The Best 2-Ingredient Tailgate Snack According to ESPN Reporter Laura Rutledge

If there’s one thing ESPN’s “NFL Live” host Laura Rutledge knows about, it’s football. From the tailgate to the post-game show, Rutledge has her pulse on everything happening in the SEC and NFL.

But, as foodies, we know that the most important part of gameday is the tailgate spread—and, no surprise here, Rutledge knows it too.

“As much as my life revolves around actual football, the worst-kept secret is that I live for tailgating, and that’s what I really look forward to most when it comes to Saturdays,” Rutledge said in an interview with Allrecipes.

Just like with most events where entertaining is involved, we love making foods that are simple yet delicious. Think sliders, slow cooker Buffalo chicken dip, and literally anything that can be prepped ahead of time.

Rutledge agrees that “simplicity is the most important thing” when it comes to tailgates, which is why she recently collaborated with The Honey Baked Ham Company as it embarked on a new endeavor—gameday. You probably think of Honey Baked Ham most during the holidays, but this year it's releasing new Tailgate Packs that have everything you need for a successful spread.

The Tailgate Packs, which launch at HoneyBaked locations and stores on August 23, feature sandwich and slider kits as well as premade sides and desserts that will save you time on gameday. And while Rutledge, a self-proclaimed “slider girl,” loves the new Tailgate Packs for the slider options, she also enjoys using ham in a different kind of tailgating snack: mac and cheese bites.

“No one says no to a mac and cheese bite,” she said. And we’ve never heard a truer sentiment. 

Rutledge’s mac and cheese bite recipe is incredibly simple. All you have to do is make your favorite mac and cheese recipe—or, if you want to keep it extra easy, use boxed mac and cheese instead—then add 1/2 cup of chopped ham. You can even do that step ahead of time and throw the mac and cheese in the fridge overnight.

Then, before you head to the tailgate, plop the mac and cheese mixture into a greased muffin tin and bake—seriously, that’s it.

“You can also be creative with that one too and kind of display it in a certain way—you can shape it like a football,” Rutledge said.

No matter how you display them, though, we’re sure they won’t last long.

Laura Rutledge's Mac and Cheese Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 cup macaroni and cheese, prepared
• 1/2 cup honey ham, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine prepared macaroni and cheese and honey ham in a bowl.
3. Spoon the mixture into a muffin tin, filling each space to the top.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden brown and crispy, about 35 minutes. Allow mac and cheese bites to set for a few minutes before turning them out onto a plate.