Putting together a whole spread for your guests over the holidays can be quite a chore. Luckily, tailgaters know a thing or two about feeding a crowd a delicious meal quickly. So we thought to help you out over the holidays we’d put together some of our favorite tailgating snacks that we think would be perfect for the holidays. All of these tailgating snacks are fast and easy to make and please a hungry crowd.
Sweet And Salty Bites
Is there any flavor combination better than sweet and salty? We haven’t found one! These sweet and salty bites don’t just make great appetizers, they are also great for using your leftover Christmas ham.
Whether it’s your playoff football tailgate or a holiday party, Goodnight Brothers Country Ham has some great recipes for entertaining this time of year featuring their line of all-natural ham and pork products. The “Sweet and Salty Ham Bites” make the perfect app and are super easy to make, plus they’re a great way to use that jar of homemade pepper jelly that’s been sitting in the pantry. You can make them ahead of time and refrigerate for a tailgate. Easy Peasy.
Pork Side Bites
These pork side bites might take a bit of effort, but they’re so worth it once you taste how addictive they are! Prepping them ahead of time means less hassle on Christmas. Simply slow-cook the pork the night before, then assemble and bake when you’re ready to serve. That way, you can enjoy the party and wow your friends without being stuck in the kitchen.
related recipe ideas
Smoked Chicken Lollipops
Sometimes things that shouldn’t make sense, like Jim Plunket throwing a 99-yard touchdown, end up being really impressive. That’s how we feel about these smoked chicken lollipops. It doesn’t seem to make much sense, but we were in awe once we tasted it. They make a wonderful appetizer to serve before dinner, or even as a first course.
Fried Squeaky Cheese
There are few tailgating snacks as popular as cheese and we’d venture to say the same is true for Christmas appetizers. So we figured fan favorite squeaky cheese is a must for the holidays.
You’ll need to dust off your dutch oven or deep fryer for this one, but it’s worth it. These appetizers are delicious enough on their own, but they are even better with a dipping sauce such as ranch, BBQ sauce or bacon mayonnaise. Feel free to use other seasonings if so desired, such as cayenne, garlic salt, or onion powder.
Grilled Pepper Poppers
Poblanos and jalapenos are green and if you hold them upside, they look like Christmas trees. So why not serve them as part of your Christmas-themed holiday spread. As tailgating snacks, these are usually the first to go. We’re sure it will be the same at Christmas.
To kick off your Christmas party in style, try out this tasty appetizer that includes many fan favorites such as bacon, provolone, cream cheese and sour cream. The recipe is pretty simple to make on your grill and doesn’t take more than 25 minutes to prepare.
Ratatouille Crostini
Crostini is a great appetizer because you don’t even need plates to serve it. This crostini recipe is perfect for Christmas because of the red pepper and green zucchini. It’s healthy, easy to make ahead of time, and it’s finger food – great for holding and socializing. Just don’t ask us to spell it.
BBQ Bacon Shrimp
“Put some shrimp on the barbie” but first slather it in bacon. These bbq bacon shrimp are a perfect tailgating food to serve as an appetizer. They are bite-sized, salty, and really easy to make. Two of the best items on earth collide into one glorious edible food item. Check out this recipe for Bacon BBQ Shrimp for your next tailgate party!
Bourbon Bacon Shrimp Avocado Pockets
Another great way to pair bacon and shrimp is with these delicious puff pastry pockets. Flavored with a sweet bourbon sauce and topped with avocado cream dip and pico, these are sure to be a crowd favorite. If you’re looking for an appetizer that is sure to induce smiles. Bourbon, bacon, shrimp and avocado are quite an incredible combination. Enjoy!
Bacon Pinwheels
While you have the puff pastry out, consider making some bacon pinwheels. These tasty bacon pinwheels are really impressive but super simple to make and can be eaten without silverware. They’re the perfect tailgating food.
If you’re looking for a tasty, but healthy recipe to try out for your tailgate this week, the ingredients below are not going to keep you slim. But if you’re willing to work off the bacon and cream cheese, your mouth will thank you for it.
Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls
What’s better than sopping up the last few drops of barbecue sauce with some bread? What if that bread had the two most delicious ingredients: bacon and cheese?
Tailgating is done right in Alabama, especially the preparation of food. The majority of Iron Bowl tailgates will feature succulent barbeque of some kind — ribs, brisket, pulled pork or sausage are the most prevalent. But one group of Auburn Tigers fans will be eating their much-anticipated appetizer, the Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls. Auburn fan Stephanie Parker shares this easy-to-follow recipe that is perfect for the Iron Bowl because you need an iron stomach to digest it.
J&D’S Bacon Flavorings
If only there was a way to add bacon flavor to all our tailgating food. Well, you’re in luck. J&D’s bacon flavorings is a line of bacon-flavored salts that can be sprinkled on top of any of your favorite tailgating recipes.
While some people need an alarm clock or coffee to wake up, others can simply rise out of bed with one distinct breakfast food smell — bacon. When the sizzling begins, most folks can’t help but tuck their napkins into their shirt collars in anticipation of getting greasy.
But two dudes named Justin and Dave, the makers of J&D’s products, have taken their love of side/back cuts of pork to a completely different level. With their slogan “Everything Should Taste Like Bacon,” J&D’s sells all kinds of bacon-flavored items, which is not limited to just food. The company sells bacon lip balm, bacon-favored “Mmmvelopes” and an item so popular that it requires a waiting list is the bacon baby infant formula. Seriously.
Some of the food staples are pretty predictable, including baconnaise, bacon croutons and bacon ranch dressing. But other edible items are just out of this world. Have you ever eaten bacon popcorn, bacon gravy or put bacon salt on a Bloody Mary rim shot? Didn’t think so. This bacon salt is also a hot-selling item coming in nine different flavors — original, natural, maple, applewood, jalapeno, cheddar, hickory, mesquite and peppered). Get your J&D’s Bacon Flavorings here.
Bacon-Flavored Desserts From The Baconery
Finally what bacon lovers’ meal would be complete without a bacon dessert? Luckily our friends at The Baconery have you covered!
We all know that Bacon and Dessert are god’s gift to the taste buds. So what if those two things were combined into the ultimate sweet-meat concoction? Would the world explode? So far, that hasn’t happened but the delicious combination of bacon and sweets does exist at the New York based hybrid sweet shop at The Baconery. If you are ever traveling to NYC for a game and want to pick up some very unique items for your tailgate, you should give this a try. You can also order some crazy bacon concoctions online in their online store. These guys know how to mix some of the best flavors known to man.
Founded by owner Wesley Klein in 2011, this bacon-centric bakery has been the subject of much buzz around the web. People have been tweeting, instagramming, facebooking and just speaking word of mouth about how absolutely delicious their menu is. Once the word was spread, the Baconery opened up a physical location in New York, New York. Since then more people are able to get their bacon fix with many of their specialties. Bacon lovers will appreciate their creativity as much as they will appreciate their delicious products. Klein shares with Inside Tailgating how the idea was born for his Baconery.
When it comes to hosting for the holidays, it doesn’t have to be complex. Just do what you know and everyone will have a great time. For more tailgating recipes and entertaining ideas, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We feature loads of great recipes, games, and ideas to make sure that you and your crew have a great time–no matter what you are celebrating!
