Top Tailgating Recipes

From chips and dips to jalapeno poppers to easy-to-pack snacks, Food Network has your game-day tailgating spread covered.

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Cowboy Nachos

A marinated beef brisket is the basis for quite of few of Ree Drummond's favorite meals. Use it to top broiled layers of tortilla chips with spicy beans, cheese and pico de gallo. The whole thing gets broiled until the cheese melts and then all you have to do is dig in.

Get the Recipe: Cowboy Nachos

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Brie

Toss shredded rotisserie chicken with Buffalo wing sauce, then grill atop a small wheel of Brie until the cheese is melty and ready for crackers. What's not to love?

Get the Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Brie

Berried Beer Punch

Get festive with your beer supply and make a batch of Sunny Anderson's fruity beer punch for your game-day crowd.

Get the Recipe: Beer Punch

Grilled Egg-and-Cheese-Stuffed Breakfast Fatty

Athletes aren't the only ones who need to fuel up for game day. When tailgating starts in the morning, you need something hearty to get you through the day. This epic breakfast sandwich, which contains all the good stuff—bacon, sausage, cheese, ham and eggs—served on a cinnamon bun, will do the trick.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Egg-and-Cheese-Stuffed Breakfast Fatty

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Are you a fan of crispy cookies or do you cheer for chewy chocolate chip rounds? This recipe is perfect for both: the bars along the edges are golden-brown, but the center cuts are rich and gooey.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Charleston Cheese Dip

Trisha Yearwood's dip brings a triple dose of cheese to the party: It's made with a combo of Monterey Jack, sharp cheddar and cream cheese.

Get the Recipe: Charleston Cheese Dip

Roasted Jalapeno Poppers

A three-cheese blend of smoked pepper cheese, feta and cream cheese fill Rachael's poppers. The smoky cheese and the roasted jalapenos make for a delicious and easy-to-eat appetizer.

Get the Recipe: Roasted Jalapeno Poppers

Artichoke and Bacon Dip

Giada De Laurentiis bakes easy homemade pita chips spiced with cumin and chili powder to scoop up her creamy, crowd-pleasing dip.

Get the Recipe: Warm Artichoke and Bacon Dip

Baked Ziti

If you're having kids at your tailgating party, Ree's kid-friendly baked ziti is packed with ground beef and Italian sausage, plus a combination of Parmesan, mozzarella and ricotta cheese. Crushed red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning add just the right amount of spice that kids will still enjoy.

Get the Recipe: Baked Ziti

Spiked Lemonade

Anne Burrell's classic adult cocktail pairs lemon juice with bourbon. Sweeten sour lemon juice with simple syrup and make it as tart or as sugary as you like. Throw in a few mint leaves just for fun.

Get the Recipe: Spiked Lemonade

Fantasy Footballs

The trick to making perfectly shaped, football cake pops? Don’t skip the step where these pops chill out in the freezer. It gives you a chance to smooth their shape before you dip them in melted chocolate.

Get the Recipe: Fantasy Footballs

Doritos Fried Mac and Cheese

These gooey, homemade mac and cheese bites boast two times the flavor: Nacho cheese-dusted chips flavor the creamy sauce as well as the crunchy, deep-fried coating.

Get the Recipe: Doritos Fried Mac and Cheese

Chili Mac

You want to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible during the game. Rachael Ray's meaty chili with macaroni noodles and a heap of smoky vegetables seasoned with an original blend of spices is ready with just 15 minutes' prep time.

Get the Recipe: Chili Mac

Charred Corn Guacamole

The key to Bobby's guacamole is grilling the corn until it's slightly charred. Combine the corn with mashed avocados, onions and lime juice, then dip in with fried corn chips or warm flour tortillas.

Get the Recipe: Charred Corn Guacamole with Corn Chips

Three-Cheese and Artichoke Calzones

Pecorino, fontina and ricotta cheese are blended with frozen artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes, creating a creamy filling for Giada's rustic calzones. You can make one big calzone with your store-bought dough or turn it into individual portions.

Get the Recipe: Three Cheese and Artichoke Calzones

Sticky Onion Crunch Wings

Sunny douses her wings in a sweet and spicy hoisin sauce and adds just the right amount of horseradish for a bit of kick. The hoisin sauce creates a sweet and caramelized flavor. Sprinkle the fried wings with French-fried onions until they're fully coated.

Get the Recipe: Sticky Onion Crunch Wings

Enchilada Crescent Ring

Forget the tortillas! This flaky, golden ring of crescent dough is packed with all the cheesy, enchilada filling you’re craving — and it’s perfect for feeding a crowd.

Get the Recipe: Enchilada Crescent Ring

Grilled Tomato Salsa

Melissa d'Arabian's homemade salsa features charred tomatoes and garlic blended to make a nice chunky salsa. A grilled serrano chile gives the mixture a nice kick.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Tomato Salsa

Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls with Two Dipping Sauces

Bobby Flay shreds napa cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and more to fill spring roll wrappers. Pair them with garlic-soy or spicy-peanut dipping sauce.

Get the Recipe: Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls with Two Dipping Sauces

Taco Lasagna

A cross between two crowd-pleasing favorites, this lasagna is made by layering noodles, cheese and a salsa-based sauce. Choose a mild salsa to keep the lasagna kid-friendly — and a spicier salsa if you want to liven things up!

Get the Recipe: Taco Lasagna

Jalapeno-Cheddar Beer Bread

If no-fuss bread is your game, then Food Network Kitchen has the recipe for you. This one uses just a few ingredients, requires no rising time and has tons of savory flavor.

Get the Recipe: Jalapeno-Cheddar Beer Bread

Chorizo-Stuffed Mushrooms

Give these hand-held mushroom appetizers a Spanish twist by stuffing them with chorizo and Manchego cheese.

Get the Recipe: Stuffed Mushrooms (Hongos Rellenos de Chorizo)

Hoagie Dip

Work all of your favorite hoagie ingredients — deli meats and cheeses, shredded lettuce, pepperoncini — into a festive dip to serve in a bread bowl.

Get the Recipe: Mary Alice's Hoagie Dip

Pretzel Rolls

Guy Fieri's soft and chewy rolls are the perfect pairing for any sandwich.

Get the Recipe: Pretzel Rolls

Ina Garten's Guacamole

Ina whips up this avocado classic in just 15 minutes. Add a little or a lot of hot sauce depending on your taste.

Get the Recipe: Ina Garten's Guacamole

Italian Meatball Meatloaf Sandwiches

Rachael puts a new spin on the iconic American comfort food meatloaf. This meatloaf tastes like one giant Italian meatball, but it's easier to make because you don't need to roll individual balls: Simply serve slices on white loaf bread with onions, basil, tomato, fresh mozzarella and an Italian-style ketchup.

Get the Recipe: Italian Meatball Meatloaf Sandwiches

Philly Cheese Steak Pizzas

Two game-day favorites come together in this steak-and-cheese-topped pie.

Get the Recipe: Philly Cheesesteak Pizzas

Grilled Sausage With Spicy Sauce

Duff skewers kielbasa (or any smoked sausage) and grills it up to serve at his tailgate with a simple dip made of ketchup, spicy mustard and hot sauce.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Sausage with Spicy Sauce

PB&J Chocolate Bars

These sweet-and-salty bars are a perfect treat to make ahead and pack up for your tailgate.

Get the Recipe: Sarah's PB and J Chocolate Bars

Meatball Sandwiches

Meatballs are a sure-fire game-day favorite. Alton Brown makes homemade Parmesan-parsley biscuits to craft a meatball sandwich that is topped with spaghetti sauce and provolone cheese.

Get the Recipe: Meatball Sandwiches

Pork-Bellied Poppers

Use leftover pulled pork to make these meaty poppers from Food Network Magazine.

Get the Recipe: Pork-Bellied Poppers

Avocado Deviled Eggs

The ultimate tailgating mash-up, this easy-to-make recipe combines two game day favorites: guacamole and deviled eggs!

Get the Recipe: Avocado Deviled Eggs

Braised Brisket Tacos

The flavor of this beef roast is even better the day after you cook it so try making the brisket the night before the big game. Then, when you’re ready for tacos, just slice, reheat and serve.

Get the Recipe: Braised Brisket Tacos

Stuffed Green Peppers

If you’re looking for some hearty game day grub, this comfort food classic is a winner. Stuffed green bell peppers are easy to make ahead too: Fill the peppers in advance but wait to bake them until the day you want to serve them.

Get the Recipe: Stuffed Green Peppers

Gatorade Margaritas

Sports drinks aren’t just good for athletes looking to replenishing post-game — they’re surprisingly tasty in margaritas too!

Get the Recipe: Gatorade Margarita

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Zesty, creamy and packed with rotisserie chicken, this dip will remind you of your favorite hot wings — without all the napkins!

Get the Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Dip