The annual tailgate-a-palooza is here! Every year I'm honored to host a football viewing party for hungry friends and family, and every year I try to score big with every dish on the menu! Whether your team made it through to the big game or not, game day parties can be just so energetic and... well, fun! To get ready for the big game, the Crew and I want to invite you to join us in celebrating some of the best in game day eats.

Spicing things up for us is an absolutely beautiful appetizer from home cook Kim Dixon. Her aptly named Quarterback Sacks are deep-friend, wonton-wrapped bursts of flavor. Kim suggests combining chunked chicken, mayo, sweet relish, cheese and hot sauce to form a decadent filling, but the ingredients can certainly be adjusted to suit your taste. Once happy with your filling, create little packages by folding a wonton wrapper around the filling mixture. Tie with a single scallion and deep fry to golden perfection. The hot sauce plays perfectly with the creamy mayo, sweet relish and crispy coating. The only thing that could possible make this recipe even better is a bowl of blue cheese dressing for dipping!

Also loaded with big flavor are Sandi Sheppard's Loaded Tailgater Hot-Blue Turkey Burgers. This tasty recipe brings your A-game to the table without a bunch of extra fat and calories. "This recipe was a big hit with my family, so I hesitated to tell them just how healthy it actually was!!!" laughs Sandi, who lightens up the guilt-factor by using ground turkey and a savory blend of seasoning and veggies. "This was my attempt to offer tailgate-type food that offers big, bold and spicy flavors comparable to calorie-laden hot wings," she explains. We loved this recipe not only for its flavor but also for its creativity. Served with an ice-cold beverage, hungry football fans will never suspect they're munching on fewer calories than usual.

Scoring a win with her Touchdown Calzones is Ms. Tammy Wade. Decadence and ease is the name of her game and this recipe is just the ticket for any busy party hostess. Her secret to recipe success is in her unusual use of refrigerated hot roll dough to create hot, steamy bread pockets of all your favorite pizza topping favorites like sausage, garlic and mozzarella. This recipe is full of cheesy goodness and is a terrific shortcut to a savory Italian dinner.

And then there's chili. What would game day be without some smoky, chunky chili?! Joyce Newman won't go practically a single game without her trademark Super Bowl Award Winning Chili Beans. Not only do the Crew and I love this recipe - a cross between spiced beans and a thick chili - but others have taken note of its star power too! "My recipe for spicy chili beans won a Chili Cook-Off at a Super Bowl party," says Joyce. "There were 10 crockpots full of chili in the cook-off, [and] mine took first place! Most people think that these chili beans have just the right amount of kick!" That's some seriously high praise... praise that we agree with wholeheartedly! "The flavor of these beans are really good even if you choose to omit or reduce the amount of cayenne pepper if you prefer milder chili beans."

So no matter how spicy you are and no matter your team allegiance, there is a good time - and a good meal - waiting to be had this season. Suit up, do a few stretches, then show your own hungry crew that you're ready for the Just A Pinch Hall of Fame.

Go team!