19 Best Tailgate Food Ideas for Game Day

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We’ve collected 19 of the Best Tailgate Food Ideas that will be perfect for your next event. From finger foods like buffalo fries and chicken wings to walking casseroles, you’ll definitely be ready to party!

Dorito Nachos

Dorito Nachos
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Want to know a neat trick for making the best nachos at home? Use Doritos! Instead of plain tortilla chips, these Dorito Nachos are made with flavorful Doritos chips. Add all your favorite toppings and pop it in the oven for the ultimate snack!

Chicken on a Stick

Chicken on a Stick

When the weather is warm, it’s always fun to have a meal outside on the backyard deck. One dish that’s easy to make and always gets rave reviews is Grilled Chicken on a Stick. It’s quick, tasty, and pairs well with salads, rice, or potatoes!

Hawaiian Roll Ham Sliders

Hawaiian Roll Ham Sliders

Make a plan to serve these tasty Hawaiian Roll Ham Sliders at your next get-together! They’re perfect for parties, pot-lucks, and game-day celebrations.

Air Fryer Potato Chips

Air Fryer Potato Chips

Crispy and healthy homemade Air Fryer Potato Chips made with only 3 ingredients. It’s an easy and guilt-free recipe as you’ll only need a small amount of cooking spray. Season them up the way you like. This crunchy snack tastes so good and you’ll never buy store-bought potato chips again!

Game Day Chicken Wings

Game Day Chicken Wings

These Game Day Chicken Wings are flavorful and baked to perfection in the oven. You only need 3 ingredients to make them for an easy game day appetizer everyone will love!

Buffalo Fries

Buffalo Fries

These Buffalo Fries are a copycat of the ever-popular Wingstop Buffalo Ranch Fries! Crispy homemade french fries are loaded with Buffalo chicken wing flavors and topped with cheddar cheese and crumbled gorgonzola. These loaded fries are easy to make at home!

Crispy Air Fryer Corn Dogs

Crispy Air Fryer Corn Dogs

These crispy and crunchy Air Fryer Corn Dogs are made from scratch without deep-frying! A healthy corn dog recipe that everyone loves! We’ve also included instructions on how to air fry frozen corn dogs in a Ninja air fryer if you’d like to cook them straight from the freezer!

Air Fryer Pizza Rolls

Air Fryer Pizza Rolls

These Air Fryer Pizza Rolls have delicious pepperoni and mozzarella cheese packed in pizza pockets – an instant crowd-pleaser great for appetizers or snacks. You can easily make these bite-sized mini pizzas at home from scratch in under 10 minutes. We’ve also included instructions on how to air fry frozen pizza puffs straight from the freezer.

Pull Apart Pizza Bread

Pull Apart Pizza Bread

Pull Apart Pizza Bread -Delicious and cheesy pull-apart pizza in a star shape! A comfort food that you can serve as a party or game day appetizer with lots of fun. So good!

Mac and Cheese Tacos

Mac and Cheese Tacos

These Mac and Cheese Taco Shells are an easy appetizer to make for a party! Simple stuffed mini taco shells with mac and cheese and your favorite topping. So much more interesting than your usual nachos!

Crescent Hot Dogs

Crescent Roll Hot Dogs

Crescent Roll Hot Dogs with a twist for a fun appetizer everyone will love, kids included! Served with your favorite dipping sauce, these crescent dogs are fabulous for parties, game days and birthdays.You only need 3 ingredients: hot dogs, crescent rolls, and egg wash.

Pretzel Cheese Ball

Pretzel Cheese Ball

In football season, why settle for a cheese ball when it can be this Pretzel Cheese Football! Seriously folks, this is much more fun and it’s so easy to make for game day…

Bread Ball Football Dip

Bread Ball Football Dip

This Super Bread Bowl Football Dip always gets devoured on Game Day! It’s an oval, football-shaped bread loaf full of melty cheese that’s perfect for dipping crusty bread plus crudités like carrot sticks. Serve it hot out of the oven for the best cheese pulls!

Loaded Potato Skins

Loaded Potato Skins

These Loaded Potato Skins are baked to crispy perfection and topped with bacon, cheese and sour cream for a mouthwatering appetizer everyone loves. They make the perfect comfort food at home, as well as a fabulous Game Day appetizer.

Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts

Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts

Bacon Wrapped Brussel Sprouts are tender on the inside and crispy on the outside! It’s easy to make these Brussel sprouts with bacon using 3 simple ingredients. Serve this Brussel sprout appetizer with maple syrup or balsamic reduction for dipping.

Beer Caramelized Onion Dip

Beer Caramelized Onion Dip

A bubbling hot dip of caramelized onions, roasted garlic, cheddar, and beer. And go Broncos!

Onion Rings

Onion Rings

These copycat Burger King Onion Rings are crispy and bursting with savory onion flavors! Made with a few simple ingredients, these homemade onion rings are a perfect side dish, appetizer, or snack for any occasion. Pair them with the onion ring sauce – mouth-watering delicious!

Football Brownie Taco Boats

Football Brownie Taco Boats

Brownie Taco Boats are homemade brownies baked in mini flour tortilla shells. These delicious treats are crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. Perfect for Game Day, Cinco de Mayo, potlucks and parties!

Walking Taco Casserole

Walking Taco Casserole

Take everything you love about a taco salad and turn it into a warm, cheesy, baked Walking Taco Casserole! The entire family will love this Tex-Mex recipe, with its succulent ground beef, gooey cheddar cheese and crunchy Fritos, Doritos, or Tortilla Chips. It’s easy to assemble ahead of time and bake later for a quick dinner!

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We’ve collected 19 of the Best Tailgate Food Ideas that will be perfect for your next event. From finger foods like buffalo fries and chicken wings to walking casseroles, you’ll definitely be ready to party!

Easy Tailgate Food Recipe Dorito Nachos Recipe

By: Izzy
Want to know a neat trick for making the best nachos at home? Use Doritos! Instead of plain tortilla chips, these Dorito Nachos are made with flavorful Doritos chips. Add all your favorite toppings and pop it in the oven for the ultimate snack!
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

  • 1 large bag Dorito chips
  • 1 pound shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack or Colby Jack

Optional Toppings

  • olives
  • cooked ground beef
  • black beans or pinto beans
  • sliced jalapenos
  • avocado
  • salsa
  • cilantro

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
  • Spread Dorito chips over the baking sheet.
  • Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese on top of the chips.
  • Add olives, cooked ground beef, black beans, and sliced jalapenos.
  • Add the remaining shredded cheese.
  • Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
  • Add avocado, salsa, and cilantro. Serve warm and enjoy!

Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.

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About Izzy

I'm Izzy, a food lover and photographer. Here you’ll find a collection of simple recipes that are perfect for busy people. My blog aims to help you make and enjoy delicious and healthy food at home.

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