It is time to tailgate again! Set up your space with nice seasonal flowers and tablecloths, napkins, and paper plates in your school colors. Serve pick-up sandwiches, and offer salads and sides in individual bowls. Add delicious charcuterie packets, mini cheese balls on crackers, and spicy pretzels in little brown bags.
Everyone always enjoys fresh fruit, cookies, and cake. Let everyone enjoy participating in the food preparation and the set-up. It’s all about friends spending time together and the big game. Enjoy these easy-to-prepare recipes at your next tailgate!
Menu
Barbecue Pork Sandwiches
Coleslaw
Turkey Sandwiches
Artichoke and Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad
Red Beans and Rice Salad
Charcuterie Packets
Mini Mardi Gras Cheese Balls
Spicy Pretzels
Watermelon and fresh fruit
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Brownie Cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies
Coconut and Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
Barbecue Pork
1 (3 to 4-pound) boneless pork shoulder roast, trimmed
1 (12-ounce) can root beer
1 (18-ounce) bottle barbecue sauce
Wash pork roast and dry with paper towels. Place in large crockpot with liner. Pour root beer and barbecue sauce over roast. Cover, and cook on low for 8 hours. Transfer to cutting board. Shred with two forks, removing any pieces of fat. Skim fat from sauce and add to pork. Serve on bun with slaw.
Yield: 12-16 sandwiches
Coleslaw
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 (16-ounce) package shredded coleslaw mix
In a bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, horseradish, salt, and pepper. Stir in coleslaw mix. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Yield: about 4 cups
Turkey Sandwiches
Focaccia bread
Mayonnaise
Deli-shaved smoked turkey breast
Sliced Havarti cheese
Lettuce
Sliced tomatoes
Salt and black pepper to taste
On Focaccia bread, spread mayonnaise on both sides of bread. Layer turkey, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Artichoke and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
2 cups rotini pasta, cooked according to package directions
4 slices bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled
2 green onions, chopped
1 (13.75-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (7-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes, well drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Dressing:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Salt and black pepper to taste
In a bowl, stir together pasta, bacon, green onions, artichoke hearts, and cheese; set aside. For dressing, in a bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add dressing to pasta mixture and toss together. Refrigerate
Yield: 10-12 servings
Red Beans and Rice Salad
Salad:
2 (15.5-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 (8.8-ounce) packages Uncle Ben’s ready rice, prepared according to package directions
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
½ small onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Dressing:
½ cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
In a bowl, stir together, beans, rice, celery, onion, and bell pepper; set aside. For dressing, in a jar with a lid, stir together vinegar, hot sauce, and olive oil. Pour dressing over salad and marinate overnight.
Yield: 10-12 small servings
Charcuterie Packets
Red and green grape Skewers
Place 4 or 5 grapes alternating colors on skewers.
Tomato, spinach, and Mozzarella cheese Skewers
1 (6-ounce) container grape tomatoes
1 (6-ounce) package baby spinach
Fresh Mozzarella snacking cheese, drained and patted dry
Skewer tomato, spinach leaf, and cheese ball on each skewer.
Cold cuts Skewers
1 (6-ounce) package uncured Italian dry salami or salami sliced on #2 in deli department
1 (4-ounce) package uncured Genoa salami or salami sliced on #2 in deli department
1 (6-ounce) package uncured pepperoni or pepperoni sliced on #2 in deli department
Fold and alternate meat on skewers.
Olive and Pickled Okra Skewers
1 (7-ounce) jar gourmet queen olives stuffed with jalapeños
1 (7-ounce) jar gourmet queen olives stuffed with bleu cheese
1 (16-ounce) jar mild pickled okra
Drain olives and okra on paper towels. Skewer jalapeño olive, then okra, then bleu cheese olive on each skewer.
1 (4-ounce) package John William Macy’s melting parmesan cheese sticks
Castello Havarti Creamy Cheese, cut into wedges
To assemble each Charcuterie packet, place 1 red and green grape skewer, 1 tomato, spinach, and Mozzarella cheese skewer, 1 cold cut skewer, 1 olive and pickled okra skewer, 1 parmesan cheese stick, and 1 wedge of Castello Havarti cheese in greaseproof and waterproof paper-lined packet.
Arlette Thompson, Madison
Mini Mardi Gras Cheese Balls
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 (2.5-ounce) jar dried beef, finely chopped
1 (10.3-ounce) package Ritz crackers
1 cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese
For garnish: real bacon bits and finely chopped green onions
In a bowl, mix together cream cheese, onions, dried beef, and cheese. Shape into walnut-sized ball. Serve each ball on top of a Ritz cracker, and garnish with bacon bits and green onions.
Yield: about 2 dozen
Arlette Thompson, Madison
Spicy Pretzels
¾ cup canola oil
1 (1.5-ounce) package ranch dressing mix
¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
2 (9-ounce) bags Butter Snaps Flavored Pretzels
In a bowl, stir together oil, dressing mix, and seasoned salt. Pour over pretzels in a large zipper bag and turn bag to cover all pretzels.
Yield: 18 ounces pretzels
Chocolate Pound Cake
1 (15.25-ounce) yellow cake mix
1 (3.4-ounce) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (3.4-ounce) instant chocolate pudding mix
1½ cups water
½ cup oil
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup chopped pecans
1 (12-ounce) bag mini milk chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With mixer, beat cake mix, pudding mixes, water, and oil until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Stir in pecans and chips. Pour batter into a well-greased 10-inch tube pan or Bundt pan. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until tester placed in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack before removing from pan.
Yield: 16 servings
Gale Hammond, Pearl
Brownie Cookies
1 (18.4-ounce) fudge brownie mix
4-6 tablespoons water
1 egg
1 teaspoon coffee extract
2/3 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, stir together brownie mix, water, egg, and coffee extract until combined. Stir in pecans and chips. Dough will be still. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls unto a lightly greased parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from baking sheet to wire rack.
Yield: about 3 dozen cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1½ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ cups chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With mixer, beat peanut butter, butter, and sugar until creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour and baking soda. Stir in peanuts. Dough will be crumbly. Roll dough into tablespoon-size ball and place about two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press each cookie slightly with back of spatula. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on sheet for 2 minutes before moving to wire rack.
Yield: about 4 dozen
Coconut and Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1½ cups dried cherries
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside. With mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in cherries, coconut, and chips. Drop dough about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet for 1 minute and remove to wire rack.
Yield: about 24 cookies
Sources: French Fry Holders and Greaseproof and Waterproof paper liners from MZ&J are from Amazon,
and checked tablecloth, pig serving pan, and sunflower foil stickers are from Hobby Lobby. Large flowering plants are from Lakeland Yard and Garden.