Game Day Gathering

Share these seasonally inspired recipes with friends and family at your tailgate table this fall.

Recipes by Sarah Godwin | Styled by Holly Vollor | Photographed by Joe Worthem

Cookies by Bremma’s Bakery. Paper napkins, plastic cups and buttons by Olive Juice Gifts.

A strong sense of family permeates football season in Oxford in so many ways: from Coach Lane Kiffin’s early season reflections on his own family (see page 66) to the sense of community that fills places like the Grove and the campus RV lots many fans call home on game day weekends (see page 40).

The other thing that brings everyone together on game day? The food. These original recipes feature comfort food with a twist that your family and friends are sure to love wherever you

host your tailgate parties this fall.

Spinach & Artichoke Crab Dip

1 tablespoon butter

1 (12-ounce) bag frozen chopped spinach

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 (14-ounce) can chopped artichoke hearts, drained

1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, at room temperature

½ cup mayonnaise

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus extra for topping

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for topping

8 ounces lump crabmeat

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add spinach, garlic and artichoke hearts, and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is thawed. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, add cream cheese, mayonnaise and cheeses, and stir together until well combined. Add cheese mixture to skillet, and stir into vegetable mixture until combined. Add crabmeat, and stir to combine. Sprinkle evenly with additional cheeses, and bake in preheated oven until bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Sweet Potato Salad

3-4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

½ red onion, sliced

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

½ cup toasted walnuts

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon paprika

Preheat oven to 375°F, and toss sweet potatoes, red onion, salt and pepper with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place on a baking sheet, and bake in preheated oven until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven,  and let cool. In a large bowl, combine walnuts, cranberries, feta cheese and parsley. In a small bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar, mustard, honey, cumin, garlic powder, paprika and remaining olive oil. Once sweet potatoes are cool, add them to the large bowl, toss with olive oil mixture, and serve.

Chicken Taquitos With Avocado Cream Sauce

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, at room temperature

2-3 chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, with 2 tablespoons sauce

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 ½ teaspoons chili powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

12 small corn tortillas

1 cup shredded cheddar

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Olive oil for brushing

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, stir together chicken, cream cheese, chipotle chiles, cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper until combined. Cover tortillas with damp paper towel, and microwave until pliable, about 45 seconds. Scoop 3 tablespoons of chicken mixture onto half of a tortilla, top with a pinch of each cheese, and then roll tightly. Place taquitos, seam-side down, in a baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Bake in preheated oven until crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with your favorite pico de gallo or salsa or Avocado Cream Sauce.

Avocado Cream Sauce

1 large avocado

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

½ tablespoon minced garlic

Juice of 1 large lime

Salt and pepper, to taste

2-3 tablespoons water, as needed

Add first 6 ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth. Add water to blender, and process until sauce reaches desired consistency.

Hotty Toddy Berry Trifle

1 (16-ounce) container heavy whipping cream

1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1 prebaked pound cake, cut into cubes

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

2 cups fresh blueberries

In a large bowl, beat whipping cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a separate large bowl. In the original bowl, add cream cheese and powdered sugar, and beat until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add 1/3 of whipped cream to cream cheese mixture, and beat about 20 seconds or until combined, then transfer cream cheese mixture to whipped cream, and fold until combined.

In a trifle dish, add a scoop of cream cheese mixture, spreading to lightly cover bottom of dish. Top with a layer of cubed pound cake. Add berries, then a layer of cream, and repeat until the trifle dish is full. Top with remaining cream and berries. Cover and chill 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Apple Cider Sangria

1 750 ml bottle red wine

2 cups apple cider

½ cup orange juice

3 cinnamon sticks

2 apples, sliced

1 orange, sliced

¾ cup brandy

Add all ingredients to a pitcher, and refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to overnight. Serve over ice.