Tailgating time: These recipes go well with football parties and Olympics, too

It's the last week of January and the next few weeks are going to be crazy. This last weekend, we saw four NFL playoff games that were crazy and great. This weekend, we have the next round of playoffs and the Winter Olympics. So, this week we have tailgate recipes for you to make for all these activities. First up is bacon-wrapped chicken bites. Second and third recipes are slow-cooker recipes: Reuben dip and beer cheese. Happy Cooking!! Bacon-wrapped chicken Ingredients · 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders, cut into about 4 bite-size pieces per tender · 14 slices bacon, cut in half horizontally · Stubb's Original Barbecue Sauce Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 450F (230C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet. 2. Wrap each piece of chicken with half of a slice of bacon, securing with a toothpick. 3. Place the bacon-wrapped chicken in a single layer on the wire rack. 4. Bake the chicken bites for 10 minutes, and then carefully remove the pan from the oven. Baste each chicken bite with barbecue sauce, and then return the pan to the oven. Cook for 5 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and bacon is crispy. Serve with additional sauce on the side for dipping. Crockpot Reuben dip Ingredients · 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened · 1/3 cup mayonnaise · 1/3 cup Thousand Island dressing · 1 tablespoon milk · 1/2 pound thinly sliced deli corned beef, cut into thin strips and then chopped · 1 (14.5-ounce) can sauerkraut, squeezed-dry in paper towels · 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce · 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese Instructions 1. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Thousand Island dressing and milk. You don't need it completely mixed or smooth, but get the cream cheese broken up some. 2. Stir in remaining ingredients. 3. Transfer to a lightly greased crockpot. 4. Cover crock pot and cook on LOW for 2 1/2 hours, stirring halfway through. Beer Cheese Dip Ingredients 16- to 20-ounce package beer brats (about 5 links)1/4 cup white onion, minced2 cloves garlic, mined12 ounces German beer, (Pilsners or ambers work well in this recipe)1/4 cup cornstarch1 1/2 cups whole milk1 tablespoon Dijon mustard1 teaspoon kosher salt1/4 teaspoon white pepper (optional)1 pinch cayenne pepper1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg8 ounces Gouda cheese, shredded6 ounces Asiago cheese, shredded3 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded3 ounces goat cheese or chevre, crumbled2 tablespoons diced pimentos, drained1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped To serve: Tortilla chipsPretzel or pretzel bitesCooked brats cut into 1" piece Directions: Remove the sausage from its casing: Using a very sharp knife, make a slit in the casings by running the tip of the blade down the length of the sausage. Remove the casing from each of the bratwurst and discard. Cook the sausages: In a cast-iron or other heavy nonstick skillet, brown the brats over medium-high heat and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and developing some caramelized spots. Break up the sausages with a wooden spoon or a potato masher as you cook – aim for bite-sized pieces the size of raisins, which are perfect for scooping with chips. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the browned sausage to your slow cooker. Leave the fat behind in the pan; you will use it for the next step. Cook the onions and garlic: Add the onions and garlic to the hot pan and for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables look translucent and glossy. Add the beer: Lower the heat to medium-low, and carefully pour the beer into the pan. The beer will steam and fizz, so be careful. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits of food that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. This deglazing of the pan is important as it adds tons of flavor to the finished dip. Bring the liquid to a boil and let it bubble for about 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly reduced. (This also cooks off the alcohol.) Prepare and add the thickener: While the beer is cooking, whisk together the cornstarch, whole milk, Dijon mustard, salt, white pepper, cayenne pepper and the ground nutmeg in a mixing bowl to form a smooth mixture. Once the beer has reduced, carefully pour the cornstarch mixture into the skillet, whisking constantly. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture back to a boil. It should thicken quickly. Once the mixture has the consistency of gravy and the whisk leaves a ribbon when pulled through the sauce, remove the pan from the stove and carefully pour the sauce into the slow cooker. Add the cheese to the slow cooker: Stir the cheese, one type at a time, with the other ingredients in the slow cooker. Make sure to stir thoroughly before adding the next one. Stir in the drained, diced pimentos. Cook the dip: Cover the slow cooker and cook the dip on high for 30 minutes to melt the cheese. Hold the dip on the "warm" setting and serve: Once the cheese has melted completely, switch to the warm setting and stir the dip. Add the chopped cilantro and stir once more. Adjust the seasoning to suit your taste by adding more salt and/or pepper. I've found the flavors deepen as the dip sits and it may seem to get saltier, so I recommend erring on the side of under-seasoning at this point. This dip will keep (on warm) for up to four hours. Give the dip a stir every half hour or so to prevent a skin from forming on the top. If you feel like it's getting too thick, stir in a little milk to thin it out again. To serve: Spoon the dip onto individual plates, or into bowls. Enjoy with tortilla chips or good ol' Bavarian-style pretzels! Leftovers can be stored in a food storage container in the refrigerator for up to two days.