Three new takes on classic tailgating favorites

PITTSBURGH — Are you ready for some football?

Or should we say for some football eats, as tailgate parties before, during and, sometimes, even after the game are just as much a part of the experience as debating who should be the starting quarterback.

Pittsburghers tend to take their tailgating pretty seriously, both under a blue sky in a parking lot outside the stadium and from the comfort of their living rooms, dens or backyard patios. And it doesn’t have to be elaborate to score points: Whether you’ve cooked up a spread of hot and cold dishes that could feed an entire squad or are simply laying out a few great appetizers for the family is beside the point; all that matters is that the food lends itself to snacking, doesn’t require a lot of fuss and tastes great.

We know that football fans tend to follow tradition when it comes to tailgate food, with classic dishes such as Buffalo chicken dip and hot wings heading the roster. But it’s also fun to try new things. So here, we offer new takes on some favorites to kick off the season.

Spicy-sweet Cola Wings

Serves 8. Gretchen McKay

These spicy-sweet, and very sticky, wings are made with everyone’s favorite soda: Coca-Cola. They’re baked, instead of deep-fried, but also could be made in an air fryer. Mesquite barbecue seasoning adds a smoky finish. Add more (or fewer) red chili flakes to adjust the spice level.

12 whole chicken wings (approximately 3 pounds)

Salt

1 cup Coca-Cola

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes, or more to taste

1 heaping teaspoon mesquite barbecue seasoning

2 teaspoons sesame seeds, for garnish

1 or 2 green onions, slices on the diagonal, for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, then set aside while you prepare the wings.

Rinse the chicken wings under cold water, then pat dry with paper towels. Place each wing on your cutting board. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut through the joint where the wing and the wingtip meet. Then, separate the drumette from the midsection by finding the joint that connects the two, and cut through it with a sharp knife or a pair of kitchen shears.

Lay separated wings onto parchment paper, leaving a little space between each. Sprinkle generously with salt.

Place tray in hot oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove tray from oven, and flip wings. Sprinkle generously again with salt and then place back in oven to bake for 20 more minutes.

While wings are baking, prepare sauce. Place cola, brown sugar, ketchup, garlic, chili flakes and barbecue seasoning in a large skillet and whisk until combined. (I used a wok.)

Bring to a low boil over medium heat, and cook until sauce has thickened, then keep warm while wings finish baking.

When wings are done, remove from oven and add to the pan with the cola sauce. Toss well to combine, then cook over low heat for another 5 to 7 minutes, until wings are well coated and sticky.

Remove wings from pan and onto a serving plate, making sure to spoon any sauce left in the pan over top. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and garnish with chopped green onions. Serve with plenty of napkins.

Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls

Makes 18 egg rolls. Gretchen McKay

Everyone brings out their rendition of Buffalo chicken dip during football season. Usually it’s baked and served with tortilla chips or Fritos for dipping; here, the spicy dip is folded into an egg roll wrapper for a hand-held snack.

I tend to go really saucy (and spicy) with the Red Hot, but you can add less if you’re looking for a little less heat. It can be served with either ranch or blue cheese dressing — or more Red Hot — for dipping.

2 or 3 boneless chicken breasts

6 ounces (3/4 package) cream cheese, softened

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles, optional

1/3 cup of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, or more to taste

18 egg roll wrappers

Chopped cilantro and/or chopped pickled jalapeños

Blue cheese or ranch dressing, for serving

Sliced green onion, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chicken breasts on parchment-covered cookie sheet, brush with olive oil and then sprinkle with a little salt. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. (An instant-read thermometer should register 165 degrees.) When done, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.

While chicken is still warm (you want it to melt the cheese), shred or chop it into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add cream cheese, cheddar cheese, blue cheese (if using), and hot sauce, and stir to combine.

Lay egg roll wrappers on work surface and divide chicken dip evenly among them. Top each mound with a little chopped cilantro or chopped pickled jalapeños, if using. Roll up egg-roll style: fold in each long side and then roll short edges up from bottom. Seal edges with a dab of water. (If not using immediately, place egg rolls in lidded container and freeze overnight until solid.)

When ready to cook, pour at least 3 inches of vegetable oil into a deep saute pan. (I used an electric fry pan.) Bring oil to 350 degrees over medium heat. Line a plate with paper towels. Very carefully lower egg rolls, a few at a time, into hot oil. Fry until warmed through and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on lined plate.

Serve warm, garnished with chopped green onion, and with blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Black-and-Gold Cookies

Makes 16 cookies. adapted from nytimes.com

A favorite part of every tailgate party is dessert. These Steeler-themed cookies are a play on New York’s famed black-and-white cookie, which are iced in both vanilla and chocolate icing.

For the best results, be patient with the glaze. The first side needs to set before you ice the second side, or the two colors may run together. I made the mistake of icing the rounded side of the cookie; if you ice the bottoms instead, you’ll get a prettier, more even cookie.

For cookies:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup sour cream or whole-milk yogurt

1/3 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

For glaze:

2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 tablespoons boiling water, plus more as needed

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Yellow food coloring

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange racks in top and bottom thirds, and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sea salt and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, milk and vanilla extract.

In a second large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Reduce speed to low and beat in ¹/3 of the flour mixture, then ¹/3 of the sour cream mixture. (I did this by hand.) Repeat until both mixtures are incorporated, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. Mixture will be the consistency of thick pound cake batter.

Dollop heaping 1/4 cup scoops of batter onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. (You should have 14 to 16 cookies; I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup.) Bake for 6 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets. Continue to bake until the cookies have firmed up and spring back when lightly pressed in the center, 6 to 9 minutes. (They’ll brown only on the bottoms.) Take care not to overbake, or they will dry out.

Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cool for 15 minutes, then transfer cookies directly to racks to cool completely.

While the cookies cool, make the glaze: Place the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and whisk in 3 tablespoons boiling water, corn syrup, vanilla and salt. Continue to whisk, adding more boiling water as needed, until you have a thick yet spreadable frosting that is the texture of hot fudge sauce. (Too thick is preferable to too thin.)

Transfer half of the frosting into a separate bowl, and add a drop or two of yellow food coloring, and stir until it is well combined. Add the cocoa powder to the remaining white icing, and whisk until combined. (You may have to add a drop or two of water to get a thick yet spreadable glaze.)

Spoon yellow glaze over half of each cookie, spreading to edges with the back of the spoon. Place on wire rack to set. When glaze is dry, spoon the chocolate glaze over the bare half of each cookie, spreading to edges with the back of the spoon.

Let cookies set for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving.