20+ Best Bite-Sized Tailgating Snacks Even the Kids Will Love

• Preheat oven to 400°. Grease inside of a 8” springform pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together butter, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper flakes. 
• On a lightly floured surface, unroll pizza dough and cut into 1”-x-2” rectangles.
• Brush top of each with butter mixture, then wrap each cocktail weiner in pizza dough and pinch seam shut. 
• Place pigs in blanket standing upright in springform pan. They should be snug, but not too tightly packed together. (Otherwise dough won’t bake!) Brush top with remaining melted butter mixture. 
• Bake until golden, 50 to 55 minutes.
• Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. 
• Serve warm with dipping sauces.

• Preheat your broiler on low. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• On the baking sheet, build a small spiral of 15 chips, stacking them close together in a 3-inch circle. Repeat to make a total of 6 piles.
• Sprinkle ¼ cup chicken and 2 tablespoons black beans on top of each pile of chips. Top each with ½ cup shredded cheese.
• Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook until the cheese is totally melted, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven.
• Top each pile with 2 tablespoons scallions, a few jalapeño slices, 2 tablespoons avocado, 2 tablespoons salsa and 1 tablespoon sour cream. Serve immediately.

• Preheat oven to 375°F; lightly grease 2 (12-cup) muffin pans.
• Cook ground chuck and onion in a large skillet over medium heat until beef is browned and crumbly; drain. Stir in refried beans, taco seasoning mix, and 1/4 cup water; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until thickened.
• Line muffin cups with wonton wrappers; top each with 1 Tbsp meat mixture and 1 Tbsp cheese. Lightly press down and place a second wonton wrapper over cheese. Top with 1 Tbsp meat mixture and 1 Tbsp cheese.
• Bake 15 minutes or until edges of wontons are browned and crisp. Top with sour cream and salsa.

• Use a small round cutter to create mini rounds from larger flour tortillas. Bake at 350 degrees for 3-5 minutes or until toasted.
• When cooled enough to handle, spread on refried beans and top with diced tomatoes. Sprinkle with cheese. Dice cilantro and green onions and add on top.
• In a grill pan, saute the shrimp in 1 tablespoon olive oil with fajita seasoning and black pepper until thoroughly cooked.
• Top each tostada bite with a sauteed shrimp.
• Keep warm on a baking sheet in a warm oven.

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash the potatoes and rub them evenly with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. Remove potatoes from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
• Turn the oven to 450°F.
• Cut each potato in half lengthwise and use a small spoon to gently scoop out the insides, leaving about 1/8-inch potato on the skin walls. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Brush all over each potato skin with the olive oil mixture, inside and out.
• Place the potato skins face down on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the potatoes over on the skin side and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
• Sprinkle the insides of the potato skins evenly with the shredded cheese and crumbled bacon. Return to oven and broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Transfer the potato skins to a serving dish and top each one with a small dollop of sour cream and a few green onion slices. Serve & enjoy!

Make The Mac And Cheese

• Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan (I used a 3 quart), melt butter over medium to medium-low heat. Once melted, add the flour and whisk constantly for about 3 minutes, until thickened and nutty. This is called a roux.
• Gradually, add the milk, stirring until there are no lumps. Increase heat to medium and bring to a light simmer, whisking. It will thicken up.
• Add the cheese and stir until melted and incorporated. Stir in the cooked pasta. Let cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Make the Mac and Cheese Bites

• Form 1.5 inch balls with the cold mac and cheese, pressing to make them compact. Lay them on a sheet pan and put it back in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Note: they need to stay a bit cold (but not frozen) so they retain their shape well.
• Prepare your breading station: In a shallow bowl, add the flour. Then, in a second shallow bowl, whisk the eggs. In a third shallow bowl, combine the panko bread crumbs, Italian bread crumbs, and 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
• Get the oil ready: Heat the vegetable oil (3 to 4 inches deep, or enough for the mac and cheese bites to fully submerge) in a deep large Dutch oven until the oil’s temperature reaches 360 to 375 degrees F. Tip: Use a candy thermometer to measure the oil’s temperature.
• While the oil is heating, assemble the mac and cheese bites: coat each ball in flour first, then the whisked eggs, and then the bread crumb mixture. Press slightly to make sure the bread crumbs adhere well.
• Deep fry: Fry in small batches for about 3 minutes or until evenly golden brown. Tip: every time you add food into the oil, the temperature drops. Increase the heat to get it back closer to 360-375 degrees F.
• Transfer to a large plate lined with paper towel to drain excess oil. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

• Combine the beef, breadcrumbs, milk, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a large bowl and knead the mixture together with your hands. Roll into heaping-tablespoon-size balls.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes; remove to a plate. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning, until browned all over, about 1 minute. (You might have to do this in 2 batches.)
• Pour in the marinara sauce and return the onion to the skillet; gently stir. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
• When ready to serve, split the dinner rolls and sprinkle some mozzarella on the bottom rolls. Top each with a meatball, some sauce and more mozzarella and sandwich with the top rolls.

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Place a baking/wire rack over a baking sheet; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine thawed turkey burgers, bread crumbs, egg, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic and oregano.
• Using a wooden spoon, mix until well combined and thoroughly incorporated.
• Shape mixture into 1-inch balls and place on previously prepared baking sheet. You may have to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your baking sheet.
• Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until cooked through.

In the meantime, prepare the glaze.

• In a large, non-stick frying pan, combine brown sugar, white vinegar and rice vinegar.
• Add baked meatballs to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, turning meatballs once half way through cooking, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from frying pan. Serve.

• Place a tomato, basil leaf, and mozzarella ball on each toothpick. Place on a serving plate or tray.
• Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and garlic and drizzle over the appetizers. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• To eat, bite everything off the toothpick all at once.

• Heat a grill, grill corn (for fritters and topping) until slightly charred and cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove from cob.
• Heat about 1/4 inch of canola oil in a cast-iron skillet to 375 degrees,
• In a large bowl combine corn, green onion, onion, garlic, salt, flour and egg. Gently fold in lump crab meat, trying not to break up the pieces. If batter is too wet, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture can be formed into fritters or patties.
• Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop out and form into flat fritters. Fry 3-4 at a time in the oil, about 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
• In another bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, remaining corn, basil and crab meat. Season with salt and pepper.
• To assemble, top each fritter with a heaping tablespoon of ricotta, then top with corn, tomatoes and crab.

• Heat 2-3 inches of oil until 350 degrees F in a heavy bottomed pot or a deep fryer.
• Place sliced avocado, cilantro, and salt in a bowl and gently stir to combine.
• Place an egg roll wrapper on a clean, dry surface, angled towards you like a diamond.
• Put a few slices of avocado in the center of the wrapper, and top with a couple pieces of sun dried tomatoes.
• Using your finger dab a little water along the outer edges of the wrapper all the way around (to help seal the egg roll shut).
• Roll up the eggroll by folding up the bottom corner halfway to cover the avocado mixture. Fold the right and left sides of the wrapper towards the center, creating what looks like an open envelope. Roll the base of the envelope (folded portions) towards the remaining corner. Make sure all edges are sealed shut.
• Repeat with remaining egg roll wrappers until the avocado mixture is gone.
• Place the egg rolls one or two at a time in the hot oil, and cook until they are golden brown (approximately 2-3 minutes).
• Remove from oil to paper towels to drain. Cool slightly and cut and an angle.

For The Creamy Cilantro Ranch Dip

• Place all ingredients into a regular mouthed mason jar.
• Attach the rubber ring and blades of your blender to the top of the mason jar. Screw on tightly. Blend until smooth.
• Lasts up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Enjoy!

• If using breasts, make 1/3″/1cm deep, diagonal scores all over the surface of the meat and cut them into small pieces (1.5″/4cm squares), then marinade in the rest of the ingredient for approx 1 ~ 2 hours.
• When the meats are marinading, mix together all the ingredients in “spice mixture”.  Now, the MSG is optional. MSG is a must in the spice mixture.  Just like it is in almost ALL Asian savory street foods.
• Combine all the ingredients in the “breading” in a bowl.  The breading calls for tapioca flour and I’m afraid to say that this one isn’t negotiable.
• Mix 2/3 of a beaten egg into the chicken breasts and combine evenly, then toss them in the breading A FEW PIECES at a time.  Make sure each piece has an even coating of the breading.  Place the breaded chicken breasts on a baking rack and LET IT REST FOR 30 MIN.
• Preheat the oven on 300ºF/150ºC.  In a frying pot (hopefully comes with a basket and a lid), heat up 3 cups of canola oil (or more if needed) on medium high heat.  Test the temperature of the oil by sticking the end of a wooden chopstick into it.  If it bubbles up quickly along the side of the chopstick, the oil is ready.  DON’T CROWD THE FRYING POT.  Depending on the size of pot, only put as many pieces of chicken in at a time so that they still have rooms to move around in the pot.  Start frying the chicken 1 batch at a time until they turn golden brown on all sides.  Keep the done-batches warm in the preheated oven on a baking sheet when you are frying the next batch.
• When the meats are frying, finely mince 3 cloves of garlic and set in a big bowl.  
• When done frying all the chickens, keep’em warm in the oven, then take the frying basket out of the oil and place all the herbs in it.  With the lid on, drop the basket into the hot oil.  NOW.  This is why a LID is VERY IMPORTANT.  Herbs = a lot of water.  Water + hot grease = SPLATTER!  If you are looking for an excellent reason to renovate the kitchen, by all means leave the lid.  If you are using a dutch oven or whatever instead of a frying pot, then immediately put the lid on after herbs are dropped.  Either way, when the sizzling sound resides, that means the herbs are crispy.  It’s safe to open the lid now.  Lift the basket and add the crispy herbs to the minced garlic.
• Add the chicken to the garlic and herbs.  Sprinkle the spice mixture GENEROUSLY onto the chicken and toss to combine.  I like to serve these chicken poppers on the baking sheet to keep them warm.  Oh, and cayenne powder is more than welcome for sprinkling, too…

• cook the chicken according the packages directions. we used orange chicken without the sauce, because one of the lessons i learned from my first attempt was the frozen popcorn chicken i bought was shit. it wasn’t browned all the way around and it didn’t have a nice crunchy batter like the orange chicken does. so i recommend orange chicken!
• toast the waffles once the chicken has just a couple minutes left.
• assemble. that means put the chicken on top of the waffle, and stick a toothpick through. you knew that.
• liberally sprinkle salt, and MUCH more liberally sprinkle the herbs de provence. because this was my second lesson : the first batch was a little bland. i am a huge advocate of herbs de provence. i put it on almost everything. and i swear it made such a difference with these.
• drizzle the syrup on top and you’re ready to serve! told you that was easy.

• Hard boil eggs in an instant pot, air fryer, or on the stove top. Cool eggs completely.
• Peel eggs gently so the whites remain intact and slice in half lengthwise
• Remove the yolks and place in a medium bowl, place the whites on a serving platter.
• With a fork, mash the yolks into a fine crumble.
• Add mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper, mix until smooth.
• Just before serving, fill each egg white with the creamy yolk mixture with a spoon or a piping bag.
• Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and fresh dill weed.

Pretzel Bites

• Add warm water to bowl of stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over the water and gently combine together. Let mixture sit for 10 minutes until it's foaming. If there is no foam, that means the yeast is dead. This could be due to the water being too hot or the yeast being expired.
• Add flour and salt to mixture and stir with a dough hook until it forms a ball. If it is too sticky to the touch, add more flour, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is manageable. Once manageable, remove dough from bowl and place on floured surface.
• Begin to knead by hand for 5 minutes until the dough is soft. You can also do this in the stand mixer but I like kneading by hand so I can tell when the texture is right. When finished, place ball of dough in a large, greased bowl. Cover with damp paper towel and let rise for about an hour, or until doubled in size. Make sure to place in a warm, draft-free spot. I like to place my dough in the microwave.
• While the dough is rising you can prep the cheese dip. If you haven't shredded your cheese yet, do it now. Then jump down to the cheese instructions.
• Once the dough has risen, punch dough down with your fist. Turn out dough onto floured surface. Cut dough into 8 even wedges. Take one wedge and begin rolling into a log. Gradually increase the length of the log until it's about 12 inches long. Cut log into about 10 pieces. Set pieces aside or on floured sheet pan. Roll and cut remaining wedges.
• Prepare water bath for the pretzels. Place 8 cups of waters into a large sauce pan and heat to high. Once water is boiling, add brown sugar and, carefully, add baking soda. Stir to help the sugar and soda dissolve. Once dissolved, reduce heat to medium. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Gently add pretzel bites to water. Add as many that will fit without crowding the pan. Boil for 30 seconds and then flip to other side to boil for another 30 seconds. Remove bites and place on baking sheet.
• When all bites are done boiling, beat egg with 2 teaspoons of water. Brush mixture over each pretzel. Sprinkle each pretzel with a little coarse sea salt. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with beer cheese dip and veggies.

Beer Cheese Dip

• In medium saucepan, whisk eggs, evaporated milk, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and half of shredded cheese. Place on medium heat until it begins to warm up. Add amber beer and cornstarch mixture. Whisk quickly until completely incorporated and cheese has melted.
• While whisking, slowly add remaining cheese. Keep whisking until it has melted completely. Cook sauce until it thickens, about 10 more minutes. Place on low heat until ready to serve.

• Preheat oven at 400 degrees, and lay frozen waffle fries in a single layer. Bake as directed on package.
• Combine cream cheese and shredded cheddar until well combined. If you need to add more of either cheese, you can do so. This is a very forgiving recipe.
• Once waffle fries are cooked, remove them and place a dollop of cheese mixture on top of fries. Return to oven at 350 degrees, for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• Remove fries from oven and place a slice of bacon on top of the cheese so it adheres to the melted cheese.
• Serve warm, with sour cream on the side if desired.

• Start by making the Remoulade sauce. Mix together all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate.
• In a large bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, Creole seasoning, onion powder, baking powder, baking soda, red pepper and green onions.
• Add the egg, buttermilk, and beer and stir to mix.
• Gently mix in crab meat. Let sit 10 minutes.
• Pour 2 inches of oil into a Dutch oven. Heat oil to 360 degrees.
• Working in batches, drop batter by tablespoonfuls into hot oil. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven.
• Serve with sauce.

• Preheat the oven to 400°F
• Blend cream cheese with lemon zest. Roll the puff pastry out on a floured surface into a 6in x 10in rectangle and spread the cream cheese over. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into 10 long, thin strips.
• Wrap one pastry strip in a spiral around each asparagus spear and place onto a baking tray. Lightly brush each with beaten egg and sprinkle the cheese on top.
• Bake the cigars in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry has risen and is golden-brown.

• Whisk eggs and milk together.
• Coat each piece of cheese with flour, then dip in egg and then roll in bread crumbs.
• Dip in egg and crumbs again.
• Freeze before frying.
• Heat oil in skillet and cook sticks for about a minute on each side, or until golden and before cheese starts to leak.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Serve with sauce for dipping.

• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Place the eggs and milk in a small bowl, and whisk until thoroughly combined.
• Place the breadcrumbs on a plate or in a shallow bowl.
• Dip each ravioli into the egg mixture, then roll into the breadcrumbs. Repeat the process with all of the raviolis. Place the raviolis in a single layer on the sheet pan.
• Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep pot to 350 degrees F.
• Add 6-8 ravioli to the pan, and fry for 3-4 minutes or until browned all over. 
• Repeat the process with the remaining raviolis.
• Sprinkle with parmesan and parsley, and serve with marinara sauce for dipping.