A Healthified Tailgate is a Happy Tailgate: 15 Tailgate Recipe Ideas

Taking a break from normal programming for this tailgate idea round up! Some have been made and healthified, some are on my too-healthify list but ALL will be tested and approved this season. Ah.... yet another reason to love football season. I'm. so. ready. And yes, we will be in Auburn this weekend for the kickoff game - can't wait to see all of my buddies, bust out the orange and navy and take the poodles down for another fun season. Without further ado, here are my 15 Tailgate Recipe Ideas!

1. Football Cheese ball: I don't know if this can be healthified... but you know I'll try!  This was found on Kraft.

2. Chili Mac with Corn: Could see this in a pan over a sterno - seems 'footbally' to me. My healthified version.

3. Football Deviled Eggs: Found on Southern Living. Would use Gina's Recipe.

4. Pepperoni Pizza Cups: Found on For the Love of Cooking - my Healthified Version. Would have on a pan/sterno to keep warm.

5. Chocolate covered Strawberries: Found on eighteen25.  I make mine like this, but need to add the white frosting! And I need to dip a bit more cleanly. I probably won't have mine this covered - more on the bottom! 

6. Fiesta Sliders: Found on Healthified Kitchen;  my healthified version. I like the idea of making little football flags on toothpicks (similar to how I did here for my sister's baby shower - but with footballs). hmmmm. wheels turning.

7. Big Pigs in a  Blanket: Found on Hungry  Girl; My healthified Version. I would cut these in half and put long sticks in them - easier to eat! Like this:

I mean really - SO much easier to eat this way - love it.

8. Tiger-faced Sammie: Would display on a platter. hehe Found on  Kidfeed. And clearly this won't make sense for everyone, but we're Tigers. :) So try googling your mascot + sandiwch - I found lots of cute ones. Even one for our main competitors, Crimson Tide (elephants). 

9. Healthy Buffalo Dip: Recipe found on Skinny Taste.

10. Buffalo  Chicken Eggrolls: For tailgate, I'd put them in the smaller won-ton wrappers and keep them warm over a asterno! Here's my healthified recipe (in larger wraps though).

11. Football Whoopie Pies: Found on  Make Merry Events.  MUST find a way to healthify these.... I will!

12. Mini Football Cupcakes: Found on project domestication. I found TONS of football cupcakes, but these seemed the most easy and still cute! I think I may cheat and do reduced guilt brownies with the white frosting! 

13. Football Crackers: Love this idea - would probably do reduced-fat crackers with turkey pepperonis and reduced fat cheese. Wouldn't worry about the football shape so much (to make prep easier!) but would just add the lines! I alsosaw that someone used a red bell pepper cut into matchsticks for lines - yum! Found on gimme some ven.

14. Buffalo Chicken Chili: NO tailgate would be complete without Biz's Buffalo Chicken Chili! Here's the recipe on Healthified Ktichen - I'd just hook up a slowcooker and serve it in cute bowls!

15. Healthified Meatball Subs: Could see having the meatballs in the sauce on  a pan/sternos, then having a bag of buns on the side. Would probably put mozzarella IN the meatballs like Erica/Itzy's Kitchen did to avoid having to bring that topping with me. Picture found on laaloosh.com.

Yes, a lot of these need heat, but I can see having like two stands, two big pans with two small pans in each to give you FOUR opportunities for heat/four different recipes. I could even see doing a slider bar (lots of different sliders in the pans with matching flags) OR a taco bar. I dunno - love it all.

Q: What's your favorite tailgate recipe?

Q: Any ideas for how to healthify the ones above?!