You might have heard in Hollywood movies, “Let’s have a Tailgate Party!” but do you really know what is tailgate? When was this trend started, and which are the famous areas and countries for this popular party theme? What are some of the most loved and enjoyed food items and beverages for tailgating? We have an answer to all your curiosities in the following blog.
What is Tailgate Party?
A Tailgate party is a social party that is held at the back-ends of specific autos and vehicles, for example, pickup vehicles and trucks. These trucks are parked, and different delicious foods and beverages are served. The interesting fact about this party and why it’s sundry is that it is usually celebrated before and after sports, including soccer, footballs, and concerts.
How it’s originated?
The contemporary tailgate most undoubtedly has its antecedents in college football, first played in 1869 between Rutgers and Princeton at College Field in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Authorities believe that it was both a decent game and a fun party. The party and its essential parts, on the other hand, might have earlier beginnings. Two historical episodes stand out in particular. Each transpired only a few years before the historic Rutgers-Princeton game, and they both speak to the significance of controlled antagonism in connecting people closer socially, as well as the fundamental American approach to a portable, vehicle-based food.
A tailgate party refers to a social event that is held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating is popular in the United States and Canada. It is a type of party that often involves grilling food and drinking alcoholic beverages. This type of party occurs in parking lots at stadiums and arenas before and sometimes after games and concerts. This is why people who are attending these parties are said to be “tailgating.”
In fact, many people participate even if their cars do not have tailgates. This type of party has spread to the pre-game festivities at sporting events besides American football, including soccer, hockey, baseball, and basketball. When tailgating, people bring their own beverages, barbecues, tailgating snacks, and other foods which are sampled and shared among fans attending the party or game. If you are planning to join a tailgating party soon and thinking of what foods to bring, you’re in the right place. Today, we are giving you the ultimate guide to tailgating cuisine.
Preparing Foods for Tailgating
To make the most of your tailgating experience, here are some tips that we can give when it comes to preparing foods:
Food Preparation and Packing
As much as possible, it is better to prepare the ingredients beforehand and keep them in labeled bags or containers. If you are bringing vegetables and meat, it’s a great idea to precut them. You can also measure any spices, dry goods, and liquids. This will have you save time and space and make sure that you do not forget anything on game day.
The Right Cooking Equipment
The cooking equipment is as important as the ingredients. Therefore, keeping a tailgate box that will hold all the essentials, such as plates, disposable cups, and napkins. You also need to bring utensils for both serving and eating, and as well as can openers, trash bags, tablecloths, paper towels, wipes, gloves, and hand sanitizer. In addition to grills, you can also bring propane burners, slow cookers, camping ovens, or smokers. These can also help you grill, fry, boil, and smoke your dishes. Also, do not forget to pack matches, oven mitts or gloves, and utensils like spatulas and tongs.
Food Preparation and Packing
As much as possible, it is better to prepare the ingredients beforehand and keep them in labeled bags or containers. If you are bringing vegetables and meat, it’s a great idea to precut them. You can also measure any spices, dry goods, and liquids. This will have you save time and space and make sure that you do not forget anything on game day.
The Right Cooking Equipment
The cooking equipment is as important as the ingredients. Therefore, keeping a tailgate box that will hold all the essentials, such as plates, disposable cups, and napkins. You also need to bring utensils for both serving and eating, and as well as can openers, trash bags, tablecloths, paper towels, wipes, gloves, and hand sanitizer. In addition to grills, you can also bring propane burners, slow cookers, camping ovens, or smokers. These can also help you grill, fry, boil, and smoke your dishes. Also, do not forget to pack matches, oven mitts or gloves, and utensils like spatulas and tongs.
What Are Some Famous Tailgating Foods?
Cakes are famous for birthdays, and holy grails are part of Holy Drills; similarly, Tailgating parties also involve some delicious and mouthwatering products. Let us look into those yummiest ever feasts.
Here are some of the best foods for tailgating that we can recommend:
Bratwurst
Grilling and serving bratwurst at a tailgate party is probably the most popular. Bratwurst is a type of German sausage that is made from veal, beef, or pork. It is also often shortened to “brat.” It has become popular as a mainstay of sports stadiums after it was introduced by Bill Sperling to Major League Baseball in Milwaukee County Stadium in 1954, during the time Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee. Therefore, if you are looking into bringing something to grill, then you can include some bratwurst to your list.
Hamburger
A hamburger is certainly among the most popular foods in the United States, and it should definitely be present at a tailgate party. These are also grilled and added with other ingredients such as mayonnaise, mustard, barbecue sauce, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, pickles, cucumber, onions, and more.
Hotdogs with Pico De Gallo
Hotdogs are also very popular at tailgate parties. But if you want to up your game, you can put a twist on them by adding ingredients like fresh tomatoes, spicy jalapeños, and grilled buns. Ketchup and mustard are great on hotdogs, but these ingredients are a lot flavorful. It can also be adjusted if you do not have the ingredients. Instead of jalapeños, you can use serrano peppers. You can also add some pineapple or mango to make it a bit sweeter or some sriracha mayo for some spicy kick.
Corn on the Cob
Corn on the cob is another perfect tailgating food. There are many ways to prepare grilled corn on the cob. One example is by making buffalo corn on the cob by mixing the punch of hot wings and the sweetness of summer corn, which is also a good vegetarian alternative. If you want something simpler, you can simply add some lemon and Old Bay seasoning to the corn, giving it some seafood flavor. You can also try adding song mayonnaise, cheese, lime, and chili on grilled corn for a more flavorful experience.
Charred Jalapeno Poppers:
Tacos are old now, introduce these hot and saucy Charred Jalapeno Poppers to your tailgating menus and get the best response. These are for people who love spices and hot sauces. The recipe is easy, and you might change the filling according to your mood; you might fill the halved jalapenos with slices of bacon or spicy chicken and cheese strips and serve with hot sauce.
View this post on Instagram
Grilled Vegetable Skewers
If you are looking for something healthy to serve and eat at a tailgate party, then you can include some grilled vegetable skewers on your menu. What’s great about this option is that you can include any vegetables that you have on hand. You can add some zucchini, eggplant, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, and more.
Caprese Salad
You can also throw a simple Caprese salad to match the grilled meat and veggies that you will be serving. You can use multicolored tomatoes to make it look more enticing. You can also add in some basil and mozzarella for more flavor and aroma. For texture and salted flavor, mix in some prosciutto.
Chicken Wings
You can’t watch a game without eating chicken wings. There are hundreds of chicken wings recipes out there. You can marinate some classic chicken wings overnight and finish them in a spicy, buttery sauce. You can serve the chicken wings with some mac and cheese as they pair so well.
Hot Chili and Baked Potatoes
If it’s a bit cold on game day, then you can keep your tailgating friends warm by making a pot of hot chili and some baked potatoes. You can cook the chili the night before the game day and reheat it before serving. You can also serve it with some loaded chili potato skins, cornbread muffins, and pumpkin spice cupcakes.
Oreo Football Cookies:
Do you have a football match? Let’s not miss this fantastic new and exciting Oreo Football Cookies, a blend of crushed Oreo biscuits with a topping of cream-making football pattern. The recipe is instant and easy, crush the Oreos, take out the crème, put it aside, add hot milk to the powdered cookies and make balls, then melt the crème and add more whipping cream to it then put the cream in an icing bag and draw a football pattern.
View this post on Instagram
Tacos
If you are looking for a twist on the traditional tailgating fare, then you can create your own taco bar. Bring a slow cooker to the game and make a big batch of spicy meat. You just need to set out the tortillas, tomatoes, onions, avocados, cilantro, lime, and cotija cheese. Your friends are free to mix and match the toppings that they like to make the perfect tacos.
Shrimp Appetizers:
Shrimp appetizers are easy to make and neither too big nor too small to edge before the main meal. Everyone at a tailgating party loves it. To make it look perfectly tempting, you can add chili flakes at the top and add cucumbers and smoked salmon.
Hotdogs for Kids
If you are taking your little ones with you, then you also have to make sure that they have something to eat. You can never go wrong when you serve them some grilled or fried hotdogs. But you can also up your game by serving them hotdogs that are wrapped in pretzel dough. These can be baked ahead of time and serve either warm or cold. In fact, it’s not only kids who will enjoy these.
Tailgating Drinks
At tailgate parties, you have a lot of options when it comes to drinks. You can bring both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. You can pack some sodas and beer. If you want to be creative, you can also make some fruit punches in different flavors.
One example of a good tailgating drink is the fizzy blueberry lemonade. This is delicious whether you choose the traditional or spiked one. All you need to do is make a simple blueberry syrup for the fruity taste, then mix it with five cups of water. If you want a spiked drink, then you can mix it in a cup of gin or vodka to make a homemade vodka lemonade or gin fizz. You can also mix it with ginger beer to create a fizzy lemonade. If you are bringing kids with you, make sure that you have non-alcoholic drinks for them like fruit juices, chocolate drinks, or soda.
Nations, Who Eat Together, Stay Together:
Tailgating is indeed a fun activity to do when watching a game. It is a way to bond with other fans and share experiences while watching the game. Also, during the party, you will be able to discover more unique recipes from other people that you can also try at your next tailgate party.
We see there are riots and conflicts everywhere around the globe. People are too busy with themselves that they have no time to stand and stare. In this world full of work and business, tailgating party is an exquisite gesture that simultaneously joins people and gives them an opportunity to rejoice in their memories. Hope you like today’s blog. Share with us your views in the comment and the recipes you tried.