Non Standard Sporting Events For Tailgating

tailgating event

A sporting event is a great way to have fun with friends and family. Often times, the actual event takes a back seat to the tailgate party that takes place before the event. Serious tailgaters frequent football games, baseball games, and even NASCAR events. However, there are many more options for fans of a good tailgate party (which we think are better than bachelorette parties. Almost any sporting event can be preceded by a tailgate party. All you need is a car, a cooler, tickets, and some friends. Read more

Top 5 Tailgating Grills

Across America, football fans bond with their kind in a unique pilgrimage during game days to college and professional football stadiums. The parking lot has become an important part of the game day experience. Grilling has become an integral part of tailgating, and it’s no secret that the grill quality will determine if your tailgating party is a boon or bane.

If you’re the type that loves to grill while tailgating, here are the five best tailgating grills to cook up great food as you cheer on your favorite college team this fall. But like when you buy anything, you need to consider and weigh the value of the grill and what your goals are, just like when you look at a property’s value.

Kalamazoo Hybrid
If you have $26,000 to burn then get the most expensive grill you can have. The Kalamazoon Hybrid is for the man who wants to spare no expense in throwing a great tailgate party. This grill is versatile enough to use a variety of fuels. It can burn charcoal, gas and even wood. This grill spells huge all over and needs ample space on your truck to have this baby transported. Traveling pains aside, when you pick this one you will be the instant life of the party.

Brinkmann Roadmaster Trailer
People dream about looking at their rear-view mirror to catch a glimpse of a quad mini tower smoke stacks rolling along with your truck. Dream no more. For just $999 you can have the Brinkmann Roadmaster Trailer on your next great tailgate cookout. This trailer has 12-inch wheels and made from sturdy stainless steel. It is easy to hook-up to your truck thanks to a retractable hitch stand. This baby has a spacious storage box big enough to store your fuel and cooking tools. This trailer acts as a mobile kitchen with folding side tables. It features a wide 403 square inches of cooking area.

Solaire Portable
Solaire gives us this great product that uses propane as its fuel source. The Solaire Portable tabletop grill retails for $389 is compact enough to fit most cargo bays. It may have a small cooking area at 155 square inches but it is more than enough for most tailgate grilling demands. Grilling stakes, burgers or chicken on this grill is a cinch.

Blue Rhino
Tailgating grills need not be expensive. The Blue Rhino gives you the affordability that you are looking for in tailgate grills. Blue Rhino retails their Backyard Grill brand for just $49. This product offers basic grilling needs on a tailgate party. This product has a respectable cooking surface of 399 square inches. It also features a warming rack that has an area of 159 square inches. The Blue Rhino Backyard Grill has a total 20,000 BTUs of energy. This product may be diminutive but its greatest strength is its portability.

Coleman Road Trip Grill LXE
Coleman is a quality brand for outdoor equipment. The Road Trip Grill does a great job in grilling without the unnecessary bulk. This grill’s portability is its greatest asset. It is easy to set up and you need only one hand to move around. This grill is made from durable cast-iron. Coleman retails this product for $189.99.

Ashlee works for HowMuchIsIt, a website that boasts more than 2,000 guides on what things cost in life. Reach out to her on Twitter @howmuchforit.

Some Tailgating Supplies Ideas

If you are planning a great tailgate party, then you are in luck. This article will discuss some tailgating ideas. It is important that you plan your tailgating games and tailgating supplies properly.

You can get ideas on how to plan a perfect tailgate party. First, you need to have tailgating supplies. It is important to stock up with various equipment. You need to plan the kind of food and drink that you will be bringing along.

The supplies include the picnic baskets that you will be bringing. The baskets need to be sturdy enough to contain a huge amount of food. Food is important in tailgating. You have the choice of the staples in a tailgate party. Chicken or buffalo wings are the mainstays in the food items brought during tailgating. Salads are also popular in tailgating. Most of the salads prepared are potato salad or coleslaw. You can find a lot of tailgating recipes online.

Since there is the opportunity to barbecue during tailgating; having steaks is also popular. You also need to procure barbecue grills and charcoal during such event. You can also use the barbecue grill to cook hamburgers, hot dogs, and other grilled food. Baked beans are also popular in tailgate parties.

You can also bring along canopies to shield you from the heat of the sun. Huge umbrellas are also useful especially for sudden downpour. Don’t forget your coolers. You need them to keep your beers cold. No one would like to chug down warm beer. Beer is an integral part of tailgate parties. Forget about tailgating if you are on a diet, you will never be able to resist the beer and the food and you forget all about your diet as soon as it gets a little dark. There are a lot of games that originated from drinking beers. Beer pong is one game that became popular in tailgate parties. Flipcup is another beer-related game where each team tries to out drink their counterparts. There are a lot of variations on the flipcup that evolve in tailgating. So plan your tailgate party and enjoy!

5 Tailgating Food Ideas Your Family Would Love

Tailgating is a great way to celebrate the weekend. Whether you are going to take the family to the beach to watch fireworks or you are going to a local professional baseball game, it is important to have plenty of food and drinks for everyone to enjoy while they are laughing and and enjoying their time away from work. If you are planning an upcoming tailgate party, you can get creative with the food that you bring (no-bake cookies for the kids?). We’re going to share with you some tailgating ideas for food, so if you’re tired of the hot dogs and hamburgers, here are some unique dishes you can serve that everyone is sure to love.

 

Pigs in a Blanket Finger foods are essential when you are throwing a tailgate party. If you want to bake up something that is perfect to eat in two bites, roll mini cheddar sausages in croissant pastry and bake for 10 minutes. Not only are they delicious, they are also quick and easy to make.

 

Bacon and Ranch Cheese Ball 

Almost everyone loves bacon and cheese. Why not make your own bacon and ranch cheese ball and serve crackers so that everyone can have a bite whenever they have a craving for something delicious.

 

BBQ Baked Beans with a Twist 

No tailgate is complete without barbecue baked beans. Why not turn baked beans into a main dish by adding sausage or chicken. Simply add baked beans, barbecue sauce, molasses, salt, and chopped chicken or sausage in a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes and you have the perfect appetizer and main dish in one.

 

Chicken Pineapple Kabobs 

If you are serving food to picky children, you may have to get more creative. Why not serve chicken pineapple kabobs which are both healthy and delicious. Simply marinate the chicken pieces and pineapple in honey, soy sauce, and sesame oil cook them on the grill 15 to 20 minutes before you serve.

 

Tomato and Black Bean Salsa

If you are looking to serve a creative dip that is perfect for Spring or Summer, tomato and black bean salsa is perfect. With black beans, diced tomatoes, green peppers, red peppers, onions, cilantro, salt, and limes, you can make sure everyone feels refreshed.

You do not have to stick with just burgers and hot dogs when you are throwing a tailgate party. If you want to make sure that everyone compliments the chef, these creatives food ideas are a good way to ensure everyone is happy and full by the time they leave. Check out some more recipes here, for fresh new ideas. We hope these tailgating ideas help you come up with new, interesting foods.

 

About the Author
Jo Harris is the Outreach Director for the Morgan Law Firm. She is a frequent blogger on a variety of subjects. The firm is located at 4101 Parkstone Heights Dr., Suite 250, Austin, Texas 78746 and can be phoned at (512) 551-0807. Additionally you can find more information on the Morgan Law Firm website.

Tailgating: an American Social Phenomenon

Tailgating is a unique American social phenomenon. People gather at the back of their vehicles to celebrate a victory or just to hang out with friends. An erstwhile underground activity, tailgating ideas have hugged the consciousness of mainstream American society. There have been a lot of tales about tailgating and most of them are about fun, renewing old ties and making new friends.

Tailgating stories are about friendships and bonds strengthened during parties. Most of the stories are about college students having fun at campus. Most athletic teams would encourage tailgating to gather their fans. Some of the fans will drive their vehicles to the sporting venue and pitch canopies or large umbrellas. Today, even professional sports associations are encouraging people to do tailgate parties. Some of them are actually giving high importance to the parties as part of the sporting event. This is significant because it gives credence to the activity as part of the American culture and society.

The fun starts with food being brought to the parking lot. Much of it is being shared around to gain new friends or revisit old ones. Food is an essential aspect of the social activity. Hotdogs, hamburgers and salads are the staple foods for tailgating parties.

The rise of social event’s popularity gave birth to a lot of games. Much of the tailgating games that were invented revolve around the consumption of beers. Beer is also an essential part of the social gathering. A tailgate party is said to be a failure if there are no beers. In order to enjoy the games during a tailgate party one has to drink lots of beer. But don’t get too drunk or you might fall down and there is no protective surfacing in the parking lot.

The phenomenon has gone beyond the shores of America. It has influenced other cultures to embrace the social gathering. Also the event has spurned an entire industry dedicated to produce supplies for people who love to do tailgating. No doubt that America has started a trend that will last for years to come.

Lookout for Tailgating Supplies

Organizing a tailgate party is not as simple as arranging a tea party for little girls, luckily the Internet has a lot of websites where you can get tailgating supplies. These supplies are designed to make the experience more memorable and enjoyable.

There are a lot of companies on the Internet that supplies chairs. It is important to have chairs in tailgating. It gives comfort to the party goers. Suppliers sell grilling accessories for barbecue during parties. There are stoves and ovens that are portable enough to be brought to the event. The ovens and stove are handy enough to re-heat the food that you will bring to the party. Of course, one needs to bring coolers that would keep beers cool. It would be a disaster if you will be drinking warm beers.

There are a lot of popular tailgating food which includes hot dogs, bakes beans, potato salads and coleslaw. Party goers also prefer chips during the events. They would prepare enchiladas, guacamole and salsas to add more excitement to the food.

Other things you need to bring along are picnic baskets. You need the baskets to carry the food. The basket makes it easier to share the food that you have prepared to everybody. During your tailgate party you may need tents and canopies. The tents and canopies will shield you from the weather elements.

A lot of games are being held during tailgate parties. Tailgating has created new games that include washer toss, beer pong and washer pitching. Most of the games being played are based on beer drinking.

Tailgating stories talk about how people troop to games when the college football season starts. College students would do tailgate parties near the parking lot to celebrate the start of the season.

Aside from the games itself, expect some parades on game day. The parades come complete with marching bands. People would pitch their tailgate parties on parking lots that are around ten minutes away from the stadium. These were just a few tailgating ideas about what to bring.

Some Tailgating Recipes You May Want to Know

America has been raving about tailgating. It has been one of the greatest social events that stormed the nation. It has become a very exciting occasion that every American is looking forward for. Tailgating has become synonymous with American leisure in recent years.

Tailgating has become a custom especially during large sporting events. It has been encouraged by American college athletic teams to drum up support for the teams. The tailgating support community has spread like wildfire in the consciousness of American society. Early tailgating required the use of vehicles. Tailgating is a party that is being held at the tailgates of vehicles. Recently, tailgating had less use of vehicles in the parties. One can have a tailgate party even without cars. This is particularly true with college students who want to do tailgating but don’t have vehicles. Some tailgating parties are held at parking spaces near sporting arenas with just picnic blankets and coolers. Tailgating has proved to be a nice way to meet new friends and play tailgating games.

In planning a perfect tailgate party, one needs to prepare a lot of things. One needs to buy tickets to sporting events since most tailgating is done during these events. Be sure to secure the tickets in your wallet so you will not forget it. You can place the tickets near your cell phone or keys. This will enable you to remember where you placed the tickets since you have to pick your keys on your way out.

A lot of tailgating recipes can be seen online. One can choose assorted dips for nachos or tortillas. Also, a lot of people eat chicken wings, or buffalo wings in tailgating. Of course, consuming pizza is also welcome in tailgating. Bringing along some barbecue sauce will be appropriate; much of tailgate parties have barbecues . Salads are also prepared during tailgating. The most popular salad during tailgating is the potato salad.

Some would prepare some tacos or some guacamole. You can make some salsa for your chips. Of course never forget the beer with lots of ice. Place them in a cooler to ensure that you are drinking cold beer. Beer drinking is essential in a perfect tailgate party. Just bring enough to share to others.

4 Healthy Football Party Spreads

Football season is almost here, which means that the get togethers and parties and all those wonderful football spreads are almost here.

If you’re trying to watch your weight, these football parties can do some major damage to your progress. All the fried appetizers and all those carbs are not good for your diet, but they can be so hard to pass up.

Instead of hovering over the vegetable tray during the game, make some of these tailgating recipes for your next football party. Not only are they healthy, but they’re extremely tasty too.

1. Cucumber Dip

Cucumber dip is very flavorful, but it’s also very healthy. Everyone will surely eat it right up without realizing how good it is for them.

Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber

• 1 cup yogurt, plain

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp Greek seasoning

• 1 cup sour cream

Directions:

1.     Grate cucumber into thin pieces. Place into a large bowl.

2.     Add in the lemon juice, sour cream, yogurt and Greek seasoning. Mix well.

3.     Refrigerate dip for at least 1 hour before serving.

4.     Serve with pita chips.

 

2. Grilled “Wings”

What’s a football party without chicken wings? Replace your deep fried staples with this healthier and grilled options. We promise your guests will like them.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chicken tenders

• 1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce

• carrots and celery sticks

• low fat ranch dressing

Directions:

1. Grill chicken until cooked through.

2. Cut grilled chicken into small pieces.

3. Add chicken to bowl and cover and toss in buffalo wing sauce.

4. Place a toothpick in each one and serve with carrots, celery sticks and ranch dipping sauce.

 

3. Quesadillas

Quesadillas are an easy recipe to add to any football party, plus you can add any ingredients to make it healthy.

Ingredients:

• 8 tortillas

• 15 oz. black beans

• onion powder to taste

• 2 cups shredded Colby cheese

• 1 cup salsa

Directions:

1.     In a saucepan, mix together black beans and onion powder. Cook until beans are cooked through.

2.     Remove from heat and mash the bean mixture.

3.     Place tortillas on a griddle.

4.     Add bean mixture and cheese to half of each tortilla. Fold in half.

5.     Cook until each side is golden brown and cheese is melted.

6.     Slice into pieces and serve with salsa.

 

4. Turkey Chili

Chili is a great addition to any football party, and when you use ground turkey instead of beef, you’ll have a tasty and healthy food option.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground turkey

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

• 2 cans diced tomatoes

• 2 cans chicken broth

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 tsp chili powder

• ½ tsp cumin

• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper

Directions:

1.     Brown ground turkey in a large skillet. Remove any excess juice.

2.     Place all ingredients into a crockpot.

3.     Cook on low for 8 hours, stirring occasionally.

Lauren Williams is a health specialist.  She enjoys sharing beneficial information about health, nutritional foods, and healthy eating.  Lauren often makes quick healthy meals for her family.

Juicy Tailgating Recipes for Your Parties

Looking for new tailgating recipes to add to your cookbook repertoire? We’ve got you covered – some of us are even chefs. It’s good to fire up the grill and load up some fresh burgers, hot dogs or, if you’re feeling a bit fancy, some steak and chicken breast. Whatever you’re in to, we’ve got some awesome tailgating recipes for you.

Before you slap on some meat, here are some quick tips as you fire up your grill to try some of our awesome tailgating recipes!

  • Don’t let your food stick – rub your grill using vegetable oil or any non-stick cooking spray.
  • Don’t clump your food up – space your food around to allow for even cooking and smoke penetration.
  • Don’t turn your meat too often – usually once is good enough on the grill.
  • Keep a spray bottle with water nearby just in case a flare-up hits, you can calm it down.
  • As should be obvious – don’t place your cooked food on a plate that had raw meat on it. You don’t want to get sick.
  • Keep your grill clean! Rub it with a wired brush to get off any excess food.

Tailgated Grilled Burger

Burgers are awesome when done right. The smoke-induced, char-grilled outside and the mouth-watering juicy inside are a staple of an awesome burger.

When you pick out your ground beef, the more coarse the beef the juicier the burgers will be. You want juicy burgers, right?

You can add almost anything to your burger mixture, and here are a few flavoring suggestions:

  • Powdered or fresh minced onion and garlic
  • Fresh or dried herbs and spices
  • Dehydrated or fresh minced onion and garlic
  • Seasoning mixes for soups or salad dressings
  • Sauces including BBQ, Worcestershire, Soy, Teriyaki, Salsa, Hoisin, Plum, Oyster, Hot Pepper or any Salad Dressing.
  • Throw in some other little bits like olives, chopped tomatoes, capers, chiles, bacon, or minced ham

Greek Burger Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 pounds ground lamb
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 bulb fennel, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons shallots, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • 8 hamburger buns

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and minced garlic. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  2. Preheat grill for high heat.
  3. Mix together lamb, bread crumbs, fennel, shallot, oregano, and salt. Form into 3/4 inch thick patties, and sprinkle black pepper over surfaces.
  4. Brush grate with oil, and place burgers on grill. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side, turning once, or until done. Serve on buns with garlic mayonnaise

We hope these tailgating recipes will help you become a better chef with your cookouts.

Quick Tailgating Ideas and Tips

Looking for some tips to help improve your experience? New tailgating ideas? Yeah, we got you covered­­­­­­ with our random little grab bag of tailgating ideas for you to sink your teeth in to.

Ideas:

Get bottled water and freeze it, then place it in your cooler. Not only does it help keep your cooler, well, cool, but when it gets hot out you can take it out to have it melt – and hey, fresh water (amazing I know). Unlike putting ice your cooler, it won’t water down and make a mess. They’re excellent ice packs!
Always bring your own ‘jumbo’ beverage glass – make sure it’s distinguishable enough so that people know it’s not theirs – and hey, it’s easier to spot and pick up. What’s worse than losing your drink? Picking up someone else’s. Nasty.

Grilling? Line your portable grill with some aluminum foil. This helps make clean-up and disposal of charcoal effortless.
Traveling often? Don’t forget your items! Create a laminated check list filled with all the items you take with you, and with a nice marker just check off the things as you grab them. Never forget anything again! Wipe the checklist clean when you’re ready for the next game.

Organizing all your items a pain? Keep it simple – grab a large bin and keep everything in that bin, not only does it make things easy for where you need to look, but it makes getting in and out a whole lot easier. Awesome tailgating ideas to help keep things organized.

Bringing some fresh marinated steak to the tailgate party? Ziplock bags are your friend. Grab a few ziplock bags and slop your meat in along with the marinade, and let it sit for two days. You can freeze it the night before the game so that, and during transportation they can thaw out. Simple!

Toolboxes! They can save your life – make sure you keep one packed in your car. You never know when you need to fix a tripod, tent, hammer in some stakes, or a variety of other emergencies that require more than a beer can and some fleshy fingers.

First aid! Keep a first aid kit in your car for those booze fumbles – you never know when someone will slip and clonk their head on your car’s bumper, or accidentally trip over your grill… Hey, it happens.

We’re always improving our tailgating ideas – so check back often! Have any tailgating ideas you would like to share with us? Sign up and contribute content with us!

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