It’s FOOTBALL SEASON. SEA … HAWKS! SEA….HAWKS!
To celebrate the upcoming season, I’ve joined a group of bloggers from all over the country, who are all fans of different teams, to bring you a ton of tailgating recipe ideas! Stay tuned over the next few months for other football inspired posts from this group of #foodiefootballfans!
I like the idea of tailgating, but I’ve only been to a handful of actual tailgates. The thing is, I kind of hate big crowded events. Here are few reasons:- I’m five foot zero inches tall, and in crowds, that means my face is stuck in a million armpits, if I’m lucky. If I’m not lucky, it’s stuck in a million butts.
- I’m a bit of an introvert in that I can only do so much group socializing at a time. And these types of events usually last for hours.
- I’m a lightweight, and like a grandpa on Thanksgiving, after a couple beers and a hotdog, I just want to take a snooze on a recliner and not be bothered to stay up and cheer for several more hours.
- In college I was even more of a lightweight, and on the way to a Husky game, I threw up in the parking lot of Husky Stadium, surrounded by alumni tailgaters. #memories
- Port-a-potties.
I like to watch football from a comfy booth at a local bar, or in my PJs on my couch. I can see the appeal of tailgating though. I’ve been once or twice (at UW football games), and like I said, I like the idea of it. It’s sort of like camping—sitting around drinking, grilling, preparing fun food that you wouldn’t necessarily make at home—but in a parking lot with a bunch of hyped up football fans.
Since I don’t go to a lot of tailgates, I was racking my brain coming up with a good tailgate recipe that wasn’t just grilled stuff or chips and dips. So I turned to the expert, my sister, who is the biggest sports fan I’ve ever known, and who tailgates on the regular. She recommended bloody marys, something she and her husband always have at tailgates, since they usually start in the AM, hours before game time.
So that’s what we’re having! I thought about naming these after one of our Hawks, but I didn’t think we wanted to start the season with a Bloody Wilson. Yoiks. Nothanks.
These are easy to bring to a tailgate (or camping!) because you prep the mary mix ahead of time, in separate, sealable jars that can be tucked into a cooler of ice, and quickly customized. And, because it’s not a tailgate without a BBQ (or, so I’ve been told), we’re garnishing our marys with lil mini grilled smokey sausages!
Tailgate Bloody MarysMakes 1 pint-size canning jar drink
This base mix is how I learned how to make bloody marys years ago, from my Uncle Rock and Aunt Cat. I prefer a basic scratch mary to a store-bought mix, but even you decide to use a pre-made base, packing it up in individual transportable, sealable jars makes tailgate time fun and easy!
1 cup tomato juice
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1/8th of a lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon pickle juice
About 6 splashes of hot sauce (like Tabasco)
Generous pinch or two of: celery salt, black pepper, sea salt
2 ounces vodka
For the skewer:
1 lil smokey
1 cube bread (like garlic-parmesan rustic loaf)
1 mini tomato
1 pepperoncini
1 cube pepper jack cheese
Other garnish:
Celery stick
Dilly beans
Add base ingredients except vodka to mason jar, seal, and shake to combine. For optimal flavor, make ahead.
At tailgate, shake each jar to re-mix, add ice, and add 2 ounces of vodka.
For garnish: put smokey and bread cube on skewer, and grill until lightly charred. Then slide tomato, pepperoncini, and cheese cube onto skewer.
Set out pre-cut celery sticks and dilly beans, along with skewers, extra hot sauce, and everyone’s jar of Bloody Mary!
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Note: This post is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by the National Football League (NFL) or any of its teams. All opinions and views expressed on our blogs are our own, not that of the NFL and/or any of its 32 teams. Any team names, logos or other symbols referenced are properties of their respective organizations. We are just big fans — and we want to share our love for our teams, the game and the food that brings us all together on game day.
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Wait... there's more! Check out the rest of the #foodiefootballfans lineup:
Salsa Verde by A Dish of Daily Life
Slow Cooker Sausage Corn Dip by A Joyfully Mad Kitchen
Sausage, Peppers + Onions Pigs in a Blanket by A Little Gathering
Grilled Jalapeno Poppers by A Mind Full Mom
Beer & Brats Bake by A Simpler Grace
Black Bottom Maple Pecan Pie Bars by An Oregon Cottage
Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings by And She Cooks
Blackberry BBQ Sticky Wings by Around My Family Table
Cheesy Pull Apart Garlic Bread by Beer Girl Cooks
Black Bean & Corn Salsa by Body Rebooted
Roasted Garlic BBQ Chicken Wings Recipe by Bread Booze Bacon
Smoky Jalapeno Poppers by Brunch-n-Bites
Loaded Sweet Potato Nachos by Bucket List Tummy
Deconstructed Smoked Chicken Chile Relleno by Cafe Terra
Chicken Spinach & Artichoke Dip French Bread by Cake 'n Knife
Cuban Sandwich Quesadillas by Casa de Crews
Grilled Asparagus Spears by Celebrating Family
Sweet and Salty Blueberry Popcorn by Club Narwhal
Buffalo Chicken Poppers by Coffee Love Travel
Sea Bass Skewers + Blackbeard Cocktails by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Buffalo Chicken Poppers by Dash of Herbs
Easy Chicken Roll Ups with Cream Cheese and Veggies by Family Food on the Table
Bottled Tailgate Cocktails by Feast + West
Tex Mex Arrachera Fajitas by Foodal
Loaded Guacamole by foodbyjonister
Cincinnati Nachos by Foodtastic Mom
Cajun Red Beans and Andouille Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms by For the Love of Food
Grilled Shrimp Pizza by Glisten and Grace
Mini Bell Pepper Nachos by Hello Little Home
Slow Cooker Sweet Spicy Meatballs by Honey & Birch
BBQ Chicken Wontons by Lauren's Kitchen
Loaded Tailgate Tots by Life's Ambrosia
Ricotta & Fig Bites by Living Well Kitchen
Tailgate Tacos by Lizzy is Dizzy
Nashville Hot Chicken Wings by Loaves & Dishes
Cincinnati Chili Dip by Love & Flour
{Slow Cooker} BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches by Love Bakes Good Cakes
Sweet Korean Chicken Wings by Macheesmo
Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots by Me and My Pink Mixer
Beer Sangria by Mixplorology
Crab Pretzels by Mom's Messy Miracles
Hot Bacon Dip by Nik Snacks
Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar by Off the Eaten Path
Chowder Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers by Order in the Kitchen
Old Fashioned Sweet by Peanut Blossom
Baked Mac and Cheese Cups by Polka Dotted Blue Jay
Texas Toothpicks with Buttermilk Ranch by See Aimee Cook
Pretzel Turkey Meatballs (GF, DF, SF) by Shaws Simple Swaps
Hearty Vegetable Chili by Simple and Savory
Focaccia Pizza by Simplify, Live, Love
Sweet Potato Skins Stuffed with BBQ Ranch Pulled Pork by Sustaining the Powers
Bacon-Wrapped Cheeseburger Bites by The BakerMama
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad by The Creative Bite
German Potato Skins by The Crumby Cupcake
Old Bay Trail Mix by The Culinary Compass
Meat Lover's Pizza Bites by The Life Jolie
Raspberry Chipotle Black Bean Dip by The Mexitalian
Grilled Asian Chicken Wings & Shishito Peppers by The Secret Ingredient Is
Blackened Shrimp Tacos by The Speckled Palate
Honeydew Melon Refresher by Two Places at Once
Grilled Sauerkraut Stuffed Brats by West via Midwest
Sausage Apple and Sage Hand Pies by What A Girl Eats
