Hey, sports fans! Grab your grill, stock your cooler and get ready to cheer on your team. Fall signals the official start of the tailgate season. Who can resist huddling around the stadium parking lot devouring cheeseburgers and slurping piping hot bowls of chili? While these traditional calorie-heavy favs may tempt hungry fans, healthy doesn’t have to take a knee. Illinois farmers offer a full roster of homegrown produce and products perfect for tailgating. I put together an all-star menu featuring a starting lineup of easy-to-eat and prepare tailgate recipes. You’ll score extra points because they deliver a winning combination: nutrition and flavor.
One-Bite Wedge Salad Dressed with Blue Cheese
For your next play, toss in a One-Bite Wedge Salad Dressed with Blue Cheese. This effortless salad is a knockoff wedge salad, except you eat it with your fingers. I recommend cutting a head of iceberg lettuce into quarters, then slicing small wedges from each quarter. For easy transportation, I layer the bite-size salad wedges on a decorative tray moistened with paper towels. I prepare the dressing separately and top each wedge with a dollop of blue cheese dressing, then sprinkle on some bacon crumbles topped with a grape tomato.
