Football Friday Tailgate Treats: Bite Sized Fan Favorites

Football Friday Tailgate Treats: Bite Sized Fan Favorites

Mac and Cheese Bites

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg beaten

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray.
3. Cook pasta according to packaged directions and set aside.
4. In a medium size pan combine butter and flour over medium heat. Whisk until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Slowly add milk and bring to a simmer. Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, cream cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until smooth and creamy. Remove from heat.
5. In a large mixing bowl, carefully stir pasta, cheese sauce, and egg until evenly mixed and pasta is evenly coated.
6. Spoon mac and cheese into mini muffin tins and top each with a small pinch of remaining cheese.
7. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Allow to cool 5 minutes before gently removing the bites.

Jalapeno Popper Cups

Ingredients: 

• 12 mini phyllo tart shells
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
• bacon bits

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place phyllo cups onto a baking sheet.
2. Stir together cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, jalapenos, and hot sauce in a bowl. Spoon mixture into phyllo cups. Sprinkle bacon bits on top. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Easy Enchilada Cups

Ingredients: 

• 1 (10-count) package Small Flour Tortillas
• 1 (10-ounce) can Red Enchilada Sauce (or you can use my homemade enchilada sauce)
• 1 (14-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (*or other desired filling, see options below)
• ½ cup whole-kernel corn
• 1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup thinly-sliced green onions

Directions: 

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Tuck each of the tortillas into the cups of a standard-sized muffin pan, gently pleating the edges of the tortillas so that they fit snugly inside each cup, careful not to let the tortillas fold too closely into the middle (since we’ll need an opening for the filling later).
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the tortilla cups have hardened slightly on all sides.  Remove and set aside.
4. While the tortillas are baking, combine the enchilada sauce, black beans, green chiles, chicken, and corn together in a large mixing bowl.  Toss until the ingredients are evenly combined.
5. Once the tortilla cups are ready, carefully spoon the filling into each cup until it is filled nearly to the brim.  Place a pinch of cheese on top of each tortilla cup.  Then return the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the filling is warmed through.
6. Remove from the oven, and sprinkle the top of each cup evenly with cilantro and green onions.  Serve warm.

Falafel-Spiced Cucumber Bites

Ingredients: 

• 1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoonsStonyfield Double Cream Plain (or plain Greek yogurt)
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground paprika
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, divided
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, divided
• 1 English cucumber

For Garnish (optional, but encouraged):

• Ground paprika
• Grape tomatoes, quartered
• Thinly sliced shallot
• Sriracha

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, place chickpeas, Stonyfield Double Cream, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon each of the parsley and cilantro. Process until smooth.
2. Slice the cucumber into ½-inch thick coins. Scoop or pipe the chickpea purée on top.
3. Garnish with remaining chopped herbs, paprika, tomatoes, shallot, paprika, and Sriracha, if desired.

Cherry Pie Bites

Ingredients: 

• 21 ounces of cherry pie filling
• 2 tubes 8 ounces each of crescent roll dough
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons of milk

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to a temperature of 375°F.
2. Prepare a standard muffin tin by applying a layer of nonstick cooking spray.
3. Carefully unroll the crescent roll dough and position individual pieces into the respective sections of the muffin tin, ensuring that the wider section of the dough is placed at the bottom.
4. Precisely add the cherry pie filling to each portion of the crescent roll dough. Each section should receive approximately 3 to 4 tablespoons of filling. Ensure uniform distribution.
5. Proceed by methodically folding the dough over the filling, ensuring it encases the filling securely.
6. Bake the assembled pie bites in the preheated oven for a duration of approximately 13-14 minutes, or until they achieve a golden-brown hue.
7. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar and milk. Whisk the ingredients together until a smooth consistency is achieved.
8. Once the pie bites are sufficiently cooled, uniformly drizzle the prepared glaze over each bite.

On The Menu

Next week we will have a whole new set of recipes to help you throw the perfect tailgate party. Enjoy!

Main Photo: That Oven Feelin dot com