Tasty Tailgating recipes

The early morning sun rises on a field littered with crimson and white. Thousands of people stroll around, the air is crisp (finally) and the atmosphere is thick with anticipation.  Just another Saturday morning in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. And what would a Tuscaloosa Saturday be without a good tailgate? Family, friends and food — everything you need for a great pre-game hangout — and these six recipes are perfect whether you’re on the quad, in the front yard or even on your couch.

Honey Chicken Wings

Ingredients

* 1 cup of salsa or picante sauce

* 1/4 cup of honey

* 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger

* 1 1/2  pounds  chicken wing pieces

Preparation

1. Stir first three ingredients together in large bowl.
2. Add wing pieces, tossing to coat. Place on an aluminum foil-lined pan.
3. Bake at 400° for 55 minutes or until chicken is done, turning once.

Smokey Ranch Dip

Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

* 1  (1-oz.) envelope of Ranch dressing mix

* 1 1/2  cups of light sour cream

* 2  teaspoons of finely chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

* 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce from can

* Potato chips or assorted raw vegetables

Preparation

1. Whisk together first four ingredients.
2. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
3. Serve with chips or assorted raw vegetables.

Variations:

*Barbecue Ranch Dip: Omit chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Stir in 2 Tbsp. barbecue sauce. Serve with roasted red new potatoes.

*Lime-Cilantro Ranch Dip: Omit chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Stir in 1 Tbsp. fresh limejuice and 1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro. Serve with quesadillas, tacos, or chili.

Bacon and Tomato Cups

Ingredients

* 8 slices of bacon

* 1 tomato, chopped

* 1/2 onion, chopped

* 3 ounces of shredded Swiss cheese

* 1/2-cup of mayonnaise

* 1 teaspoon of dried basil

* 1 (16 ounce) can of refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan.
2. In skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon into medium mixing bowl, and mix with tomato, onion, Swiss cheese, mayonnaise and basil.
3. Separate biscuits into halves horizontally. Place each half into cups of prepared mini muffin pan. Fill each biscuit half with bacon mixture.
4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Brown Sugar Smokies

Ingredients

* 1 (16 ounce) package little smokies sausages

* 1 pound bacon

* 1 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around sausage. Place wrapped

sausages on wooden skewers, several to a skewer.

3. Arrange skewers on a baking sheet and sprinkle them liberally with brown

sugar. Bake until bacon is crisp and brown sugar melted.

Fruit salsa and cinnamon chips

Ingredients

* 2 kiwis, peeled and diced

* 2 apples, peeled, cored and diced

* 8 ounces of raspberries

* 1 pound of strawberries

* 2 tablespoons of white sugar

* 1 tablespoon of brown sugar

* 3 tablespoons of fruit preserves, any flavor

* 10 (10-inch) flour tortillas

* butter-flavored cooking spray

* 2 cups of cinnamon sugar

Directions

1. In large bowl mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown

sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes

2. Preheat oven to 350°.

3. Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter-flavored cooking spray. Cut into

wedges and arrange in single layer on large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with

cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.

4. Bake in preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla

wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

Peanut Butter-Caramel Cups

Yield: Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients

* 1  (16.5-oz.) package of refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough

* 24  bite-size Snickers® bars

* 1 bag of M&Ms®

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Shape cookie dough into 24 (1-inch) balls, and place in cups of lightly greased miniature muffin pans.
2. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
3. Remove from oven, and press one bite-size chocolate-covered caramel-peanut nougat bar into each cookie.

Sprinkle cookies evenly with candy-coated chocolate pieces.