Tailgating and football go hand in hand, but everyone is not fortunate enough to make it to the stadium for every game.
To help bring the stadium experience home, Sara Lee Executive Chef Laura Piper, along with celebrity football commentators Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit, offer fans the following simple tips on hosting an unforgettable tailgate party right in their own backyard:
1. Plan your menu ahead of time. Create your menu a few days before the game and keep it simple. Popular tailgating foods include hot dogs, burgers and grilled sausages.
2. Re-create the stadium atmosphere. Play your team's fight songs in the background; bring a radio or TV outside and turn on the game to capture all the pre- and postgame highlights; put up banners, flags, pennants and pompoms; paint your faces with team colors.
3. If you cook it, they will come. There is no such thing as "too much food."
4. Don't be a grill know-it-all. If you're a guest at someone's backyard tailgate and you see they don't flip the burgers quite like you do, just let it go. Tailgate etiquette is a must!
5. "Starting at safety…" Make sure your pickup games aren't too close to the grill. You don't want to give new meaning to the term "hot route."
6. Bench the tofu burgers. Moments like these call for the heartiest meats. Vegetarians on the field? Then offer a mean baked potato option instead.
7. Know the score. Before the party, download sports news on your cell phone to receive the latest updates on stats and players.
8. Good sportsmanship is a must. Play nice. Even if your father-in-law can't remember a pattern to save his life, be sure to pass it to him at least once.
9. If you're playing in a "backyard bowl," don't fill up too much before the game. Limit your tailgating intake to no more than three hot dogs, two kielbasas and a burger before you take the field. After the game, you can really start eating.
10. Play to win. Enjoy yourself. You gotta love football season!
"Tailgating isn't just about flipping burgers in a parking lot anymore, it's about enjoying great food and celebrating all things football with friends and family no matter where you are," said Piper. "At Sara Lee, we want to provide football fans with great-tasting food and simple grilling techniques to essentially help create that ultimate tailgating experience." Try this meal at your next tailgate:
Jimmy Dean Mexican Layer Dip
Makes 8-10 servings
1 pkg. Hot Flavor Jimmy Dean Hot Pork Sausage, cooked, crumbled and drained
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
4 thinly sliced green onions
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 small avocados, mashed
1 can (21/4 oz.) sliced ripe olives
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 can (15 oz.) ranch-style beans
1 pkg. (11/4 oz.) dry taco seasoning mix
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
Tortilla chips
In a medium bowl, mix avocados, lemon juice and mayonnaise. In a separate bowl, mix sour cream and taco seasoning. In a lightly greased 9" x 13" baking dish, layer beans, cooked sausage, avocado mixture, sour cream mixture, olives, onion, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Serve with tortilla chips.
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For more tailgating tips and Sara Lee recipes, and to see how Lee and Kirk made one fan's backyard tailgate a winning experience, visit www.backyardtailgate.com.
Tailgating parties call for recipes with the heartiest meats, even if all the team spirit is assembled at your house.
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