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Experience Ruston Blog

Gameday Recipes

September 22, 2018Written by: Amanda Quimby Carrier, TMP

Football season is here and fans are ready to set up their tailgates and cheer on the Bulldogs and the Tigers. Everyone knows that great friends, food, and drinks are key to a successful tailgate, so you’re your crew and try out some of these easy and delicious game day recipes!

We have a recipe for Cream Cheese Sausage Balls, which are great for an early day game, as well as a recipe for Mini Muffulettas, which are a perfect afternoon snack. For those hot Louisiana game days, we have a recipe for a refreshing Blueberry Lemonade. Happy tailgating!

Cream Cheese Sausage Balls

Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
Photo via flavorite.net


Ingredients:

1 lb. spicy sausage, uncooked
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups Bisquick
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix all ingredients until well combined then roll into 1-inch balls. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until brown.

Mini Muffalettas

Mini Muffalettas
Photo via sheknows.com


Ingredients:

8 small buns
15 oz olive salad
8 thin slices deli ham
8 thin slices hard salami
8 thin slices provolone cheese

Instructions:
Heat the oven to 350°F. Lay out the bottoms and tops of the buns. Spread an equal amount of olive salad onto each half. Add ham, salami and provolone cheese to the bottom half of each bun. Wrap each sandwich in foil. Add the sandwiches to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until warmed and the cheese has melted. Serve warm. Makes 8 servings. 

Blueberry Lemonade

Blueberry Lemonade
Photo via sprinklesomesugar.com


Ingredients:
Blueberry Syrup 
3 cups fresh blueberries 
1/2 cup granulated sugar 

Lemonade
10 large lemons (2 cups of juice)
6 cups water

Simple Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar 
1 cup water 

Instructions:
In a medium-size saucepan on medium-low heat, stir blueberries and sugar together and allow the berries to cook down and start releasing their juices, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently. 

Once blueberries have released a good bit of juice, mash them down and cook for another 5 minutes. Mash one last time and then strain blueberry syrup into a large measuring cup and set aside to cool down completely. This syrup can be made in advance and refrigerated if needed. 

Squeeze all of your lemons into a large measuring cup or bowl. You should wind up with about 2 cups of lemon juice. Straining your lemon juice if desired. Pour lemon juice and water into a large pitcher along with blueberry syrup and stir. 

In a small saucepan, whisk sugar and water together until all sugar is dissolved. Gradually add the simple syrup to your blueberry lemonade until it is sweetened to your liking. 1/2-3/4 cup is typical. Serve over ice with additional blueberries for garnish. 

For a grown-up version of this Blueberry Lemonade, add 1 1/2 cups of vodka. 





About the Author

Amanda Quimby Carrier, TMP Image
Amanda Quimby Carrier, TMP

Amanda is originally from Franklin Parish but has called Ruston home for several years. She has a passion for travel and tourism, event planning, and showcasing Ruston & Lincoln Parish. As the President & CEO, Amanda leads the CVB's sales and marketing efforts to promote the area and oversees all administrative functions of the CVB.

Tags: Recipes

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