Annihilate the competition with these parking lot soiree recipes.

Yawning over the lame pre-game nosh before your favorite team even charges the field? Wake up and drool over these Metropolitan Market exclusive recipes. From the fresh to the fatty, these tailgate treats will score you the extra points in the crucial minutes before the game. Pair with beer.

Chicken Fajitas (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into ¼ inch strips
• 1 cup onions, sliced
• 2 cups assorted sweet peppers, sliced

Marinade:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ cup cilantro, picked and chopped
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced
• Sea salt
• Flour tortillas, tomato or fruit salsa optional

Steps:
1. Prepare marinade. In a bowl, combine the olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, cumin and garlic. Add chicken breasts to bowl and marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Heat a large grill or skillet; stir fry the marinated chicken first, then add the sliced onions and peppers, season with the sea salt to taste. Serve in warm flour tortillas and your favorite tomato or fruit salsa.

Asparagus Wraps (serves 8-10 appetizers)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of fresh asparagus
• 1/2  lb of wine-cured goat cheese, sliced 1/8-inch
• 1/2 lb of thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma

Steps:
1.  Blanch asparagus for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain and pat dry.
2.  Wrap each asparagus spear with sliced wine-cured goat cheese, one layer only.
3. After wrapping with goat cheese, continue covering each spear with a tight spiral wrap of prosciutto.
4.  Place asparagus spears on a platter, cover and keep chilled (you may do this a day prior).
5.  Lightly grill or broil prepared spears until cheese softens and prosciutto is warm. Great eaten right from the grill. Serve immediately.

Hot and Creamy Artichoke Dip (makes 3 cups)

Ingredients:

• 12 oz artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp onion, grated
• 2 cups Kerrygold Irish Dubliner Cheese, grated
• Cocktail rye bread, Melba toast, or crackers

Steps:
1. Combine all ingredients and spoon the mixture into an 8-inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees.
2.  Serve hot with cocktail rye bread, Melba toast, and/or any of your favorite crackers.

Fruity Bruschetta (serves 16)

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe plum tomatoes, about 1 lb, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 cup diced peaches, 1/4-inch dice
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
• 16 large fresh basil leaves, finely shredded
• 4 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup + 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tsp garlic, crushed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large round country loaf of bread

Steps:
1.  Pre-heat the broiler.
2.  In a large bowl, gently toss together the tomatoes, peaches, red onion, basil and
vinegar with ¼ cup of the olive oil and salt and pepper. Let mixture sit at room
temperature while you make garlic toasts.
3.  In another bowl, mix the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil with the garlic. Cut the bread into
eight long slices, about ½-inch thick and brush with the garlic oil.
4. Toast or grill the bread slices until golden brown on both sides. Cut each slice in half and place the halves on a serving platter. Top each piece with a generous spoonful of the peach mixture. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve immediately.

Don’t feel like doing it yourself? Metropolitan Market also offers their “Tailgate Touchdown” catering menu, which includes a burger bar (serves 20 for $89.99), as well as a vegetable platter and classic American potato salad (both serve 15 to 20 for $39.99).

Hungry yet? With back-to-back contests at CenturyLink Stadium this weekend (the Cougars play the Oregon State Beavers on Saturday, and the Seahawks battle the Cleveland Browns on Sunday), prep for your next tailgate like a trained master chef.