Healthy Tailgating Recipes

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.

Frozen mixed berries become an almost instant fruit topping in the microwave. Serve over angel food cake or Greek-style yogurt.

We took the classic flavors of Buffalo wings--hot sauce, blue cheese, carrots and celery--and created a finger-licking-good casserole. Serve this dish during football season to a hungry crowd and it's sure to be a hit. We don't typically recommend ingredients by brand name, but in this case we make an exception for Frank's RedHot Sauce. It has the perfect balance of spice and tang for this casserole. Texas Pete and Crystal hot sauces are suitable alternatives if you can't find Frank's.

Traditional pulled pork is barbecued, which gives it a smoky flavor. But the slow cooker happens to be the absolute easiest way to cook pulled pork--and you can get a hint of smoke by adding chipotle chile. Serve the pulled pork with potato salad, collard greens and grits. Or make it into a sandwich and serve it on a bun with coleslaw.

Make a batch of these easy homemade dried-fruit bars to tuck into your kid's lunchbox all week.

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

Try this with portable mix with any combination of dried fruits and nuts.

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.

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

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

Here's a fun way to serve oven-fried chicken for a picnic: put it on a stick. It's fabulous served with this homemade Vidalia onion and honey-mustard sauce, but it's also great with barbecue sauce or Frank's hot sauce. This is an easy recipe to double if you're serving a crowd.

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

Typically, pressed sandwiches are a celebration of many meats. Here, we've opted for grilled eggplant slices, artichokes and arugula to make a satisfying vegetarian version. Giardiniera, a type of Italian relish typically made from bell peppers, celery, carrots, cauliflower, olives, vinegar and spices, perks up the flavors of any sandwich. You can use convenient prepared giardiniera or homemade. Choose a hot or mild version, depending on your preference for heat.

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.

Enjoy this crunchy chicken at home for a family supper or take it along on a picnic to eat cold-no forks and knives required! For best flavor, shop for locally raised natural chicken and real maple syrup.

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.

Blackened salmon is great in a sandwich with a spread of mashed avocado and low-fat mayonnaise plus peppery arugula leaves, cool tomato slices and zesty red onion. We grill our Cajun-style salmon so there is no need for any added cooking oil. Catfish makes an excellent stand-in for the salmon but you'll want to use a grill basket if you have one to keep the fish from breaking apart.

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

A dressing of nonfat yogurt enriched with a little reduced-fat mayonnaise and Dijon mustard replaces the heavier dressings in more traditional potato salad recipes.

This chili con carne with ground beef is a serious crowd-pleaser, whether you're hosting a football-watching party or just feeding a hungry family. It has a nice, beefy, beany flavor and just enough spice. You'll be surprised that a chili that comes together in less than an hour has so much flavor. Three types of chile peppers (fresh poblanos, chili powder and chipotles in adobo) add depth and complexity. Poblanos also add some color to the chili--if you can't find them, you can sub bell peppers of any color, though they won't add heat. Using lean ground beef makes this chili healthier and also keeps it from being greasy. Be sure to brown the beef well for the best flavor: you want to stir to break up the chunks, but don't stir too much or the beef won't sear at all. Serve with cornbread and bowls of sour cream, chopped avocado, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and hot sauce and let everyone customize their own bowl.

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.

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.

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

The original version of this cheesy potato casserole stars canned soup, full-fat sour cream, a stick of butter and a crust of crushed potato chips. We lightened it considerably by using a homemade white sauce instead of canned soup and swapping nonfat Greek yogurt for the sour cream. Crushed corn flakes replace the potato chips. All in all, we slashed 200 calories, 25 grams of fat (12 grams saturated) and 170 milligrams of sodium per serving. Dig in!