If there’s a particular season in the South that revolves around food more than the others, it’s fall.
Mainly because you can’t have a football game without the proper tailgating sustenance. We’re talking pimento cheese, hot dogs, seven-layer dip, pigs in a blanket, chili… as long as it’s tailgate-friendly and delicious, you’ll find it outside a stadium or at any tailgate worth its while.
Amanda Wilbanks, the owner and founder of Southern Baked Pie Company, is a University of Georgia alum who wholeheartedly agrees with us on this one.
The pie-connoisseur recently gave us a peek at what her perfect tailgate spread looks like (hint: it’s super Instagrammable), and she even passed along her recipe for football-shaped Sloppy Joe Hand Pies. And by the looks and taste of these savory bites, we know they’ll be a staple at every game this season… no matter who you root for.
What team do you root for?
I live in a house divided. My husband graduated from Auburn, and I graduated from the University of Georgia.
I’m currently outnumbered, as my two little boys have been coerced into being die-hard Auburn fans, but I continue to cheer on my dawgs regardless.
How important is game day/football to you?
It’s a sacred day in our household. Since I’m able to somewhat check out on the weekends, I love spending time with my family, making memories, and watching football games.
My favorite part about game day is the excuse to sneak in the extra calories! We ALWAYS have a chocolate chess pie and the boys favorite, cherry pie.
Why did you choose this outfit for your tailgate party?
I LOVE everything Draper James has, so believe me, it was hard to pick just one outfit. I chose this outfit because it gave me the freedom to indulge on game day and hide it under the Spirit Sweater Cape.
When the sun goes down it can get a little cool, this cape keeps me nice and warm while I cheer on the dogs.
What is your favorite tailgate beverage?
Blood orange champagne: It’s great for early game days. When I became a KD (Kappa Delta), it was a tradition to start every game day with a mimosa.
Now I’ve changed it up a little bit and added the blood orange champagne to my pre-game ritual.
What are your favorite foods to serve at a tailgate party?
The savory beef hand pies from my cookbook, Southern Baked: Celebrating Life with Pie, are a staple in our house for game days. I love a charcuterie tray to snack on during the game.
It wouldn’t be game day in the South without a cheesy, rich, tomato pie! It’s very versatile and goes great with anything you throw on the grill. The possibilities are endless!
Recipe for Sloppy Joe Hand Pies
Makes 5 hand pies
Note from Amanda: I like to make these in the shape of little footballs. They’re always a touchdown with friends and family at tailgate parties.
Ingredients
1 pound ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 recipes SB Pie Dough (recipe below)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the meat and onion in a large skillet.
Cook, breaking up meat with a spoon until it is no longer pink and the onions are softened. Drain excess grease from meat.
Add the mustard, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Roll out dough into 2 (12-inch) circles.
Cut 5 hand-size football shapes out of each circle for a total of 10 footballs. Reroll the scraps if needed to get all the football shapes.
Place 5 football shapes on parchment.
Spoon Sloppy Joe mix evenly onto each shape.
Place remaining 5 football shapes over the mixture and press around the edges to seal closed.
Using a sharp knife, cut slits in the top of each football to look like the laces.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Recipe for Southern Baked Pie Dough (SB Pie Dough)
Makes dough for 1 single crush 9-inch pie
Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
11/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
Directions
Cut the butter into small cubes.
Combine butter and flour in a mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour.
Add the salt and sugar. Continue to work the butter into the flour until the mixture has a consistency of course-ground cornmeal.
The cubes of butter should now be smaller than the size of a green pea.
Add the water, all at once.
Continue to work the dough until the dough begins to come together.
Form the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and press into the shape of a disk.
Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to chill.
Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out to desired size on a lightly floured surface.
Tip: The trick to making delicious pie dough is using cold ingredients. I even chill my flour, salt, and sugar. Starting with very cold butter and ice cold water will make a world of difference when it comes to the texture of the dough.
Photography by Abby Breaux
