Fresh Ideas for Tailgating Bites

Fall is here and excitement is in the air! With football season kicking off and other outdoor sports that beckon enthusiastic spectators, our thoughts can’t avoid what we all love to do – tailgate!

No matter what event you plan to attend, or host at your home, some extra thought will go into which delicious bites you decide to serve. Try one of these recipes and your tailgating friends will love ‘em.

For more great recipes, go to 55lnk.com, or share your favorite recipe at hello@55lnk.com and we’ll add it to our website!

SLOW COOKER SALSA CHICKEN

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed

• Salt and pepper

• 1cup jarred salsa

• Juice of1lime

• 1⁄4 cup chopped cilantro

• 2 table spoons chili powder

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1 table spoon honey

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• Cooked rice or warmed tortillas, optional

  1  Mist a slow cooker with cooking spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker. In a large bowl, mix remaining ingredients except for optional rice or tortillas. Pour over chicken; turn to coat. Cover and cook on low until chicken is falling-apart tender, 3 to 5 hours.

  2  Turn slow cooker to warm and, using two forks, shred chicken. Serve over rice or with warmed tortillas, if desired.

  Serves 6. From Lacey Houseman, myrecipes.com

SHAWN’S FAMOUS AVOCADO SLAW

• 2 jalapeños( diced)

• 6 garlic cloves (diced)

• 1 bunch of cilantro( chopped)

• 1 bunch of green onions (thinly sliced)

• 2 packages of angel hair shredded cabbage

• 4 avocados (cubed)

• 4-5 limes (halved and squeezed)

• A pinch of pepper

• A pinch of seas alt

  1  Mix jalapeños, garlic, cilantro, and green onions. Toss cabbage with the above ingredients in a large bowl. Wet cabbage mixture with 4 of the 5 freshly squeezed lime halves. Fold in cubed avocados, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Finish the dish with more fresh lime to taste.

  2  Serve with tortilla chips, over chicken, or as a solo slaw.

  Serves 10-15. From Shawn Gudgel. Mother and grandmother of Lincolnites.

Here are some additional recipes that will have you being the talk of the party!

Greek Yogurt Dip & Veggies

Ranch and veggies are a great taste pairing and common fixture of most football parties. But store-bought ranch bottles are unfortunately often loaded with hydrogenated oil, salt, sugar, and other unwanted preservatives.

Ditch the fat and sugar-laden ranch dressing bottle and prepare a protein-packed alternative. Simply mix plain Greek yogurt and a dry ranch packet. Pair with fresh veggies, including broccoli, cauliflower, carrot sticks, cucumber, and pepper slices.

Bell peppers (orange, red, yellow, green), whipped cream cheese, Everything Bagel seasoning. Cut peppers into wide slices, spread cream cheese on slices, sprinkle with Everything Bagel seasoning.

Salami & Cream Cheese Rollups are super simple! Mix 1 tsp of horseradish with 4 ounces of cream cheese, and mix thoroughly. Line the center of salami slices with the mixture and roll up. Easy peasy! Use a toothpick to keep the rollup, rolled!

Parmesan Cheese Crisps

• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 tsp. of your favorite herb or spice blend, such as thyme, Italian seasoning or rosemary (optional)

  1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

  2 Grate half of the Parmesan cheese using the fine holes of a box grater to create a grated consistency.

  3 Grate the other half of the Parmesan cheese using the side of the box grater that makes long shreds of cheese.

  4 Mix the cheeses together.

  5 Drop heaping tablespoons of the grated Parmesan on the parchment paper to make neat mounds, about 2 inches in size.

  6 Repeat with the remaining Parmesan, placing each spoonful about 1 inch apart.

  7 Bake in the oven for 6 minutes until golden.

  8 Cool slightly and loosen with a metal spatula. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 16-20 crisps; 2 crisps counts as 1 serving. Recipe from Palm South Beach Diet.

Low-carb Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

• Large baking sheet

• Tablespoon cookie scoop

• Mixing bowl

• 1 pound white mushrooms wash, pat dry, and remove stems (reserve stems)

• 8 ounces cream cheese

• ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated

• 2 cloves garlic use a press for the most flavor

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• ½ black pepper

• ¼ celery salt

• ¼ paprika

• ¼ cayenne pepper

• ½ onion powder

• ½ garlic powder

  1 Wash and clean your mushrooms well in cool water, gently pop out the stems, and set them aside.

  2 Press your 2 cloves of garlic, and chop reserved mushroom stems.

  3 Heat a skillet with olive oil. Sautee your garlic, and mushrooms until the juices are mainly evaporated.

  4 Remove your pan from heat, and let you veggies cool. Once your veggies are cool add you cream cheese directly to your pan (so you don’t have to dirty another bowl, and so you can absorb all the extra flavoring) mix well. Add your spices, and shredded Parmesan cheese. I found using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop worked best!!

  5 Line your mushrooms on a non-greased baking sheet, add a little mixture to each. Bake for 20 minutes in a 350° F heated oven. Enjoy!

Makes 24 mushrooms. Recipe from Savvy Saving Couple.

Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders with Garlic Butter

• 1 package (12 rolls) sweet Hawaiian rolls

• 1 lb cooked deli ham, thinly sliced (leftover holiday ham works well!)

• 16 slices havarti cheese, sliced

  Butter Sauce:

• 8 tbsp (1 stick, 120g) unsalted butter, melted

• 1 tsp (5 mL) Worcesteshire sauce

• 1/2 tbsp (8g) dijon mustard

• 1 tbsp (9g) poppyseeds

• 1 tbsp (9g) white sesame seeds

• 1/2 tbsp (5g) garlic powder

• 1/2 tbsp dried minced onion

• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

  1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  2 Using a sharp serrated bread knife, carefully slice the rolls in half horizontally. Place the bottom half of the rolls into a 9x13 baking dish.

  3 Layer cheese over the bottom of the rolls, then layer ham fully over the cheese. Repeat cheese and ham, ending with a last layer of cheese. Cover with the top half of the rolls. Optionally, you can cut the individual rolls now to separate the sliders and have the butter sauce penetrate between each sandwich better.

  4 In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, garlic powder, poppyseeds, sesame seeds, minced onion, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in parsley, if using.

  5 Slowly pour the butter sauce over the rolls, using a pastry brush or spoon to evenly spread the mixture over the tops. Let the sauce drip down the sides to the bottom, this is needed for crispiness,

  6 Cover the baking dish with foil and bake covered for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until tops are slightly crispy and toasty.

  7 Serve the hot sliders immediately.

Serves 12. Recipe by Sweet and Thyme.

One pan Turkey Cheese Melt Slider

• 12 slider buns, split

• 24 thin turkey slices

• 8 thin Swiss cheese slices, ripped into 3-4 pieces each

• 2 1/2 - 3 cups homemade or store-bought coleslaw mix

• 4 ounces herbed chèvre cheese

• Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  1 Preheat oven to 350˚F.

  2 Place bottoms of slider buns in a 9X13 baking dish. Spread desired amount of dijon mustard on each bun.

  3 Place 2 slices of turkey, and desired amount of Swiss cheese pieces on each each bun. Top with desired amount of coleslaw mix (I used about a 1/4 cup per slider).

  4 Spread chèvre cheese on each cut side of the tops of the buns. Place on top of sandwiches.

  5 Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.

  6 While baking, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add parsley, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine, and set aside.

  7 Remove foil from the pan. Brush each bun with butter mixture. Bake, uncovered, for another ten minutes, until tops are golden. Serve immediately.

Makes 12 sandwiches. Recipe by Aberdeens Kitchen.

Cowboy Caviar

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar or to taste, see notes

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon Salt

• 1 pound Roma tomatoes seeded and diced

• 1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas drained and rinsed

• 15 ounces black beans drained and rinsed

• 11 ounces sweet corn

• 1 red onion diced

• 1 green bell pepper diced

• 1 red bell pepper diced

• 1 cup fresh cilantro or fresh parsley, chopped, from 1 bunch

  1 In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sugar, white wine vinegar, chili powder, and salt.

  2 Add tomatoes, black-eyed peas, beans, corn, red onion, and bell peppers. Stir to combine.

  3 Stir in cilantro. Cover and chill until serving time.

• Notes:

  Sugar: Please feel free to reduce the amount of sugar or omit it entirely. If you want to reduce it, mix the dressing with just a tablespoon of sugar to start, taste it, and go from there.

  Extra sweet corn: Regular canned sweet corn or frozen corn may be substituted for the extra sweet corn. The closest measurement for either option is 3/4 cup, but feel free to use the whole 15-ounce can of corn. If using canned corn, drain and rinse.

  Dried beans: Cook each bean variety separately, as cooking times may vary depending on size and age of the dried bean. You need to cook 1/2 to 3/4 cup of dried beans for every 15-ounce can of beans the recipe calls for.

  Vinegar: Use apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar if that's what you have.

  Onions: 1 white, yellow, or sweet onion, or a bunch of green onions may be substituted for the red onion.

  Avocado: Avocado is good with everything. The avocados may darken over time, so the salad may not last as long in the refrigerator.

  Spicy: Add a few chopped seeded jalapeños or serranos to the salad for a little kick.

  Italian dressing: If you want to use Italian dressing (many readers have) just don't make the vinaigrette in this recipe. Start with using about 1 cup of dressing, taste it, and see if you think you need more.

Makes 12 servings. Recipe by Culinary Hill.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

• 3-3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder

• 1 cup chopped sweet onion (1 large)

• 6 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 (12 ounce) bottle chili sauce

• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground pepper

  1 Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut pork to fit a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker. Place the pork, onion, and garlic in the slow cooker. Combine chili sauce, brown sugar, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour over the pork in the cooker.

  2 Cover and cook on Low for 10 to 11 hours or on High for 5 to 6 hours. Remove the pork from the cooker, reserving juices. Using two forks, shred the pork, discarding any fat. Skim the fat from the juices. Add enough juices to the pork to moisten. Place 2-cup portions of the pork in airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Makes 12 servings. Recipe from Diabetic Living Magazine.

Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip

• 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

• 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, cut into cubes

• 8 ounces reduced-fat sour cream

• ½ cup shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese

• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

• 4 cups sliced vegetables, such as carrots and bell peppers

• 16 slices whole-wheat baguette (1/2 inch thick), toasted

  1 Combine spinach, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, sour cream, mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper in a 4-quart slow cooker. Cook on High for 2 hours. Stir and serve with sliced vegetables and baguette slices.

Makes 16 servings. Recipe by Carolyn Casner.

Slow Cooker Turkey Nachos

• 1 ½ pounds bone-in, skinless turkey breast

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)

• 2 tablespoons chili powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

• 1 ½ cups pico de gallo

• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 6 ounces multigrain baked tortilla chips

• 2 ounces queso fresco (fresh Mexican cheese), crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

  1 Season the turkey with the pepper, and place in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add the lime juice, chili powder, cumin, honey, garlic, 1 cup of the pico de gallo, and 1/4 cup of the cilantro. Cover and cook on LOW until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast and not touching the bone registers 165 degrees F, 3 to 4 hours.

  2 Turn the slow cooker to WARM. Using 2 forks, shred the turkey in the slow cooker; discard the bones. Arrange the tortilla chips on a serving platter. Sprinkle the turkey mixture evenly over the tortilla chips using a slotted spoon. Top with the cheese and remaining 1/2 cup pico de gallo and 1/4 cup cilantro.

Makes 6 servings. Recipe by Cooking Light.

Air Fryer Buffalo Wings

• 1 ½ teaspoons paprika

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon ground pepper

• 3 ½ to 4 pounds chicken wings, separated if necessary

• ½ cup Buffalo-style hot sauce (such as Frank's RedHot)

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• ¼ cup ranch dressing

• 2 carrots, cut into sticks

• 1 stalk celery, cut into sticks

  1 Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees F. Combine paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper in a large bowl. Add wings and toss to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes.

  2 Add half of the wings to the air-fryer basket; cook for 15 minutes. Turn the wings; continue to cook until they're crispy and a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 165 degrees F, about 5 minutes. Arrange the wings in a single layer on a baking sheet; transfer to the oven to keep warm. Repeat the process with the remaining wings.

  3 Cook hot sauce and butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking often, until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.

  4 Transfer the wings to a large bowl. Add the butter sauce and toss to coat. Serve alongside ranch dressing, carrots and celery.

Makes 4 servings. Recipe by Robin Bashinsky.

Beef Taco Chili

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2-1/2 cups water

• 2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

• 2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce

• 2-1/2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 envelope taco seasoning

• 2 tablespoons chili powder

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 2 teaspoons baking cocoa

• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon Louisiana-style hot sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• Optional toppings: Sour cream, tortilla strips and sliced jalapenos

  1 Cook beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, 5-7 minutes; crumble beef; drain. Transfer to a 4-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the next 7 ingredients.

  2 Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or until heated through. Serve with toppings if desired.

Makes 6 servings. Recipe by Taste of Home.

Keto Buffalo Chicken Dip

• 1 8 ounce block Neufchatel or cream cheese

• ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

• ⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce more if you like it spicy

• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken

• Snipped chives to top (optional)

  1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, and buffalo sauce until well incorporated.

  2 Transfer mixture to an 8X8 Pyrex, pie plate or casserole dish and bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbling. Broil for one minute (watch carefully!) to brown and crisp the top.

  3 Serve with low carb veggies like celery or tortilla chips.

Makes 6 servings. Recipe by Momma Fit Lyndsey.

Chunky Guacamole

• 2 firm-ripe avocados, diced (1 1/2 cups)

• 1/3 cup chopped red onion

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• Salt

  1 In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and toss gently to combine.

Makes 6 servings. Recipe by Ellie Krieger.

Parmesan Zucchini

• 1 lb. zucchini quartered and cut into sticks

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Cooking spray

  1 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.

  2 Place the zucchini in a bowl. Add the olive oil and toss to coat.

  3 Add the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese and toss until zucchini is coated.

  4 Arrange the zucchini spears in a single layer on the sheet pan.

  5 Bake for 10-15 minutes or until browned and zucchini is tender. Serve immediately with marinara sauce if desired.

• Note: Italian seasoned breadcrumbs may be substituted instead of using the combination of plan breadcrumbs with dried Italian seasoning.

Makes 4 servings. Recipe by Sara Welch.

Caprese Salad Kabobs

• 24 grape tomatoes

• 12 cherry-size fresh BelGioioso Fresh Mozzarella Cheese balls

• 24 fresh basil leaves

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

  1 On each of 12 appetizer skewers, alternately thread 2 tomatoes, 1 cheese ball and 2 basil leaves. Whisk olive oil and vinegar; drizzle over kabobs.

Makes 12 Kabobs. Recipe from Taste of Home.