and Fresh Potato Salad

Credit: Photo: Howard L. Puckett
View Recipe: Light and Fresh Potato Salad

If you don't like mayonnaise, this is the potato salad for you. With a vinaigrette base, the recipe truly lives up to its light and fresh claims. To make matters even better, there's only 90 calories per serving. Eat up!

21 of 25

Super Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

Credit: Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Super Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

This recipe works will with almost any combination of vegetables. Traditional bell peppers and celery work great, but can also be substituted for broccoli slaw, chopped eggplant, and shredded carrots.

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Jerk-Spiced Shrimp

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Jerk-Spiced Shrimp

Seasoning fresh shrimp with a homemade jerk seasoning mix and grilling over medium-high heat for three minutes on each side is a sure-fire summertime entreé winner. Serve with a sweet fruit salsa that the kids will love.

23 of 25

Double-Crust Apple Pie

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Double-Crust Apple Pie

A double crust seals in the apples' natural juices as the pie bakes for full-on apple flavor. Tossing the apples with apple juice keeps them from browning as you peel and slice them, and it adds a boost of apple flavor.

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Peach Lemonade

Credit: Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Peach Lemonade

Fresh summer peaches are a welcome addition to traditional lemonade in this easy, kid-friendly recipe. For the best and brightest flavors, make sure that your peaches are perfect ripeness.

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Grilled Corn on the Cob With Roasted Jalapeño Butter

Credit: Photo: Anna Williams
View Recipe: Grilled Corn on the Cob with Roasted Jalapeño Butter

Charring the pepper eases the heat, yielding a versatile, not-too-spicy butter.

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