From the parking lot to the living room, these crowd-pleasing recipes are ready for kickoff.
There’s just something about football season that everyone loves.
The crisp fall air, team colors everywhere, coolers packed, grills fired up and friends and family gathering around for a Saturday afternoon of college football or a Sunday cheering on Kansas City. And while we all love a good game, we have to admit—the food might be one of the best parts of football season.
Whether you’re setting up outside the stadium, hosting a backyard watch party or settling in around the television at home, a great game-day spread doesn’t need to be complicated.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite tailgate recipes that are easy to make, easy to share and guaranteed to have everyone coming back for another plate.
Missouri-Style BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders
You can’t talk about Missouri tailgating without barbecue.
These sliders combine tender pulled pork, smoky barbecue sauce, melted cheese and buttery rolls for a game-day dish that disappears fast.
What You’ll Need
- 2 pounds cooked pulled pork
- 1½ cups of your favorite Missouri-style barbecue sauce
- 12 Hawaiian rolls
- 8 slices provolone or pepper jack cheese
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Optional: pickles, crispy onions or coleslaw
Make It
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Slice the entire package of rolls horizontally and place the bottom half in a baking dish. Layer with pulled pork, barbecue sauce and cheese.
Add the tops of the rolls.
Mix melted butter, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce and brush over the tops.
Cover loosely with foil and bake for approximately 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 5–7 minutes until golden and melty.
Tailgate Tip: Make these before leaving home, wrap the pan tightly in foil and transport in an insulated carrier.
Touchdown Chili
When the Missouri temperatures start dropping, nothing hits the spot quite like a big pot of chili.
What You’ll Need
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans chili beans
- 1 can kidney beans, drained
- 2 cans diced tomatoes
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Make It
Brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Drain excess grease.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
Simmer on low for at least 45 minutes—or put everything into a slow cooker and let it cook on low for several hours.
Set up a Chili Topping Bar with shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, jalapeños, crackers and corn chips so everyone can build their own bowl.
Loaded Football Queso
Every good tailgate needs something cheesy.
What You’ll Need
- 1 pound breakfast sausage or ground beef
- 1 block (16 ounces) processed cheese, cubed
- 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
- Optional: diced jalapeños
Make It
Brown the sausage or ground beef and drain.
Place everything into a slow cooker and cook on low until completely melted, stirring occasionally.
Serve warm with tortilla chips.
For a little extra heat, add fresh jalapeños or your favorite hot sauce.
Sweet & Spicy Game-Day Wings
Sticky fingers are practically required during football season.
What You’ll Need
- 3 pounds chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
For the Sauce:
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
Make It
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Toss wings with olive oil and seasonings. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 40–45 minutes, turning halfway through.
Combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan and heat until smooth.
Toss the cooked wings in the sauce just before serving.
Make It Missouri: Use locally made Missouri barbecue sauce or honey to put a hometown spin on your wings.
Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
Creamy, cheesy, smoky and spicy—everything a tailgate snack should be.
What You’ll Need
- 10 jalapeños
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 10 slices bacon, cut in half
Make It
Cut jalapeños lengthwise and remove the seeds.
Mix cream cheese, cheddar and garlic powder. Fill each jalapeño half with the mixture.
Wrap with half a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
Bake at 400°F for 20–25 minutes or grill until the bacon is crisp.
BBQ Little Smokies
This may be one of the easiest tailgate recipes ever—and somehow the bowl is always empty.
What You’ll Need
- 2 packages cocktail sausages
- 1½ cups barbecue sauce
- ½ cup grape jelly
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Make It
Add everything to a slow cooker and stir.
Cook on low for 2–3 hours.
That’s it.
Sometimes the classics don’t need improving.
Loaded Game-Day Potato Bites
Think loaded baked potato—but bite-sized.
What You’ll Need
- 1½ pounds baby potatoes
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Cooked crumbled bacon
- Sour cream
- Green onions
Make It
Slice potatoes in half, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 425°F until tender and crispy.
Top with cheddar and bacon and return to the oven until the cheese melts.
Finish with a small spoonful of sour cream and green onions.
Fourth-Quarter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Don’t forget dessert.
Cookie bars are perfect for tailgating because they’re easy to make ahead, transport and serve without plates or forks.
What You’ll Need
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2¼ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Make It
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla.
Mix in flour, baking soda and salt, then fold in chocolate chips.
Spread into a greased 9×13-inch pan and bake approximately 22–28 minutes, or until golden around the edges.
Cool completely before cutting into squares.
Build the Ultimate Missouri Tailgate
A great tailgate isn’t about making everything fancy. It’s about food people can grab easily, dishes that can stay warm and plenty of choices for a hungry crowd.
Try building your menu around a few simple categories: one main dish, two hot appetizers, something crunchy, a dip, a dessert and plenty of cold drinks.
And don’t forget the extras—napkins, disposable serving utensils, trash bags, wet wipes, ice and containers for leftovers.
For outdoor tailgates, keep cold foods at 40°F or below and hot foods at 140°F or above, and don’t leave perishable foods sitting out for more than two hours—or more than one hour when temperatures are above 90°F.
Football, Food & Fall Weekends
Football season gives us another reason to gather.
It’s grandparents and grandchildren in matching team colors. It’s neighbors bringing over their favorite dip. It’s the smell of barbecue coming from the grill. It’s friendly rivalries, last-second touchdowns and somebody standing in the kitchen asking, “Who ate the last slider?”
Whether you’re cheering from a stadium parking lot, a small-town Missouri high school, your backyard or your favorite chair at home, good food makes game day even better.
So grab the cooler, fire up the grill and call your favorite people.
It’s football season in Missouri—and we’re hungry.
Missouri Magazine | Explore Missouri. Taste Missouri. Celebrate Missouri.