How about wings? Here's a link to a recent request I made for wing recipes. They're terrific!

Here is a link that might be useful: buffalo wings for a herd of boys

Hey, Wendy! Since you've got the main dishes covered, I'll throw an appetizer suggestion. This one has been around forever with endless variations. But it's been my experience that for things like tailgate parties, the "classics" always seem to go over best.

PIZZA DIP

1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp. dried oregano (I'm generous with that)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 c. pizza sauce (again, I probably use a little more)
1/4 c. chopped pepperoni slices
1/4 c. chopped onion or green onion
1/4 c. chopped bell pepper
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix first 4 ingredients until smooth and well-blended. Spread into a 9" pie plate. Top with pizza sauce. Sprinkle pepperoni, onion and bell pepper evenly over the top. (You could do this in advance and refrigerate, storing the grated cheese in a separate container.)

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. (If it's straight out of the fridge, you might need to add a couple of min.) Remove and sprinkle mozzarella on top. Return to the oven for approx. 5 minutes, until cheese melts and dip is bubbly.

You can serve this with anything from tostitos to baguette slices to breadsticks to Ritz crackers.

NOTES: Just like pizza, you can personalize this in a number of ways to suit your crowd. Basil can be used in place of oregano, you can do a little of both or you can sub Italian seasoning. If 'crunchy' doesn't do it for you, saute the veggies in a little olive oil. If some hate onions or bell peppers, you can omit and increase the other toppings. Other nice additions are black olives and mushrooms. If you want something heartier, adding a layer of spicy bulk sausage (cooked and crumbled) on top of the cream cheese base is great. If you have college kids who are joining you for the festivities, they'll go nuts over that. Needless to say, the real secret is to use homemade pizza sauce. Takes about 15 minutes to throw together, and it's sooo worth the little extra effort! (If you don't have a favorite recipe, I'll be happy to post a good one.)

Have fun!

sm

Thought I'd add another idea for you - yesterday we were at a party and I brought a brushetta that worked really nicely. I pretoasted the bread slices, brought the tomato/onion/basil mixture in a bowl and shaved parm in another. I put them together quickly when we arrived. Big hit, tasty, easy, colorful and healthy (the 4 things I look for in almost everything I make).

AM

Thanks so much. I am going to try that pizza dip for sure. That's a great idea. As is the bruschetta. I might try that next game.

Wendy

Recipes I used for tail gates...years ago.

Snackers
1 ring Dutch Balogna ( about a pound )
2 medium yellow onions ( about the size of a baseball)
Slice and layer in a crock or straight sided bowl
In a sauce pan place 1 c. cider vinegar, 1 cup water and 3/4 c sugar and 1 tsp mustard seed ( whole). Bring to a boil and pour over meat and let stand un-refrigerated for 24 hours. Serve with cocktail rye.

Savory Blue Cheese Tart
1 10 inch unbaked pie shell
½ cup chopped pecans
6 Oz cream cheese
2 eggs
4 Oz Maytag blue cheese
½ cup milk
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp corn starch
Ripe olives and chives to garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle nuts in the bottom of
pie shell. Mix the next 6 ingredients in a blender or food processor and pour slowly into the crust. Garnish with sliced ripe olives and chopped chives. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until set.
Cool and refrigerate 2 hours, cut into 12 wedges and arrange
on a platter

I just made Woodie's pasta salad a couple of weekends ago for a pool/birthay party. I'd wait and add the dressing the next day at the game. We love it as a side for various things.

Woodie's Pasta Salad

CF-Woodie

1 lb small shell macaroni, cooked and drained
1/2 pound provolone cheese, diced
1/2 pound salami, diced
1/2 pound pepperoni, cut in half lengthwise then sliced into small half rounds
3 pounds tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 green or red pepper, diced
1 can black olives
1 jar pimento stuffed green olives
1 red onion, diced

DRESSING
3/4 cup oil
1/2 cup vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon basil
celery salt to taste

Mix dressing and pour over pasta, refrigerate until serving.

If you and your group like onion dip this one from Ina Garten is great. Remember that one with the onion soup mix and sour cream?

This retro dip recipe from Ina is always a hit when I make it. We always used the Lipton package and sour cream back in the day....this recipe tops that by a mile or more.

Pan-Fried Onion DipCopyright, 1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, All rights reserved

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Soup Lunch

Ingredients

2 large yellow onions 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup good mayonnaise Directions Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds. (You will have about 3 cups of onions.) Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

Note: I chop the onions as I/we find the sliced ones messy and hard to keep on a chip or off your chin while eating it. Double the recipe for sure...it won't last long.

I'm more than ready for the season to kick off this weekend! Go Redskins(H.S.), Sooners(College), and my Vikings!!

David