Tailgating season is in full swing throughout the Midwest with weekly food sections offering tips and recipes for eating – and drinking – well on a budget.

We've also got a roundup of squash recipes and some Columbus Day eating.

Eat, Drink, Cheer on the Team

• The Chicago Sun-Times suggests dressing up affordable hot dogs with gourmet toppings like sweet corn relish or tomato peach relish.


• The Detroit Free Press offers a recipe for Motor City Brats.


• Pork and Black Bean Chili Molé from the Kansas City Star features ingredients that are good for the heart.


• The Lincoln Journal Star stays frugal with a Thrifty Beef Stew.


• A Bohemian Stew from the Wichita Eagle is designed to support a citywide reading program and Willa Cather's "My Antonia," but it would be great for game day too.


• The Des Moines Register has tips for healthy tailgating.


• The St. Louis Post-Dispatch rounds out the party with its picks for budget-friendly microbrews.

Swooning over Squash

• A kabocha squash primer from the Sun-Times


• Mark Bittman's Pan-fried Hubbard Squash with Cranberries and Pistachios at the Chicago Tribune


• Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Nutmeg from the Kansas City Star

The Tribune also devotes an entire section to the culinary contributions of Christopher Columbus in honor of Columbus Day. It's got stories and recipes devoted to pecans, corn, cranberries, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, chillies, potatoes and chocolate.

Related: What Are Your Favorite Tailgating Recipes?

(Images: Erik M. Lunsford for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Detroit Free Press, Kansas City Star)