Food Network’s Top Tailgating Recipes

Planning a football watch party? Throw on your jersey and apron to whip up these delicious tailgate eats from Food Network, including Chili Con Carne and Pull-Apart Pigs in a Blanket.

Chili Con Carne Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 large Spanish onions, chopped
• 10 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup New Mexico red chile powder
• 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons oregano, crushed (preferably Mexican)
• 6 cups beef or chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned (see note)
• Two 15 1/2-ounce cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

1. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large stew pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the meat, in small batches, until well browned, adding more oil to the pan if needed. Transfer meat to a bowl and reserve.

2. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the oil from the pan. Saute the onions over medium heat for 10 minutes, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more. Stir in the chili powders, cumin, and oregano and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in 5 cups of the stock. Add the meat and any accumulated juices to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer. Season the chili with salt and pepper to taste, and stew the meat with a cover slightly ajar until almost tender, about 3 hours.

3. In a food processor or blender, purée half of the beans with the remaining stock. Add the bean mixture to the chili along with the whole beans. Simmer for 1 hour or until the meat is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with rice and selections of condiments, like sour cream, chopped cilantro, shredded cheddar, minced fresh or sliced pickled jalapenos.

Pull-Apart Dogs in a Blanket Ring Ingredients 

• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• Four 8-ounce tubes of refrigerated crescent dough sheets
• 1 large egg, well beaten
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
• Sixteen 3/4-ounce slices of American cheese
• 12 large beef hot dogs, about 7 inches long
• Spicy mustard, for serving

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Directions

1. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Turn a large baking sheet over, then cut a piece of parchment large enough to cover the bottom of the baking sheet.
2. Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Stack 2 crescent dough sheets on top of each other, then use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle slightly larger than the parchment, about 17 inches by 13 inches. Gently transfer the dough to the parchment on the inverted baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough sheets, setting the second rectangle aside on the work surface. Brush the dough on the baking sheet with the beaten egg, sprinkle with half the poppy and sesame seeds, and top with the cheese, leaving a 1/2-inch border all the way around. Top with the reserved rectangle of dough and pinch the sides to close.
3. Position a 3 1/2-inch bowl upside down in the center of the dough. Use a sharp knife to make 1 cut from the center of the top edge of the dough rectangle straight down to the rim of the bowl, 1 cut from the center of the bottom edge of the dough rectangle straight up to the rim of the bowl, 1 cut from the center of the left edge of the dough rectangle straight to the rim of the bowl and 1 cut from the center of the right edge of the dough rectangle to the rim of the bowl, dividing the dough into 4 equal pieces. Make 2 additional cuts within each piece so that you have 12 pieces total (some will be larger than others, but try your best to make the pieces as even as possible). Remove the bowl from the center.
4. Put 1 hot dog on each piece of dough so the ends meet in the middle of the dough. Gently wrap the piece of dough around each hot dog. Space the wrapped hot dogs as evenly apart as possible. Brush the dough all over with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the remaining poppy and sesame seeds.
5. Bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the cooking time, until the dough is puffed and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a large cutting board. Fill a small bowl with spicy mustard and put it into the baked dough in the center. Serve immediately!