Tail-Gating Recipes?

[lucyanna girl]

DD's high school is having a pre-game bonfire and tail-gating party. Not something they have ever done before.

I don't have a small grill nor will there be electricity.

I'm trying to come up with something i can precook that will be good served warm or even cold. I need to be prepared to feed a crowd because if things run as they usually do there will only be a few people who actually cook.

Any ideas?

penny

 

[swanmom]

How many do you need to feed?

 

[lucyanna girl]

Probably need to feed at least 100.

The best I've come up with is a couple of pork loins shredded with BBQ sauce and buns.

Penny

 

[FayeW]

Probably need to feed at least 100.

The best I've come up with is a couple of pork loins shredded with BBQ sauce and buns.

Penny

Why would you feel responsible to have enough food to feed 100 people? If they aren't bright enough to bring their own food, let them go hungry!

You could buy an electrical converter that will plug into your car's lighter, and then you could plug in a crock pot to keep the meat warm.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

Why would you feel responsible to have enough food to feed 100 people? If they aren't bright enough to bring their own food, let them go hungry!

You could buy an electrical converter that will plug into your car's lighter, and then you could plug in a crock pot to keep the meat warm.

I'd use the converter to plug in a blender for a batch of margaritas and let all those who "forgot" to make food, just have the pork sandwiches cold.

OP you're a better person than I am....I'd let them all starve.

 

[NotUrsula]

Jambalaya in an ice chest. (Well, you *did* ask, now didn't you? )

A good ice chest will keep food warm just as well as it would keep it cold. You can make a huge batch of jambalaya in a crawfish boiling rig and then transfer it to the chest just before you leave for the game. Presuming a standard 20-quart ice chest, I would think you could feed about 30 people from one. If you've got a big ice chest such as you would use for storing fish on a boat, that ought to serve your hundred people. (Though you'll have to borrow some extra pots to make that much jambalaya in the first place, unless you have access to a commercial kettle.)

Other than that, the usual old standbys: fresh french bread, boudin balls, cream cheese with Pickapeppa, chips, fruit and veggie trays, and maybe some fried chicken and boiled shrimp served cold.

 

[lucyanna girl]

Thanks, Jambalaya sounds good, and the ice chest idea is a great one.

As for why? I dunno, it just always seems to work out this way. DH and I always are the ones who end up bringing food for the Coach's Room at softball tournaments, etc. Probably because after six kids we are just pushovers. Also, it's for the kids sake. DH likes to tell about growing up poor and an elderly gentleman who used to pick him up and carry him to ballgames, movies, etc. that he would never have gotten to go to. Pay it forward, I guess.

Also there are a lot of lazy parents at DD's school.

I frankly don't care about the adults but could never stand to turn away a teen because his parents didn't bring food.

Penny

Edited to add: The blender idea sounds great too! Just my luck the priciple would catch me.

 

[Muffin]

Penny,
I was thinking jambalaya as well. I think I've seen it at every tailgating event I've ever been too.

I'm sorry to highjack this thread, but MrsUrsula please tell me about the cream cheese and Pickapeppa. You've made me curious to try it.

Thanks!

 

[NotUrsula]

Cream cheese and Pickapeppa Sauce is the standby Louisiana solution for what to serve when people just show up at your house. Most people tend to keep both around.

Get out a nice plate (but NOT a silver tray; don't want to mess up the finish).
Open the block of cream cheese and plop it on the plate whole. Open the bottle of Pickapeppa Sauce and pour at least half of it over the cream cheese. Put it out with a plate of Ritz crackers. (If you want to be fancy put the plate with the cream cheese in the middle of a larger plate with the crackers arranged around it in a circle.) All you do to eat is use the cracker to scoop off some of the cream cheese with the sauce on it.

I moved north about 20 years ago, but I *still* always keep cream cheese, ritz crackers and Pickapeppa in the house for emergencies. You just never know when you're going to need it.

 

[disykat]

I feel like I'm in a foreign country reading these posts! I do know what jambalaya is, but never would have thought of it for tail-gating. I don't know what pickapeppa sauce is. It sounds good though! I'm thinking I'll buy some and everyone will think I'm exotic when I serve them ritz crackers.

 

[shirleyb]

Meatballs and sauce and rolls for sandwiches.

 

[NotUrsula]

I feel like I'm in a foreign country reading these posts! I do know what jambalaya is, but never would have thought of it for tail-gating. I don't know what pickapeppa sauce is. It sounds good though! I'm thinking I'll buy some and everyone will think I'm exotic when I serve them ritz crackers.

Yes, well, this is a school in Louisiana we're talking about. A certain standard is expected, even at a high school.

Here's what ESPN's review last year said about tailgating at LSU games:

Granted, lots of schools have massive tailgate parties. But what sets LSU above the rest is the quality of the food. This is Louisiana, after all, home to Cajun, southern and French cuisines, where food is an art form.

Consider the tailgate party that Thad Foreman and his crew regularly hold. They serve up such offerings as jambalaya, duck and oyster gumbo, stuffed quail, deer sauce picante, wild duck, cochon deli, Cajun sausage, crawfish etouffete, rabbit, alligator stew and marinated pork tenderloin. It was like reading the menu at Emeril's. Foreman and Co. not only go the whole hog each Saturday, they cook it, too. "We'll bake a 90-pound pig for the Arkansas game."

The group goes through up to 300 pounds of meat per game. And what they don't eat before the game, they put in a pot and eat after the game. Everybody is invited to stop by; but if you can't find them, there is always the Jambalaya by Shake stand on the other side of the stadium, where they go through 90 gallons of jambalaya a game.

 

[Muffin]

NotUrsula,
Thanks for the reply. I had already decided that if you didn't come back on this thread, I was going to serve it just the way you described. How did I manage to never be exposed to this in all my years. PS--Sorry I got your name wrong earlier.

disykat,
Pickapeppa is similar to worcestershire sauce, but it has mangoes and some other tropical stuff in it. It's delicious!!!! It may not be readily available in stores everywhere. On vacation in Jamaica, I overheard a couple from Chicago asking if they could keep the bottle that was on their table because they couldn't buy it at home.
http://www.pickapeppa.com/

Penny,
Another thought--how about mini muffulettas (if they're in your budget). They can be kept at room temp.

 

[NotUrsula]

PS for Disykat: I usually see Pickapeppa at my local World Market. If you've got one in your area you can probably get it there. (That's also where I buy my Zapp's chips, too. DS is an addict.)

 

[arminnie]

Cream cheese and Pickapeppa Sauce is the standby Louisiana solution for what to serve when people just show up at your house. Most people tend to keep both around.

Get out a nice plate (but NOT a silver tray; don't want to mess up the finish).
Open the block of cream cheese and plop it on the plate whole. Open the bottle of Pickapeppa Sauce and pour at least half of it over the cream cheese. Put it out with a plate of Ritz crackers. (If you want to be fancy put the plate with the cream cheese in the middle of a larger plate with the crackers arranged around it in a circle.) All you do to eat is use the cracker to scoop off some of the cream cheese with the sauce on it.

I moved north about 20 years ago, but I *still* always keep cream cheese, ritz crackers and Pickapeppa in the house for emergencies. You just never know when you're going to need it.

I love Pickapeppa - about 30 years ago the plant went on strike or something and was closed down for quite awhile. Rumor at the time was that there would be no more Pickapeppa. We were all about to go into withdrawal.

 

[monkeyboy]

Keg


Tap



nuff said

 

[lucyanna girl]

If you don't love anything else about Louisiana you HAVE to love the food!

Penny

 

[disykat]

Looks like I'm off to World Market soon.

 

[cajunmommy]

If you can't find Pickapeppa, try pepper jelly (like Tabasco's) on top of the block of cream cheese. I've also seen versions like strawberry / jalapeno jelly (sounds weird, but works!) with the "gourmet" preserves & jellies. Oh, and we use Wheat Thins instead of Ritz.

I like the idea of the muffuletta. Instead of mini-muffs, you could make it po-boy style if you can get a loaf of Italian bread (w/sesame seeds). Just layer ham, salami, provolone cheese & a good olive dressing mix if you want a short-cut. Warm it in the oven, wrap in foil, and it should stay warm if you bring it in an ice chest. Slice into serving sizes when you get to the tailgate.

Jambalaya (or pastalaya) is an obvious suggestion, as it is easy to stretch (especially if you're feeding high school boys!) There's also the ever-prevalent tray of chicken fingers. Raisin' Canes does good tailgate trays (do y'all have one nearby?). I've also been suprised by the chicken tender platters that come from the WalMart deli (tasty & cheap!)

Gumbo would be awesome too, but you'll need a burner set-up to keep it warm.

OK, now I'm hungry......

 

[ntsammy5]

We tailgate a lot during the year - at NFL and college games - which usually (who am I kidding - ALWAYS) involves beer!

But your idea about pulled pork is good - we also bring chile a lot (games in Buffalo can be cold).

Have a good time.