45 Super Tasty Tailgate Recipes To Make Ahead For Game Day

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels

Imagine all the best flavors of buffalo chicken dip rolled into one delicious bite, and you'd get Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels. 

Recipe: Pepper-Pepper Cheese Dip

This creamy dip is topped with bacon and pepper jelly for the ultimate game day combination. 

Recipe: Sloppy Cola Joe Dogs

Spicy, fruity cola gives the ground beef in this recipe a lively boost of flavor. 

Recipe: Buffalo-Style Sweet Potato Waffle Fries

This flavorful tailgate recipe starts with a bag of store-bought waffle-cut sweet potato fries. 

Recipe: Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Serve this tasty dip with crackers, radishes, or fresh broccoli for a surefire crowd-pleaser. 

Recipe: Party-Perfect Meatballs

Party-perfect, indeed! Game day isn't truly complete without a scrumptious meatball recipe on the table.  

Recipe: Basic Deviled Eggs

Simplicity is key in this tasty make-ahead recipe. It comes together with just 5 ingredients in less than 20 minutes. 

Recipe: Dry-Rubbed Smoked Chicken Wings

Cooked low and slow, these tender wings are sure to be a hit at your next tailgate feast. 

Recipe: Greek Stuffed Peppers

Regardless of where game day takes you, this delicious dish is easy to grab, go, and serve. 

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Beef Sliders with Pickled Peppers

You can turn that slow cooker on the night before game day to make sure these pickled pepper-topped puppies are ready to be toted over to the tailgate. 

Recipe: Bacon-Pimiento Guacamole

In our opinion, the only thing that can make guacamole even better is the addition of pimientos and bacon—but that's just us. 

Recipe: Baked BLT Dip

Creamy, cheesy, bacony, and oh-so bubbly, this dip will have the whole tailgate doing victory dances. Top with lettuce and cherry tomatoes to make it look just like the sandwich. 

Recipe: Sweet-and-Salty Autumn Snack Mix

This perfect munch mix is filled with cereal, bite-size pretzels, candy-coated peanut-butter candies, mini marshmallows, and a yummy butter mixture that includes brown sugar and honey. What can go wrong? 

Recipe: Tex-Mex Deviled Eggs 

Classic deviled eggs get a festive spin from cilantro, serrano peppers, chili powder, and cheese. 

Recipe: Warm Cheese-and-Spicy Pecan Dip

We'll never turn down cheese dip, especially when it comes filled with three types of cheese and topped with homemade spiced nuts.

Recipe: Ham-and-Cheese Sliders

Southerners will instantly recognize this handheld staple, made with ham, cheese, Hawaiian rolls, and a homemade cheesy cream sauce.

Recipe: Smoky Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

Smoked paprika gives all the flavor to this hummus recipe made with  black-eyed peas instead of chickpeas. Top with extra olive oil, lemon zest, and paprika before serving. 

Recipe: Georgia-Style Boiled Peanuts

This easy snack is always a crowd-pleaser at a Southern tailgate. Make them in a slow cooker and haul it over to the tailgate to keep the boiled peanuts warm all day. 

Recipe: Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

Because sometimes firing up the grill just isn't an option. Pop these wings in the oven and get all the flavor with way less hassle. 

Recipe: Classic Pimiento Cheese

Need we say more? It's not a Southern day party without at least one batch of pimiento cheese. Hot tip: Serve with crackers and a jar of Wickles on the side. 

Recipe: Brownie Cookies

Hard choices aren't to be made on game day—so get the best of both worlds with this recipe that combines the sweet outer crunch of a cookie with the rich decadence of a brownie. Oh, and did we mention it all starts with a box of brownie mix?

Recipe: Muddy Buddy Mix

Similar to its sweet sibling, puppy chow mix, this recipe gives chocolate and peanut butter lovers the ultimate game day snack option. Just a handful of ingredients and about ten minutes, and you're there.

Recipe: Warm Spinach-Sweet Onion Dip with Country Ham

Every party needs a spinach dip on the lineup, and this one goes fully Southern with the addition of sweet onions and country ham. Can you say yum? 

Recipe: Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is hands-down the most crowd-pleasing dip recipe for when you're feeding a group of hungry Southerners. It's melty, creamy, cheesy, chicken-filled, and packed with a kick of buffalo flavor. 

Recipe: Spicy Bisquick Sausage Balls

Did someone say sausage balls? We can hear the people running from other tailgates already. This recipe spices it up a notch with hot pork sausage and pepper Jack cheese.

Recipe: Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies

Filled with all the most delicious ingredients like chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and pecans, this reader-favorite cookie recipe makes a big enough batch to feed your crowd all day long. 

Recipe: Rotel Dip

We know that you know this dip—because it might be the most popular game day dip of all time. This recipe gives you the perfect ratio of cheese, meat, chiles, and tomatoes, which are all cooked and served warm in your slow cooker. 

Recipe: Party Poppers

Stuffed with a cream cheese mixture and wrapped in thick-cut bacon, these jalapeño poppers are guaranteed to get the party going. 

Recipe: Chicken Tenders with Jalapeño-Mustard Dipping Sauce

Grab your favorite store-bought or drive-thru chicken fingers and pair them with fun game-day skewers and our easy three-ingredient spicy mustard dipping sauce.

Recipe: Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad

Say hello to the most dependable pasta salad this side of the Mason-Dixon. Everyone loves the simple combination of broccoli, grapes, pecans, and bacon. 

Recipe: Smoked Sausage Pretzel Bites

We upgraded your classic pigs in a blanket with spicy smoked sausage, pretzel dough, and a complementary Creole honey mustard dip to serve alongside it. 

Recipe: Pecan-Praline Dip

Who said dips need to be exclusively savory? This sweet dip is made with butter, brown sugar, and toasted pecans—plus, vanilla wafers for dipping. 

Recipe: Salted Caramel Popcorn

Popcorn is an easy snack to bulk up the tailgate table, and this recipe makes it even more exciting with the addition of a sweet coating of salted caramel. 

Recipe: Sweet Heat Hot Dogs with Peach Ginger Slaw

It doesn't get any more classic than having a hot dog on game day, and this recipe gets its signature sweet heat from sweet-hot pickles and a crunchy slaw. 

Recipe: Pecan Pie Bars

These chewy, bite-size bars require just 20 minutes of prep time.

Recipe: Beer-Cheese Fondue

We upped the ante on this popular dip by using dry mustard, Gruyère, Cheddar, Worcestershire sauce, and a lager beer. Serve with sliced cooked bratwurst for extra fun.

Recipe: Potato Salad with Sweet Pickles

Much like everyone's beloved old-fashioned potato salad, this recipe gets a little extra personality for the tailgate from sweet pickles. Only six more ingredients and you're there.

Recipe: Mini Muffulettas

You can easily make these mini muffuletta sliders the day before the party. Just assemble, place in zip-top plastic freezer bags, and refrigerate overnight. Store-bought craft paper and simple twine create clever sandwich wrappers.

Recipe: Smoked-Tomato Salsa

What's a party without salsa? Make yours one to remember.

Recipe: Coconut Cheesecake Squares

Lemon bars just met their biggest competition. Made with sweet coconut and creamy cheesecake filling, these bar cookies are bound to disappear well before kickoff. 

Recipe: Baked Goat Cheese Spread with Pepper Jelly

There's nothing more Southern than literally anything topped with red pepper jelly—but we can't help but be partial to a melty goat cheese dip.

Recipe: Fried Chicken Sliders with Pimiento Cheese

Store-bought chicken fingers and buns make a tasty duo when spread with our quick pimiento cheese recipe. It makes a hearty option for any tailgate.

Recipe: Bacon-Cheese Dip

Keep your game day party easy by making this tasty dip ahead of time.

Recipe: Ham-Stuffed Biscuits With Mustard Butter

Yeast biscuits—also called angel or bride's biscuits—hold together well, so they're a good choice to serve at gatherings. The so-Southern combination of ham and biscuits is always a hit!