It’s tailgating season! From Friday night lights to Saturdays cheering your favorite college team and Sundays rooting for the pros, fall gives us plenty of reasons to gather around good food. And while more is usually the merrier, hosting a few friends can quickly turn into a crew to feed.
Our secret to creating a crowd-pleasing spread on a budget? Building a tailgate around foods and ingredients that can feed a full team roster.
The Pregame
A winning tailgate starts before you head to the store. Check your pantry and fridge for ingredients you already have and choose recipes that share ingredients. A bit of planning can help you spend less, save time, and feed a crowd of hungry sports fans.
The Game Plan
Start with affordable ingredients that add flavor, color, and plenty of food to the table. Pantry staples like beans and rice, frozen veggies like corn, and seasonal produce can help stretch pricier ingredients while still building a spread everyone will want to dig into.
Look for ingredients that can play more than one position too. A family-size bag of tortilla chips can work for walking tacos and dippers for salsa and guacamole, while beans and corn can bulk up taco filling and make a hearty salsa.
Your Starting Lineup
Walking Tacos: The MVP
Walking tacos are all your favorite taco fixings served over crunchy corn chips, making them easy to eat and customize. Start with ground beef or turkey, stretch the servings by adding black beans and corn, then let everyone add their favorite toppings. Make the filling ahead and keep it hot in a slow cooker for easy serving. Instead of serving in individual bags, set out a platter of corn or tortilla chips and let everyone build their own tacos in a bowl or to-go container.
Confetti Bean Salsa: The Crowd Pleaser
Beans, corn, fresh green pepper, and salsa come together for an easy dip with plenty of color and crunch. As an additional bonus, those tortilla chips are already on the roster.
Guacamole with Green Peas: The Smart Swap
Avocados can get pricey when feeding a crowd. Blending them with green peas makes the guacamole go further while keeping the creamy texture everyone loves.
Pumpkin Dip: The Sweet Home Stretch
A low-sugar pumpkin dip brings fall flavor to the table without needing individual desserts. Serve it with Michigan apple slices or try it with budget-friendly dippers like pretzels or graham crackers.
Stay Out of the Danger Zone
Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold until it’s time to eat. Set out smaller portions as needed rather than leaving the entire spread sitting out, especially if your tailgate lasts beyond kickoff.
Browse the rest of our catalog for more game day recipes.
