It is football season and what comes with football? Tailgates! The best food for tailgates is a dish that is easy to transport, simple to make, and delicious. My three favorite dishes come with a not-so secret ingredient: bacon.
I buy Coleman Natural Uncured Hickory Smoked Bacon during my regular run to Costco. Coleman Bacon contains no added nitrates or nitrites and no artificial preservatives or ingredients. Plus, this better-for-your-family option also has a budget friendly price.
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Sometimes when you buy food in bulk you wonder, "but how am I going to store/cook all this at once?" You don't have to worry about that with Coleman Bacon. There are three separate packages in the box. You don't need to make all 2.25 lbs of bacon at once (unless you want to, of course).
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We have three tailgate recipes that are our standards and they all include making the bacon ahead of time, which saves me time in the end. You can cook a package of bacon and save it for later in the week.
| Recipe 1: Ranch Chicken Sandwiches with Bacon Crumbles |
It is so good my family asks for it again and again. This recipe is easy to double, too!
What you need:
1.5 lbs of chicken
1 package of cream cheese
1 package powdered ranch salad dressing & seasoning mix
6 pieces of Coleman Natural Bacon (cooked and crumbled)
6 pieces of cheddar cheese
6 rolls (I like ciabatta rolls)
Directions: Put the chicken, cream cheese, and ranch dressing in a slow cooker and season with salt and pepper. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Turn off the slow cooker. Shred the chicken and put it back in the slow cooker. Crumble six pieces of bacon and stir the bacon bits into the chicken mix. Assemble the sandwiches: chicken mix topped with the slices of cheese. I suggest cutting these in half because they will be gone fast!
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| Recipe 2: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese English Muffin Sandwiches |
What you need:
Package of English muffins
6 eggs
6 slices of Coleman Natural Bacon (cooked)
6 slices of cheese (your choice of cheese).
Directions: These are our go-to recipe for morning tailgates. Set your oven to broil. Crack the eggs into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mix the eggs and cook. Assemble the sandwiches on a sheet pan: English muffin, egg, one slice of bacon (cut in half or thirds to make it fit), slice of cheese and the top of the muffin. Broil the muffins. You only need to leave them under the broiler for 2-3 minutes; they cook fast! We also like to make these and eat them all week long for breakfast.
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| Recipe 3: Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms |
What you need:
16 oz. baby bella mushrooms
1 package of cream cheese
6 pieces of pre-cooked crumbled Coleman Natural bacon
1/4 shredded cheddar cheese
Olive oil
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
Directions: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Clean the mushrooms. Cut the stems off of the mushrooms and finely chop the stems. Add olive oil to a pan, heat to medium and cook the chopped mushroom stems. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the temperature to low, add the cream cheese, bacon, and shredded cheese. Lightly oil a sheet pan. Place the mushroom tops on the pan and spoon the mixture into the pan. Top each mushroom with a sprinkling of panko bread crumbs. Cook for 10-12 minutes. You won't be able to eat just one, or two... or three.
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I hope you enjoy these recipes! You can find Coleman Natural Uncured Hickory Smoked Bacon at our local Costco, 1620 Pine Lake Rd, in the refrigerated section. Find it at a store near you.
I was provided product and compensation to facilitate this article. All opinions are my own.
