Tailgating is a tradition my family looks forward to each year. With football season upon us, I love bringing family and friends together to cheer on our favorite teams. You can throw the best tailgate at the stadium or in your neighborhood with my easy and tasty ideas.

For me, fall tailgating means crisp weather, cozy sweatshirts and a great spread of family-style food. From veggies, chips and dips to nachos, beer and barbecue, fall is the perfect time to host a party.

Prepare to score

Being prepared is my number-one rule for hosting any party, so follow these simple steps to make your next tailgate a touchdown!

• Chop veggies and make dips prior to the big event. Store in your freezer to pull out on game day.
• Early in the week, broil chicken wings and freeze. On party day, pull them out, add sauce and reheat in the top oven of the Kenmore Elite^® Double Oven.
• Chili always tastes better the day after it's made, so make it ahead of time, store it in a slow cooker and heat it up a few hours before the big game.
• Assemble meat and cheese platters the night before the party and store in the fridge. The Kenmore Elite® large capacity TRIO^® refrigerator is perfect for big serving trays and deli platters.
• Make homemade hot cocoa the night before, then reheat it using the low simmer option on the Kenmore Elite^® induction cooktop.

Beyond the big game

While the game easily entertains adults, kids might be bored by halftime. Try outdoor-inspired activities that will entertain younger children or inspire an autumn party of their own.

• Play with your food. Apple and baby-pumpkin stamping is simple and fun. Cut fruit in half, dip in paint and let children make posters to decorate the home.
• Make it a game with an outdoor relay race for a group of kids.
• Supervised flag football gets both young and old off the couch and outside.
• Beanbag tossing is an activity that both parents and kids can enjoy and is game-day perfect.
• Look to nature. My children create fall nature journals with natural items they trace and collect in a special journal. With the leaves starting to change color, now is the perfect time to create one with your child.
• Take your crafts outdoors to reduce the mess in the house and keep kids busy. Try my favorite pumpkin pie play dough recipe.

The fall transition

As the seasons change, I find my cooking style changing, too. I begin to make more soups and delicious slow-cooker creations. My family craves heartier dishes as the weather begins to cool, so comfort foods like chili, whole-wheat cinnamon waffles and pumpkin bread are at the top of my list. Ingredients like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and rosemary begin to feature in my recipes. White sauces add a comforting touch to pastas; canned pumpkin and powdered milk make my hot cocoa and vanilla chai tea mixes taste like the season.

I'm sharing some of my favorite quick and savory recipes with you! They work well for both family dinners and tailgate parties.

Monday-morning chef

I like to host a play date the day after a party and turn my leftovers into snacks for all the kids. Here are a few of my go-to leftover options.

• Extra veggies? Chop them up to include in a hearty soup or salad.
• Chili leftovers? Pair with baked potatoes; create a condiment station with ingredients like cheese, bacon and chives, so everyone can top their own potato.
• Leftover chips? Crush and use as topping for a dinner casserole later in the week.