Healthy Tailgating Recipes

These oven-baked wings are designed to be cooked ahead, taken to a tailgate or picnic, and reheated on a charcoal or gas grill. We love the sweet-spicy glaze--just be sure to pack plenty of napkins!

In this easy guacamole recipe, musician Mraz prefers California Hass or Reed avocados because they are the creamiest. Adjust the heat, tang or other flavorings to suit your tastes.

This easy casserole, full of ground beef, roasted broccoli and topped with hash browns, was inspired by the classic Minnesota Tater Tot hotdish. Roasting the broccoli before adding it to the casserole gives the whole dish a much more complex and exciting flavor, but it's by no means necessary. If you want to keep it simple, skip roasting the broccoli (Step 2) and use 6 cups frozen broccoli, thawed, in its place (omit 1 tablespoon oil, as well).

If you're a fan of classic baked beans, give this healthy recipe with curry powder, lime juice and molasses a whirl. These stovetop baked beans also have half the sugar and three-quarters of the sodium compared to a traditional recipe--and take a few hours' less cooking time. Serve with pistachio-crusted pork tenderloin or grilled fish.

If you like your chili seriously hot, this recipe is for you. For an even bigger kick, use the whole teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

Red and green cabbage and bright orange carrots make a colorful, healthful combination. For an especially nutty flavor, use Savoy instead of regular green cabbage.

Chef Bobby Flay cooked these baked black beans, spiked with chorizo and rum, on one of his television shows, Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, to compete with a more-traditional batch of Carolina baked beans. We adore the results. If you bring them along to a summer party, reheat before serving or bring them in a crock-pot and plug it in when you get to the party. Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay's Throwdown! by Bobby Flay with Stephanie Banyas and Miriam Garron (Clarkson Potter, 2010).

Elderflower adds sweet and fruity notes that mingle seamlessly with mint in this refreshing Champagne cocktail.

New England seafood chowder inspired the flavors here, but we've enhanced them further with Gruyère cheese and a crispy crumb topping. We like the combination of shrimp, cod and crab, but feel free to experiment with other types of seafood--scallops, clams and mahi-mahi would also work well.

Try this light spinach dip made healthier with reduced-fat cream cheese, nonfat yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese instead of full-fat cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream. It will save you a whopping 84 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving when compared to traditional versions. Serve it with pita chips and crunchy vegetables or spread it on a sandwich.

These easy apple-cinnamon fruit bars make a big batch--perfect for fall potlucks and parties.

Top crispy sweet potato skins with guacamole for a healthy take on classic potato skins in this easy crowd-pleasing recipe.

This makeover recipe was one of the favorites chosen for our 30th anniversary issue. Tahini gives this cookie a subtle sesame flavor.

Lemon squares are so delicious, but classic lemon square recipes tip the scales with their calories and saturated fat. Our healthy lemon squares recipe shaves almost 200 calories and more than 5 grams of saturated fat per lemon square. For a variation, use lime juice in place of the lemon juice.

Fire up the grill and make these delicious citrusy seafood skewers.

This delicious guacamole recipe replaces half the amount of high-calorie avocado in a traditional guacamole recipe with a stealth, low-calorie vegetable--zucchini--to cut 100 calories and 6 grams of fat so we can eat more guacamole with fewer calories. We use the microwave to cook the zucchini until it's very tender, but you can steam it on the stovetop if you prefer.

Make your BBQ or cookout easy with this slow-cooker beef brisket recipe. Rauchbier, a smoky German beer, gives this fork-tender brisket real pit-barbecue flavor, but you can use any beer that suits your taste, or even substitute beef broth, to achieve mouthwatering results. While the brisket is cooking, whip up the quick pickle recipe and stir together a garlic mayo to top off the sandwiches.

French colonial rule in Vietnam influenced the country's cooking profoundly, as here with this street-food sandwich (banh mi), usually served on a baguette. The spicy mayo melange really adds tartness and spice. You could also use it for dressing a Vietnamese-inspired coleslaw.

You'll be the MVP after bringing these flavor-packed tortilla wraps to the next tailgate.

What better way to take advantage of summer's bounty of berries than to enclose a mixture of berries in flaky pastry and bake up these delicious turnovers--the perfect handheld dessert for picnics and backyard parties. A dusting of sugar on top of the hand pies creates a crispy crust and eliminates the need for frying.

Pack these yummy wrap sandwiches for an easy meal on the go.

This tangy potato and kale side dish is served warm.

A creamy spread full of Parmesan and fresh basil cozies up to turkey and summer-ripe tomato slices for a savory hot sandwich that will quickly become a go-to mealtime solution.

Our healthier version of the cocktail party favorite loads up on artichokes and plenty of Parmesan cheese, garlic and lemon zest for flavor. Who says healthier can't taste better?