4 tailgating appetizers to impress your game-day crew

Indiana University’s football season is in full swing and tailgating is back in the rotation of weekend activities. With tailgates being traditionally pot-luck style, it’s important to not show up to the fields empty-handed. If you are unsure what to bring, but want to impress your friends, check out these four recipes.  

Pizza Bagels: This savory appetizer is easy to make and even more convenient to snack on while mingling. Guests can enjoy the pizza flavors without committing to a large slice of pizza.  

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees and place store-bought mini bagels onto a sheet pan.  
2. Spread one to two spoonfuls of pizza sauce onto each bagel. Then top each bagel with mozzarella cheese and pizza toppings. You could add pepperoni, sausage, red peppers, artichoke hearts, basil or mushrooms.  
3. Cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes. The cheese on the bagels should be golden brown.  

Pickled Vegetables: If you bring homemade pickled vegetables to a football tailgate, the crowd will surely appreciate your creativity.  These pickled vegetables will perfectly complement the burgers and salads and only take 20 minutes to make!  

1. Choose the vegetables that you want to pickle. Popular choices include red onions, cucumbers, carrots, radishes and cauliflower.  
2. Before pickling your vegetables make sure to clean and sterilize your jars. Thoroughly scrub your jars and lids before placing them in a large boiling pot of water for 10 minutes.  
3. Wash, dry and cut your selected vegetables. The vegetables should be big enough to take two bites out of each slice.  
4. Get a pint glass jar and place your sliced vegetables into the container. Leave a half inch of room in each container to ensure that the jar can close smoothly. Depending on your preference, separate the vegetables into different jars or have a mixed vegetable jar.  
5. Pour one cup of vinegar, one cup of water, one tablespoon of salt and one tablespoon sugar into a small saucepan on high heat. Once the pot is boiling, stir the mixture until the sugar and salt dissolve.  
6. Pour the brine into each jar allowing a half inch of room. If there are air bubbles in the jar after pouring the brine, tap each jar softly against the counter.  
7. Seal the lids on the jar and refrigerate the pickled vegetables for 48 hours.  

Whipped Feta Dip:  This simple Greek-style dip is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser. The dip pairs perfectly with pretzels, pita chips or even on top of a salad.  

1. In a blender, place a block of feta cheese, three quarters of a cup of Greek yogurt and a tablespoon of lemon juice.  
2. Blend the feta mixture until it becomes a whipped cream consistency. The dip should be fluffy with minimal chunks of feta.  
3. Transfer the dip into a bowl and pair with your favorite crackers or vegetables.  

Soft Pretzel Bites: Nothing says game-day like tailgates and fresh soft pretzels. Your tailgating crowd will be overjoyed when they realize they don’t have to wait until entering the stadium to eat a soft pretzel.  

1. In a bowl, mix a packet of instant yeast, one and a half cups of warm water and a tablespoon of granulated sugar. Wait five minutes until the yeast is activated and the water has a foam layer.  
2. Add three cups of flour, one tablespoon of unsalted butter and a teaspoon of salt to the bowl of yeast. Stir the mixture for a minute and then add an additional three quarters of a cup of flour.  
3. Knead the dough until it can easily form a ball. If the dough is sticky, add a quarter cup of flour. The pretzel dough should be well- blended and have a soft consistency.  
4. Cover the bowl of dough with a paper towel and allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes. In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil.  
5. Once the water is boiling, add half a cup of baking soda to the pot.  
6. Roll the dough into six ropes and then slice the dough ropes into small bite sizes. Once the dough is chopped up, in increments of ten drop the dough slices into the boiling water.  
7. Allow the nuggets to sit in the boiling water for 10-15 seconds. You can remove the nuggets from the boiling water with a large spoon spatula. 
8.  Once all the nuggets have been boiled, place them on a sheet pan and sprinkle salt on the wet dough bites. 
9. Finally, cook the pretzels bites in the oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.  

With seven home games remaining, there are a ton of opportunities to upgrade your tailgating experience with one of these recipes. Enjoy Hoosiers! 

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