Tailgating – A Taste Of The Good Stuff

Deciding what to serve at a football party, whether tailgating or in the comfort of your living room, can sometimes be overwhelming.  The key is to keep it simple and easy, both in preparation and in service, so that you, too, can enjoy the Big Game.  Here are some great ideas for your next football celebration – both indoors and out!

TIP #1: Choose recipes and foods that can be prepared a day or two ahead of time.  This will eliminate your need to be tied to the grill or kitchen and allow you to have some fun with the rest of the guests.

TIP #2: Keep in mind any specific needs or requests of guests.  If your guest list is comprised of vegetarians, do not spend a lot of time grilling ribs and hot dogs.  Or, if someone on your guest list is a diabetic, keep those restrictions in mind when preparing your menu.

TIP #3: Presentation is everything.  While serving off of the grill is great, not everything that you serve will come from the coals.  Tie in your serving dishes with the mood of the occasion by using eye-catching bowls and platters for your sides and appetizers.

TIP #4: When you determine how much food you’ll need, add to it.  Be well-prepared to feed some hungry folks; football tends to make people hungrier!

Ready for some great recipes and serving ideas?

FOR THE GRILL:

1. Kebabs – these can be all-veggie, with chunks of squash, onion, tomatoes and peppers.  Or, throw in some pieces of stew meat, chicken or pork.  For a more coastal flair, try shrimp on the skewer with a bit of pineapple!
2. Dogs and burgers – the old standby!  Throw a few patties on the flame alongside a couple of links of sausage or hot dogs.  Make sure to have plenty of burger and dog “accessories” available as well (lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, grilled mushrooms, queso, chili, bacon – the possibilities are endless).
3. Ribs – grill up a rack of ribs – bone-in or boneless – and provide plenty of BBQ sauce as well.
4. Chicken wings (and other poultry parts) – these are great because there are so many sauces you can add to them.  Try the standards, such as BBQ sauce or honey mustard, or venture into other flavors such as teriyaki, hot sauce or ranch.

ON THE SIDE:

1. Dips – there are so many ready-made dips these days, but making your own can be more cost-effective (and better tasting in most cases!).  Bean dip, cheese, dip, layered dips, sour cream-based dips, and salsas are terrific choices.  Provide chips, raw veggies, and even bread pieces or sticks for dipping.
2. Cheese or deli trays – these can be great fillers between quarters!  Provide a variety of cheeses and meats, cut into two-inch squares and offered with your choice of crackers.
3. Trail mix – throw in a variety of your own favorite cereals and snacks to create a snack mix as unique as you are!  Some great favorites are chocolate candies, marshmallows, Chex brand cereals, peanuts (or other nuts), raisins and pretzels.  Toss everything together in a big bowl and serve.  What could be easier?
4. Little Smokies and BBQ sauce – these can be left to simmer in a crock pot on their own for the duration of the game.  Simply throw some mini-sausages in the crock pot and cover with your favorite BBQ sauce.  Keep the crock pot on low and provide toothpicks for stabbing.  Yum!
5. Cookies – either store-bought or homemade, your guests are sure to appreciate a bit of sweetness.  Whip these up a few days ahead of time and make plenty of them!
6. Cake and ice cream (or pie and ice cream!) – as the game winds down, offer your guests a bit of celebratory (or consolatory) dessert.  Either create a thematic cake with ice cream to go on the side, or go with pie, such as apple or cherry, which are perfect fall fruit pies.

Do you have a favorite football food?  Leave a comment and share – we love hearing your ideas!