How to Tailgate: 11 Winning Tailgating Recipes (Touchdown!)

2 Comments | Written on October 1, 2012 at 5:00 pm, by Ann Hodgman

Buffalo Wings

Tailgating snacks should be hearty enough, and plentiful enough, to count as a real meal. No one ever gets enough Buffalo wings, so make a ton of these. And for easy finger-food clean-up afterwards, bring an entire roll of dampened paper towel in a zipper-lock bag.

Mexican Meatballs

These meatballs are easy to make ahead — and incredibly easy to eat. Bring along some colorful cocktail forks to serve with them.

The Ultimate 7-Layer Dip

People will scarf down this dip, so make sure the tortilla chips you bring can handle a lot of piled-up deliciousness.

Nana’s Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are so popular — but so slippery! The easiest way to keep them from sliding around is to bring them in an egg carton lined with a sheet of plastic wrap.

Bloody Mary Cocktail Sauce

Now, listen. There's no point grilling your own shrimp for a tailgate party — it's too fussy and fiddly, and not enough people will notice the trouble you took. Just buy the shrimp precooked. What people are going to notice is this fabulous cocktail sauce.

Creamy and Comforting Corn Chowder

A rich, delicious chowder is especially welcome on those chilly fall afternoons. Your best bet for transport: a wide-mouth, easy-pour extra-large Thermos.

Spiced Hot Cider

No point bringing fancy cocktails to a tailgate, where the keg reigns supreme. But a nice hot cider ... now, that's something else entirely. Maybe you're going to need to buy two of those big Thermoses ...

Sesame Noodle Slaw

Of course you want to get in some vegetables at a tailgate. But ordinary salads can seem a little ... clammy on a crisp October afternoon. This classic sesame slaw will hold up for hours, and even children love it.

No-Drip Chocolate Dip

What a fantastic idea: a luscious, restaurant-quality chocolate dip that you don't have to keep hot.

Fresh Apple Cake

Since we've already got chocolate going on, bring a nice apple cake as a second dessert. Perfect for fall, and it serves plenty of guests.

Spiced Dessert Coffee

Okay. You may think this is a splurge, but think about it: a coffee-maker you can plug into your car's cigarette lighter (Google it). Can you imagine the possibilities? I hope you'll give this a try, because I want to hear about it before I buy one myself.

I hate football, don’t you? Oh, no, wait. Most people like football. If I could ever remember the rules, or understand the umpires’ semaphores, and if the players would stop falling on one another, I might like it, too. For now, though, I have to agree with a friend of mine who, as a little boy, said, “Why don’t they have two balls? Then there wouldn’t be all this fighting!”

But I do love tailgating, especially when it starts right at the beginning of the game. I’ll just have a bite to fortify myself before I find my seat. Well, maybe one beer. Oh, look! Tacos! Wow. The game is over already? Too bad. I’m sure I would have remembered the rules this time.

These recipes assume that you’re not the one in charge of logistics — that you’re not responsible for the U-Haul, grill, keg, or tables. All that stuff would mean you’d have to get to the lot at dawn, and I’m sure you have other things to do on a Saturday morning. Even so, you can’t be sure when the food you’ll bring will be eaten. That means it has to be sturdy and uncollapsible, like those tables someone else is bringing.

It also means that although you’ll do your best to keep hot food hot (insulated bags, Thermoses, lots of foil), it may not end up quite as piping-hot as you intended. And if it’s a warm-ish day (sure, dream on!), foods meant to be cold may lose their chilly edge. Souffles and ice cream aren’t welcome at a tailgate party. Bar food’s what you want.

**What’s your favorite tailgating food?**

Click here to vote for your favorite tailgating recipes!

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Categories: Other Holidays & Parties | Tags: Chili, Dips and Spreads, Drinks, Party Appetizers, Winter Soups and Stews
2 Comments | Post Your Comment

2 Responses to “How to Tailgate: 11 Winning Tailgating Recipes (Touchdown!)”

Helena says:

October 11, 2012 at 2:45 pm

Even though I like football, I enjoyed the sarcasm. Recipes look good, too! Hadn’t thought to put bacon on deviled eggs… The cider recipe sounds great. Also, interesting take on cocktail sauce. Excited to try that and the apple pie!

Reply
- Helena says:
  
  October 11, 2012 at 2:46 pm
  
  *apple CAKE
  
  Reply