Get the Party Started with Vegan and Allergy-Safe Tailgating Snacks

Tailgating takes all kinds, so don’t neglect allergy-safe and vegan tailgating snacks when planning your football party!

One pleasure of tailgating that nobody can deny is the junk food. You don’t have to be a football fan to enjoy a good tailgating party when the grub is tasty. And let’s face it, now that weather’s changing, you have the perfect excuse to indulge in some extra hearty fare.

However, you don’t have to go totally overboard. You can enjoy lots of indulgent snacks minus some of the fat-laden and unhealthy ingredients commonly found in football grub, without compromising on taste. Also, if you are catering to vegans or those with food allergies at your tailgating bash, these delectable, fun snacks are ones that everyone can enjoy.

Chow Down on Vegan Corn Dogs

Field Roast Mini Corn Dogs, $7.99 at Vegan Essentials

Field Roast

Finger foods are a staple of every sports-related gathering and they don’t get any easier to prepare than Field Roast Miniature Corn Dogs. Pop them in the microwave briefly or put them in the oven for 20 minutes, and they’re ready to serve. They’re made of delectable Field Roast frankfurters in a traditional sweet cornbread batter. If you don’t tell party guests that these corn dogs are vegan, they’ll never suspect a thing. (Pro-tip: whip up a vegan honey mustard dipping sauce by mixing a spicy brown mustard with Bee Free Honee Vegan Honey (made from apples)—but don’t use Dijon mustard, which is usually processed with animal ingredients.Buy Now

Create a Varied Vegan Cheese Tray

Miyoko’s Vegan Cheeses, $9.99 at Miyoko’s

Miyoko’s

A cheese plate is easy to prepare, and it’s always satisfying to dig a cracker into a delicious block of something creamy. Miyoko Schinner, who is known as the Queen of Vegan Cheese, creates a delicious array of vegan cheeses that are widely available throughout the U.S. Set up a vegan cheese tray with Miyoko’s cheese wheels, including flavors like Double Cream Chive, Garlic Herb, Sundried Tomato Garlic, Winter Truffle, and Fresh Loire Valley. In addition to being lactose- and dairy-free, Miyoko’s cheeses are free of hormones, pesticides, GMO ingredients, and cholesterol. It’s easy to find crackers to go with your cheese tray because vegan versions are widely available in most stores. (Ritz Crackers are even vegan!)Buy Now

Artisan Vegan Cheese by Miyoko Schinner, $17.66 on Amazon

Learn firsthand about vegan cheese from the master herself!

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Savor Allergy-Safe Sweets

No Whey! Pea Not Cups, 3 packs for $9.95 on Amazon

No Whey!

Balance the salty and savory snacks with the sweet goodness of No Whey! Chocolates. Their Pea Not Cups look great on a serving tray. Or you may want to pass around one of their boxes of signature truffles or sea salt caramels. All No Whey! Foods treats are vegan and free of such common allergens as dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, and gluten. They also never include artificial flavors or colors.Buy Now

Enjoy Life Protein Bites, 6 bags for $46.19 on Amazon

Enjoy Life

Finger foods are so fun to eat while engrossed in something else (like the biggest football game of the year)! Guests at a tailgating party are sure to enjoy grabbing Enjoy Life Protein Bites in flavors like Cinnamon Spice, Dark Raspberry, Dipped Banana, and Cranberry Orange. Enjoy Life makes all its products free from gluten and 14 common allergens (sulfites, lupin, mustard, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, casein, soy, egg, sesame, and dairy). Many of their products are also vegan.Buy Now

Consider Taco Bell for Your Fast Food Fix

Taco Bell

If you want to bring some fast food munchies to the party, Taco Bell is probably your safest bet for finding vegan fast food that’s tasty and easy to eat while cheering on your favorite team. After all, Taco Bell is the only American Vegetarian Association-certified quick service restaurant. Some of Taco Bell’s AVA-certified vegan items include the black beans and seasoned rice. You can substitute beans and hold the meat and cheese in many types of tacos and burritos.

Related Reading: The Best Vegan Fast Food Options at Taco Bell, Chipotle, Burger King & More

When in Doubt, DIY

Finally, if you want to prepare some snacks from scratch, don’t be afraid to experiment with some vegan recipes for your get-together, like:

• Black-Eyed Pea Vegan Burgers
• Jackfruit Sliders
• Veggie Chili (which is also vegan as long as you skip the cheese and sour cream garnishes)
• Pineapple and Cucumber Guacamole (with allergy-friendly tortilla chips, of course)
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Just keep in mind that vegans don’t consume any animal products, not even honey—and as in the case of Dijon mustard, animal products can sometimes hide in unexpected places.

Related Reading: How to Cook for a Vegan if You’re a Hardcore Omnivore

Chowhound

When it comes to preparing dishes for people with food allergies, it’s always best to have too much information than too little. The most common food allergens are fish, shellfish, grains with gluten, peanuts, eggs, and dairy.

While not all vegan, these easy gluten-free Super Bowl recipes may come in handy for your group too! And be sure to stock up on vegan mayo if you’re serving sandwiches, sliders, or burgers.

Related Video: A Visit with the Queen of Vegan Cheese, Miyoko Schinner

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9 Ways to Make Your Favorite Recipes Vegan

How To Make Homemade Breadcrumbs

Bread crumbs add a pop of color, a bolt of flavor, and a crunch that immediately elevates any dish. These easy-to-make savory, crunchy crumbs are a great way to use up bread and add a little pizzazz to weeknight dinners.

Continue reading "How To Make Homemade Breadcrumbs" »

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Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

Sweet potato soup balances the sweet and savory with onions, garlic, onions, and leeks, along with a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon. Creamy and satisfying!

Continue reading "Creamy Sweet Potato Soup" »

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These Vegan Cheeses Are (Almost) as Good as the Real Thing

Some of this cheese is nuts…literally. From creamy spreadable herb cheeses to faux-grated parmesan, check out the best vegan cheese substitutes you can buy in 2019.

If you ask the average vegan what the hardest part of making the switch was, you’ll most often get a resounding “cheese.” Sure, almond milk’s not as creamy as cow’s milk, and nothing packs a protein punch quite like eggs in the morning, but when it comes to lusted-after foods, cheese is sort of in a category all its own (you won’t see a trendy shop in Brooklyn dedicated to yogurt, after all).

Related Reading: The Best Vegan Mayo Ever | Are Oreos Really Vegan?

That’s why we’re so happy that due to some awfully clever food innovators, vegans no longer have to live a completely cheeseless existence. And while it’s tough to compare to the real thing, an ever-growing crop of delicious vegan cheese options continues to hit the market. From creamy vegan cream cheese to sharper shredded vegan cheddar for nachos, and even gooey vegan cheese sauces, these are some of the best vegan cheeses you can buy today. (But if you like to DIY, learn how to make vegan cheese at home.)

Nooch It! Grated Cashew Cheese, $9.99 on Amazon

Uprise Foods

Over pasta, garlic bread, or anything else that calls for grated parmesan, this crumbly cashew cheese has a salty, nutty flavor, just like the real stuff. Made with organic ingredients including hemp seed, nutritional yeast, and spices, you’ll get the cheesy taste, added benefits of protein, and none of the woes that come with a dairy allergy.Buy Now

Daiya Vegan “Cheese” Sauce, $9.89 on Amazon

Amazon

vegan cheese sauce is a good choice for a gooey mac n’ cheese, to pour over steamed broccoli or cauliflower, or to stand in for queso. While it’s not going to have all the flavor of real cheese sauce or a bechamel, it’s the next best thing if you have vegan priorities. Buy Now

Related Reading: Mmm, Soy Good: The Best Vegan Foods at Trader Joe’s

Treeline Soft French-Style Cheese (4-packs), $36-$40 at Treeline

Treeline

If you’ve got a thing for soft, herbed, spreadable cheeses like Boursin but need a vegan option, then you’d be wise to snag a package of this soft and creamy nut cheese. Treeline cheese comes in a few great-tasting flavors including scallion and cracked pepper, and classic herb and garlic (pictured above). Excellent on sandwiches or simply smeared on crackers.Buy Now

Good Planet Smoked Provolone Slices, $4.92 on Jet.com

Good Planet

When you just need a delicious slice to layer into your vegan bacon club or for grilled cheese to accompany a bowl of tomato soup, this smoked provolone “cheese” is here for you.Buy Now

Field Roast Chao Coconut Herb Vegan Cheese, $9.29 on Jet.com

Field Roast

This sturdy Greek vegan cheese is made with coconut oil and tofu and melts down nicely over a burger, bread, or piece of chicken (fowl or faux). A dose of cracked black pepper kicks it up, too.Buy Now

Good Planet Shredded Cheddar “Cheese,” $4.79 on Amazon

Good Planet

Nachos, quesadillas, chili, baked potatoes, grilled cheese. You know what to do with this vegan cheddar cheese substitute. Completely dairy-free, soy-free, and gluten-free as well as vegan, it’s also shredded for easy melting. Buy Now

Miyoko’s Vegan Sharp Farmhouse Cheese Wheel, $11.19 on Jet.com

Miyoko’s

Got a few vegans popping over unannounced? Put this wheel of sharp farmhouse “cheese” out with some sliced and seared vegan chorizo and crackers. And wine. Yes, lots of wine.Buy Now

Tofutti Vegan Garlic & Herb Cream Cheese, $3.99 on Jet.com

Walmart

While cashews and other nuts are used for a lot of the new vegan cheeses, tofu still makes a great candidate for the softer substitutes like vegan cream cheese. Creamy as the real stuff, Tofutti packs in some protein atop your bagel, too.Buy Now

Amy’s Vegan Cheese Pizza, $10.99 on Amazon

Amy’s

Okay, so this one isn’t technically just cheese, but Daiya shredded vegan mozzarella sits on top of one of my favorite vegan frozen pizzas in the game.Buy Now

Related Video: A Visit with the Queen of Vegan Cheese, Miyoko Schinner

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Make Your Own Vegan Cheese with Just a Few Simple Ingredients

A Visit with the Queen of Vegan Cheese, Miyoko Schinner

In our latest Chow-To episode, senior video producer Guillermo Riveros visits the queen of vegan cheese, Miyoko Schinner, to learn how to make vegan cheese at home, talk about the dire state of the dairy industry and the promise of the plant-based economy, and take a tour of Miyoko’s factory, as well as her animal sanctuary, both located in Petaluma, California.

As plant-based eating grows ever more popular, we’re seeing more and more animal-free products on shelves, from the Impossible Burger to multiple brands of vegan cheese. But when Miyoko Schinner first went vegan, that was definitely not the case.

Miyoko Schinner’s animal sanctuary is home to pigs, cows, goats, sheep, and geese (Chowhound)

Miyoko’s Creamery: Where Love of Cheese & Love of Animals Converge

A vegetarian since the age of 12 (a choice she made based on her abiding love for animals), Schinner decided to go fully vegan after learning more about the dairy industry; while she adored cheese, she couldn’t support its manufacture, which even on small farms that truly care about animal welfare, can’t ultimately have the cows’ best interests at heart (because there’s always the bottom line, after all).

Luckily, Schinner also loves a challenge, so she set about learning how to make vegan cheese that tasted delicious, and she’s been perfecting the art since the 1980s. In 2012, she wrote a book on vegan cheese, with recipes that use various non-dairy ingredients including nuts and plant-based milks.

Artisan Vegan Cheese by Miyoko Schinner, $9.95 on Amazon

Check it out for even more intel and tips.

Buy Now

When she started her company, Miyoko’s Creamery, she was making small 40-pound batches of cheese, but demand quickly outstripped supply—they went online on a Friday and by Monday had $50K worth of orders. Since then, she and her team have had to solve the problem of scaling up production, but remember: she loves a challenge.

And people love her vegan cheese.

It comes in an array of sophisticated flavors like Double Cream Chive, Rustic Alpine, Black Ash, and Smoked Farmhouse; there’s also vegan cream cheese and cheddar-y vegan cheese spread.

Miyoko’s vegan cheese (courtesy of Miyoko’s)

So what’s the secret to its appeal?

It’s All About the Fermentation

There are several ways to make vegan cheese, but it achieves its true glory through the magic of fermentation. The cashew cheese recipe Schinner shared with us includes both sauerkraut brine and miso paste (both packed with probiotics and good bacteria), and the mixture sits for at least 24 hours in a warm place. In that time, the pH drops and the smooth blend gets more acidic, cheesier, and thicker. Nutritional yeast also contributes to the cheesy umami flavor.

Anthony’s Premium Nutritional Yeast Flakes, 1 lb for $12.99 on Amazon

An essential ingredient for vegan cheese dishes.

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Muso From Japan Light Sweet Miso, $4.80 on Amazon

If you have trouble finishing big tubs of miso, this smaller size is handy.

Buy Now

Miyoko’s Vegan Cheese Recipe

This very basic vegan cheese is a delicious starting point for your own creations, but it also tastes great as-is. You can experiment with how long you let it age (up to several weeks in the fridge after the initial fermentation), as well as try different mix-ins (like mushrooms, chives, or garlic), or even coat it in various spices or herbs while it cures. If you have a set-up for cold smoking, you might try that too.

Miyoko's Basic Vegan Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 cups cashews
• enough water to cover cashews
• 1/2 cup sauerkraut juice
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon miso
• pinch sea salt

Instructions

1. Soak cashews for at least 2 hours in water, then drain thoroughly.
2. Combine drained nuts, sauerkraut juice, nutritional yeast, miso, and sea salt in a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Transfer to a covered container and let ferment somewhere warm for at least 24 hours.

Pyrex Container Set, $33.59 on Amazon

Any lidded container, like a Pyrex bowl, will work as a fermenting vessel for your vegan cheese.

Buy Now

Vegan Cheese On the Rise

There’s no denying that plant-based eating is becoming more mainstream—for reasons ranging from health and environmental concerns to personal politics.

While the dairy industry is in decline, with plummeting milk prices, gargantuan stockpiles of unsold cheese, and small farm closures all too common, Schinner does not see the plant-based economy as the enemy. Rather, she believes it’s not only more compassionate to animals, but to farmers too. Existing production facilities can, in theory, be converted to produce plant-based products that consumers want, and land currently devoted to raising cows can be used to grow ingredients for those products.

She supports all up-and-coming plant-based ventures, too, rather than seeing them as competition—because, as she says, the only way to effect real change is to work together, and that includes growing the category of earth and animal-friendly dairy alternatives.

Want more great recipes, stories, and insights from chefs? Subscribe to Chow-To so you never miss an episode!

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