G&G’s Top Game-Day Recipes

Three Variations on Classic Pimento Cheese

Naturally, the pâté of the South pairs perfectly with one of the region’s other most cherished traditions—tailgating.

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>More: Pimento cheese recipes and tips

Cooking from the Bar Cart: Rumrunner Chili

A splash of booze added at the end of simmering elevates the flavors of this game-day chili.

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Chicken-Fried Oysters with Garlic-Dill Pickle Sauce

Cast-iron fried oysters with tangy pickle dip.

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Deviled Ham and Biscuit Crackers

A Virginia chef spins two Southern classics into one tasty appetizer.

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Bacon Crackers

The easiest—and arguably, best—Southern party bite in existence.

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Simple Slice-And-Bake Cheese Wafers

The cheese straw’s good-time cousin.

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Game-Day Dish: Shrimp Corn Dogs

A World Series–worthy snack from Underbelly culinary director and Astros superfan Nick Fine.

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Slow Cooker Boiled Peanuts

Set it and forget it with chef Hugh Acheson’s no-fuss take on the classic Southern snack

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>More: Asha Gomez’s Serrano Boiled Peanuts

Day-Old Croissant and Sausage “Bread Pudding”

A perfect pregame meal for those noontime kick-offs.

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Boiled Peanuts with a Japanese and Mexican Kick

For one Top Chef, perfecting his spicy take on a Southern favorite became an obsession.

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Bourbon-Spiked Beer Cheese

Give a classic Kentucky spread the boilermaker treatment.

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Skillet Wings

Classic sauced wings meet blazing-hot cast-iron for a double whammy of goodness that’s ideal for a game day spread.

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Who Made the Potato Salad?

A flexible recipe to suit your own tastes that will have people asking who made it.

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Cooking from the Bar Cart: Mezcal Meets Melted Cheese

The agave spirit brings the smoke to this seductive queso fundido borracho.

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Alabama Firecrackers and Fried Chicken Salad

A craveable, snackable tailgating must from the chef John Currence.

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A Tailgate Dip with a Smoky Twist

Wings and seven-layer dip are expected fan favorites, but this smoked fish dip made with Southern staples like Duke’s mayo and Old Bay is a Texas pitmaster’s game-day MVP.

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Sweet and Spicy Sea Island Wings

Chef Kardea Brown’s game-day treat for a crowd.

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Ultimate Gameday Snack: Chonchos in Ponchos

Atlanta chef Kevin Gillespie—whose newest restaurant, Gamechanger, is located inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium—shares his riff on pigs in a blanket.

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Alabama Frito Pie

A game-day favorite from chef David Bancroft—regardless of which side you’re rooting for in the Iron Bowl.

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Savory Monkey Bread

If you love the cinnamon-and-sugar original, give this cheesy, bacon-studded version a spin.

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Southern Artichoke Dip

Chef Hugh Acheson shares his recipe for a classic party dip.

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Bacon Popcorn Drizzled with Creole-Spiced Butter 

Move over, movie theater-style.

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Pimento Cheese Nachos

When life hands you a perfect thing—pimento cheese—try to make as many things out of it as possible.

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Bebop Chicken Chili

In honor of Charlie “Yardbird” Parker, Minton’s in Harlem makes its chili with chicken. It’s a great game-day meal for a crowd, but it also works as a family meal.

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Vivian Howard’s Party Magnet

Who can resist a good cheese ball?

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Bacon-Wrapped Tots with Chipotle Mayo

How do you make a food invented in Idaho feel Southern? Wrap it in bacon and dip it in mayo

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Southern Soul Barbeque’s Smoked Oyster Spread

Usher in oyster season with this crowd-pleasing dip, best served with a big stack of Saltines and a cold can of your favorite beer.

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Pimento Cheese Biscuits

For an unbeatable pre-game snack, try mixing creamy pimento into your biscuit dough.

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Jalapeño Poppers
There’s nothing wrong with the standard grilled popper, but in this version from The Southerner’s Cookbook, a little experimentation can pay tasty dividends.

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The Suffering Bastard

A sippable salve that helps ease the agony of defeat.

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The Daytime Daiquiri

Turn the traditionally strong, sweet, and tart cocktail into a refreshingly light sunny day sipper.

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Eddie Palmer

A boozy take on a citrusy Southern classic.

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Bourbon and Ginger

Make the ginger syrup a day ahead for an easy tote to the tailgate.

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The Perfect Bloody Mary

Charleston, South Carolina, restaurateur Brooks Reitz shares a family secret—his father’s perfect Bloody Mary recipe.

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Classic Cocktail: The Seelbach

Louisville’s pre-Prohibition cocktail.

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Slushy Frozen Cocktails—To Go

A New Orleans bartender shares recipes—Fino Hemingway Slush, Mint Julep Slush, and Royal Americano Slush—that you can freeze in plastic bags and take just about anywhere.

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Whiskey Smash

This cross between a mint julep and a whiskey sour just might be your new favorite cocktail.

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Nighttripper: The Flask Cocktail 

A pocket concoction from New Orleans bartender Chris Hannah that’s perfect for the party-hopping tailgater.

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Bourbon-and-Coke Slushy

A gameday treat from Atlanta, Georgia.

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Hot Apple Toddy

The cozy cure-all cocktail gets an apple twist.

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Jack and Coke Sheet Cake

This decadent but easy-to-make dessert combines two Southern classics.

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Butterscotch Bars

The one-bowl wonders are a family tradition for chef Ann Kim of the Garden & Gun Club.

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Mom’s Mississippi Mud Cake

Pastry chef Kelly Fields shares her take on a childhood favorite—marshmallows and all.

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Hummingbird Sheet Cake

An easier spin on the classic fruity Southern layer cake.

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Kentucky Bourbon Balls, Three Ways

Try a few variations on these bite-size, boozy Southern confections.

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Smoky Maple Chess Pie

The Atlanta bakers Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin’s new recipe reinvents a classic with spice.

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Chili Buns and Slaw Dogs

An Appalachian custard stand classic

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Crab Hush Puppies

A Southern-style appetizer

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Vivian Howard’s Baked Pimento Cheese and Sausage

The star of A Chef’s Life shares her simple yet refined sausage and pimento dip

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Party Snack: Arkansas Trail Mix

Local ingredients plus savory cheese straws equal one addictive nosh

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Hot Sauce: Salsa Verde

A modern version of the ancient green salsas made by the Zapotecs in Oaxaca

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Southern-Style Summer Nachos

A crunchy layer of tortilla chips can be a vehicle for just about any ingredient you can imagine

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How Sean Brock Makes Pimento Cheese

The James Beard Award-winning chef shares a recipe from his new cookbook

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Hush Puppies

Perfect hush puppies the Georgia way

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Vivian Howard’s Pork-Rind Roosters

A party starter worth celebrating

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Chris Shepherd’s Green Onion Dip

One Houston chef’s riff on a childhood favorite

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A Sri Lankan Spin on Corn Dogs

Kentucky’s Sam Fore imbues South Asian flair to a classic party bite

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Julia Reed’s Hot Cheese Olives

A savory party bite from the Mississippi Delta

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Cheese Crispies Are Your Next Crowd-Pleaser

What’s not to love about sharp cheddar cheese baked to crunchy perfection?

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Cooking from the Bar Cart: A Super Bowl of Tequila-Spiked Nuts

A tequila soak and a generous sprinkle of Tajín amp up this next-level snack for the big game—or any time

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