7 Crowd-Pleasing Recipes To Bring To Your Next Tailgate

These game day classics are simple and scrumptious thanks to Kroger® Brand.

1. Buffalo Chicken Dip

Shannon Soule

INGREDIENTS:

1½ pouches of Kroger® Squeezable Original Cream Cheese Spread

1¼ cup Kroger® Creamy Ranch Dressing

1 cup Kroger® Buffalo Mild Wing Sauce

¾ cup Kroger® Original Sour Cream

¾ cup Kroger® Shredded Low-Moisture Mozzarella Cheese 

1¼ cups Kroger® Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon black pepper 

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

Kroger® Traditional Yellow Tortilla Chips, carrot sticks, and celery sticks for serving 

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a medium-sized sauce pot, combine cream cheese, ranch, buffalo sauce, and sour cream and heat until bubbling. Stir in the mozzarella, about half of the cheddar, and the salt and pepper. Stir in the chicken until combined. 

Grease a square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour in the chicken mixture and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 10–15 minutes or until bubbling hot. Serve hot with tortilla chips, carrot sticks, and celery sticks.

2. Easy Pizza Puffs

Shannon Soule

INGREDIENTS:

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, defrosted

2 cups Kroger® Parlor Style Pizza Sauce

3 cups Kroger® Shredded Low-Moisture Mozzarella Cheese

8 ounces Kroger® Sliced Pepperoni

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Roll each sheet of puff pastry into a 12x16-inch square. Cut each sheet into 6 rectangles. 

On the lower half of each rectangle, place about 2 tablespoons sauce, a few pinches of shredded mozzarella, and 4–5 mini pepperonis. Fold the upper half of the puff pastry over and press the edges to seal. Use a fork to crimp the edges shut and poke two holes on the top of each pocket for ventilation. 

Place the pizza pockets on the lined baking sheet and into the oven for 14–16 minutes, or until risen and browned. Serve with more pizza sauce and enjoy! 

3. Quick BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Shannon Soule

INGREDIENTS: 

1 package Kroger® Hardwood Smoked Pulled Chicken

1½ cups Kroger® This is the Original Barbecue Sauce

4 Kroger® White Hamburger Buns

2 cups Kroger® Creamy Cole Slaw

Kroger® Southern Style Potato Salad

Kroger® Kettle Cooked Mesquite BBQ Potato Chips

DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet, combine pulled chicken and barbecue sauce. Heat until bubbling and warm throughout. 

Serve scoops of barbecue chicken on hamburger buns topped with creamy coleslaw and a side of potato salad and chips. This can also be prepared ahead and reheated right before serving. Enjoy! 

4. Broccoli and Cheese Fritters

Shannon Soule

INGREDIENTS: 

1 pound Kroger® Broccoli Florets

¾ cup Kroger® Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese

1½ teaspoons garlic powder 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons Kroger® Bleached All Purpose Enriched Flour

1 Kroger® Grade A Jumbo Eggs

3 tablespoons canola oil

Kroger® Original Sour Cream, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

Boil broccoli florets in a large pot of water until fork tender, about 4–5 minutes. Drain and cool, then place in a food processor (or chop finely by hand) and pulse a few times until broken down into smaller pieces. 

Add the broccoli to a large mixing bowl and stir in the cheese, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and flour. Add the egg and stir to combine. 

Place the canola oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Scoop ¼ cup portions of the broccoli mixture into the oil and fry for 2–4 minutes on each side, until brown and crispy. Place cooked fritters on a paper towel–lined sheet and season with a pinch of salt while hot. 

Serve the fritters with sour cream and enjoy! 

5. Bacon-Wrapped, Goat Cheese–Stuffed Dates

Shannon Soule

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces Kroger® Naturally Hardwood Smoked Bacon

16 ounces dates, pitted

10 ounces goat cheese or Kroger® Original Cream Cheese

Kroger® Clover Honey Bear

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly grease with non-stick cooking spray. 

Cut bacon strips in half. If dates are not pitted, remove the pits. Slice down the center of each date to open it up, then fill with approximately 1 tablespoon of goat cheese. Wrap each stuffed date with one of the half slices of bacon. Place prepared dates on the baking sheet. 

Bake the tray for 10 minutes, then flip the dates with a pair of tongs and continue baking a further 5–10 minutes, or until bacon is crispy. Cool briefly and place on a serving platter with toothpicks. Drizzle with honey and enjoy! 

6. Cowboy Caviar

Shannon Soule

INGREDIENTS:

15-ounce can Kroger® Black Beans

15-ounce can Kroger® Black Eyed Peas

15-ounce can Kroger® Sweet Whole Kernel Golden Corn

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 tomatoes, diced 

½ red onion, diced

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

2 teaspoons Kroger® 5% Apple Cider Vinegar

Juice of 2 limes

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper 

Kroger® Restaurant Style White Tortilla Chips and Kroger® Baked Whole Wheat Crisp Crackers, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

Drain and rinse the black beans, black-eyed peas, and corn. Add to a large bowl and mix in the remaining ingredients. Taste and season as preferred. Chill the prepared cowboy caviar in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight.

Serve the cowboy caviar in a bowl on a platter with tortilla chips and crackers! 

7. Chicken and Waffle Stack 'Ems

Shannon Soule

INGREDIENTS:

12 Kroger® Brand Chicken Tenders

6 Kroger® Brand Homestyle Waffles

1 package Kroger® Brand Creamy Cole Slaw

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven and bake the chicken tenders according to the instructions on the package.

When the chicken tenders are almost done, place the waffles in the oven for 5–10 minutes, or until crispy.

Assemble the “stacks” by building a sandwich with chicken and a scoop of cole slaw between two waffles. Lastly, stick a toothpick through to hold them together.

Kroger® Brand makes game day easy!

Recipes By: Alexander Roberts

Food Stylist: Danielle Campbell

Food Stylist's Assistant: Jasmyn Crawford