35 Tailgating Food Ideas That Are Total Winners

Who says pizza has to be served in a pie shape? (Certainly not us.)

Think outside the bun with this low-carb appetizer.

Just when you thought guac couldn’t get any better, this snack appears.

Trust us, you won’t even miss the meat.

Perfectly portable, perfectly shareable.

Probably the easiest party recipe of all time.

These are a few of our favorite things.

Fact: You can never have too many of these spicy bites on hand.

You didn't think we’d skip dessert, did you?

The easiest way to feed a hungry crowd.

Basically a homemade Almond Joy.

It’s just not tailgating without a big pot of chili.

Make extra—you’ll be surprised at how fast these go.

Psst: No one needs to know you used store-bought rotisserie chicken.

A fall dessert favorite, but bite-size.

No potatoes, no problem. These are just as crispy and satisfying as the original.

Macaroni salad with a twist, because a little bit of bacon never hurt anything.

No fire pit necessary for these sweet bars.

Better act fast—these are bound to disappear.

FYI: These guys can be frozen for up to three months.

Let’s get this fiesta started (but don’t forget the chips).

Extra napkins are advised for these sticky-sweet poppers.

This is how you bring the steakhouse to the tailgate.

They’re fancy, homemade chicken nuggets. Need we say more?

Well, aren’t you fancy! These will disappear by the handful.

It may be soup season, but that’s not exactly tailgate food. This is the perfect compromise.

They’re like portable, bite-size charcuterie boards.

Aside from being highly dippable, these adult chicken nuggets happen to go great with beer.

Be still our grade-school heart. These are chewy and gooey in all the right ways.

For turning into sandwiches, obvi. Pack a spread of cold cuts and let everyone make their own.

Proof that forks are optional on game day.

This Southern specialty is equally tasty on celery sticks, crackers or even pork rinds.

Make a batch and give buffalo sauce a run for its money.

They’re like a Hawaiian pizza, but way more crowd-pleasing.

If hummus and guacamole had a (very delicious) baby. Pack pita and tortilla chips to win the tailgate.