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 THE TAILGATER
 The Monthly Tailgating Webzine

Classic Spinach Dip

Ingredients:
1 box (10 oz size) frozen chopped spinach
1 small onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons ranch dressing (low fat or regular)
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Cook spinach according to package directions; drain well and chill.  Combine all ingredients in bowl; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Serve chilled. 

Serving suggestions: Serve in a hollowed out pumpernickel bread round, cutting the inside of the bread into bite-size cubes to be used as dippers.  Or serve with various types of cubed bread or assorted crackers.

Tailgating tip:  If serving this dip in a bread round at a tailgate, hollow out bread and cut remaining bread into cubes at home; placing them in a plastic bag so not to dry out.  Then, at your destination fill the dip into the bread round and serve.  Remember to keep the dip in an iced cooler during transit and prior to serving.

Beer Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons sugar

½ bottle of beer of choice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, butter, sugar and beer.  Mix well.  Place into a 12 serving lightly greased, muffin pan.  Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Corona beer works best, but any domestic beer is good as well.

-- Submitted by Dallas Christian, Dublin, Georgia 

Cindy's German Kraut & Sausage

Ingredients:

1 pound bacon

¾ cup brown sugar

3-4 pounds sauerkraut, washed with water & drained

2-3 polish sausage (kielbasa), chopped into bite size pieces

Preheat oven to 300 degrees, or use a slow cooker.  Cut bacon into bite size pieces, fry and drain, but do not discard bacon grease.  Stir brown sugar into bacon grease.  Combine sauerkraut, sausage, bacon and brown sugar mixture and place in an uncovered, oven-safe casserole dish.  Bake for 3 – 4 hours, or place all ingredients in a slow cooker and then take to the game!

Tips to lower the salt and fat content in this recipe:  Use lower sodium bacon and polish sausage.  Substitute about ¾ cup to 1 cup of chicken broth in place of the bacon grease.

-- Submitted by The Packalope, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13x9x2 inch glass or cake pan with non-stick spray. 

In a measuring cup, stir together milk and vinegar; set aside.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; set aside. 

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

½ cup fat free milk

½ teaspoon white vinegar

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon salt

4 egg whites

1 ¾ cups sugar

1 cup fat free vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

¾ cup mini chocolate chips