Spice up your tailgate with these amazing recipes

Fans tailgate outside of the Georgia Dome on Sunday afternoon Jan. 20, 2013 before the NFC Championship game against the 49ers. BRANT SANDERLIN / BSANDERLIN@AJC.COM

Credit: Brant Sanderlin / bsanderlin@ajc.com

Credit: Brant Sanderlin / bsanderlin@ajc.com

Fans tailgate outside of the Georgia Dome on Sunday afternoon Jan. 20, 2013 before the NFC Championship game against the 49ers. BRANT SANDERLIN / BSANDERLIN@AJC.COM

Football season is right around the corner, which means it's time to unpack the cornhole boards and get the tailgate equipment ready. While you're preparing for fall's festivities, consider adding a few new recipes to your menu or putting a twist on an old classic. A complete list of Atlanta's top recipes can be found here, but these are some pre-game favorites:

Avocado Cole Slaw -- This recipe from Local Three Kitchen and Bar is a fan favorite, and a great addition to any tailgate. Simple to prepare, the blend of avocado into the dressing gives this cole slaw a unique flavor that will leave your guests clamoring for more.

Black Rice Salad -- Bocado's Black Rice Salad makes for a great side dish and a nice change from the heavier food that is usual found at tailgates. This dish takes a little longer to prepare, so be sure to plan ahead, but the delicious blend of flavors is well worth the effort.

Pimento Cheese & Potato Salad -- Down south, good pimento cheese or potato salad is something worth celebrating. While thousands of recipes exist for these tailgate staples, the Vortex seems to have found the perfect combination of ingredients. The main course is usually the focus of any meal, but these sides may just steal the show.

Creamy Ranch Onion Dip -- The ever-popular ranch onion dip from Ted's Montana Grill also happens to be an incredible last-minute addition to any throwdown outside of the stadium. Taking only 10 minutes to prepare, this dip can also be used as a burger-topping chipotle ranch sauce when combined with a few extra ingredients. Just be sure to get some chips that are worthy of such a special spread.

Sweet Tea -- The unofficial drink of the South, sweet tea also happens to be a very popular tailgate beverage. Fortunately, Mary Mac's Tea Room has provided their recipe for the ultimate sweet tea. Concerned it might not be sweet enough? Mary Mac's general manager, Michael Fuhrman, can vouch; "Ours is the sweetest sweet tea that I've tasted. We actually tried to cut back a little, but people complained," he said.

Baked Beans -- Williamson Bros. Bar-B-Q is one of Georgia's best local barbeque joints. People may head over to a Williamson Brothers location for some delicious ribs, but it is the baked beans that grabs their attention. Incorporate this recipe into your tailgate cookbook and you'll have people lining up for more.

Kobe Beef Sliders -- Sadly, Mosiac is no longer open. Fortunately for us, they passed along their mouth-watering recipe for Kobe sliders. Burgers are the quintessential tailgate food, but these ones are a notch above the rest. And if houses can be tiny, why not burgers?

If you like these recipes, be sure to check out all of the best local tips from some of Atlanta's most popular restaurants here.