January 2020 -

Tailgating Food

Thai Sweet Chili Shrimp Dip

Jan 25, 2020

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Our opinions are 100% our own.

Sweet Thai Chili Shrimp Dip

We are always looking for unique and new tailgate food ideas. This Sweet Thai Chili Shrimp Dip not only has a beautiful presentation but has a crisp and fresh taste. Even better, it can be made ahead, served cold, and easily modified to the tastes of your tailgate crowd! It will also serve great as a super bowl recipe or another party appetizer.

Recipe Tips:

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce can sometimes be tricky to find in the supermarket. Search your international aisle as well as the condiments aisle. Many brands are popping up with sweet chili sauce today such as Franks.
We used 2 jalapenos sliced and removed the seeds and core for our recipe but you can certainly adjust. By using slices, our crowd could pick up the extra heat or not. If you have a spicy loving crowd, diced jalapenos will work best
Avocados can brown if cut up ahead of time. Use a touch of lime juice or just wait to slice up your avocado just before serving
If you’re using previously frozen shrimp, pat until super dry to get the best saute.
We highly recommend that you serve with hint of lime tortilla chips. The lime really accents the sweet thai chili sauce.
If you make this recipe ahead of time, make sure you let it sit out for around 30 minutes or the cream cheese will be hard to spread and break your chips

Sweet Thai Chili Shrimp Dip

Super easy, make ahead, sweet & spicy shrimp dip featuring sweet thai chili sauce

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Prep Time 45

Cook Time 7

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American, Thai

Servings 8 People

Ingredients

1 8oz Block Cream Cheese Softened
½ Cup Thai Sweet Chili Sauce Typically found in International or condiment Section of grocery store
1 Pound Small Shrimp Cooked
½ Avocado Cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Green Onions Thinly Sliced
2 Jalapenos Slices or Dices to Taste
Parsley For Garnish

For Shrimp

2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
salt to taste
pepper to taste
paprika to taste

Instructions

Cook Shrimp

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat
Add shrimp to pan once the oil is hot
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste
Remove from heat and let cool after shrimp are pink and no longer translucent, typically 5-7 minutes

For Dip

Spread softened cream cheese in a thin layer on a platter
Top with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
Add cooked and cooled shrimp to top
Add chopped avocado, sliced or diced jalapeno, and green onion evenly throughout
Optional: Parsley to garnish

Keyword Cold Tailgating Food, Easy Tailgate Food, Tailgate Food, Tailgating Appetizers, Tailgating Food, Tailgating Food Ideas

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Tailgating Essentials

Maroon Tailgating Supplies

Jan 20, 2020

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Our opinions are 100% our own.

Maroon Tailgating Supplies

Intensity, passion, and beauty are often associated with the color maroon. Maroon is certainly well noticed throughout sports with an emphasis on the collegiate level. Universities such as Mississippi State, Arizona State, and Texas A&M all rock the color maroon. A lot of these supplies can also easily double as a great tailgating gift. Below we are sharing some of favorite picks for maroon tailgating supplies:

Tailgating Tent

ABCCanopy Pop Up Canopy Tent: While they are considering the color to be burgundy, we feel like this looks more like the deeper red color over a traditional burgundy. We have been super impressed with the durability and easy set up of this tailgating tent as this is the tent we use for our tailgates. Major bonus as this tent currently comes with the sandbag tent weights that are great for setting up on asphalt or concrete.

Maroon Tailgating Chair

GCI Outdoor Portable Folding Rocking Chair: A few of these chairs made it over to our tailgate this past football season and they were super comfortable and relaxing. It was like having some of the comforts of home but outside instead.

Maroon Tableware

While any sports fan would say there is only one true maroon when it comes to their team, in tableware, there is quite a variety of shades. Below you will find what is considered a red berry and in some, burgundy.

Maroon Tailgate Supplies Bonus Finds

We love hitch accessories for our tailgate. It is such a space saver when you have a small amount of tailgate room to work with. The first of our maroon bonus finds for tailgating is the hitch mounted Tailbrella Umbrella. Perfect for shade if you are unable to put up a full size popup tent.

Perfect for kicking back, our second tailgate hitch accessory for a maroon tailgate are the Hammaka hammock chairs. A friend of ours has these and I am pretty sure there is no better way to relax at a tailgate.

In our post, Tips for Tailgating with Kids, we mentioned our love for wagons. Due to their ease of popping up to carry tailgating supplies from one space to another, Mac Sports collapsible wagons are hugely popular especially for those who have to tailgate away from where they have parked their vehicle.

Beast Cooler Accessories makes an incredibly awesome cooler accessory to allow you to change out the lid latches on your tailgate cooler. They are compatible to most Yeti and Rtic coolers to add a pop of team spirit and come in maroon as well.

One of the most popular style koozies for keeping your beverage cold are double wall vacuum insultated can type. They are super durable and easy to personalize as well. If you’re looking for maroon Rtic’s can has you covered.

Comment below and tell us about your maroon tailgate and who you cheer for. What are some of your favorite maroon tailgating supplies?

Tailgating Food

Creamy Horseradish Roast Beef Roll Up Recipe

Jan 19, 2020

Creamy Horseradish Roast Beef Roll-Up Recipe for Tailgating

If there is something I really love, it is a recipe that is easy, minimal ingredients, and fast. When putting together tailgate food, versatile recipes are a must to please the varied tastes of the crowd. These Creamy Horseradish Roast Beef Roll Ups do not require cooking or heating making them an easy finger food to serve at the the tailgate or at your Super Bowl Party.

A few Recipe Tips

While this recipe only has 5 ingredients, you can add a few other personal touches like adding grape tomatoes to the top
Rosemary is a very strong herb. A little goes a long way
If you really love horseradish, dab a little more on the top for the extra spice
You can also serve these on crackers for an added crunch

Creamy Horseradish Roast Beef Roll Up Tailgate Food

Creamy Horseradish Roast Beef Roll-Ups

Super Easy, 5 ingredient Roast Beef Roll-Up with Creamy Horseradish and Rosemary. This recipe does not require a heat source and will be a fan favorite at your next Tailgate!

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 0

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 12 People

Ingredients

8 Slices Roast Beef Thick Cut
8 Slices Muenster Cheese Or another favorite cheese
8 tsp Creamy Horseradish Or More to Taste
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary Finely Chopped
Fresh Red Leaf/Green Leaf Lettuce

Instructions

Lay out roast beef slices flat
Add cheese slice to the middle
Create a horizontal line of horseradish across the middle of your roast beef and cheese
Roll vertically to create a roll up that resembles a "tube"
Cut in half to make two Roll-Ups
Hold together with a tooth pick and add some fresh lettuce to the top as garnish and serve!

Keyword Easy Tailgate Food, Food for a Crowd, Tailgate Food, Tailgating Appetizers, Tailgating Food, Tailgating Food Ideas

Tailgating Tips

Tips for Tailgating with Kids

Jan 19, 2020

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Our opinions are 100% our own.

12 Tips for Tailgating with Kids

Tailgating with kids can be both a challenge but great family fun as well! For us, tailgating is truly a family adventure from the moment we park until we head into our event. Below are a few of the tips that help us make tailgating a breeze as a family.

Set Boundaries for Safety: As soon as you arrive set up parameters on where they will be allowed to play and how close they should stay within the tailgate area. Write your phone number on their arm and cover with liquid band-aid just in case they were to get separated especially if you are tailgating in a new area.
Lather up on the sunblock and bug repellent: Make sure the give the kids a good base of sunblock before tailgating. Even when it is overcast, it’s easy to get sunburned. If you aren’t sure about the bug situation, it’s always a great idea to bring bug spray to reduce the likelihood of bug bites.
Bring a First-Aid Kit: It never fails when our kids are playing rough and tumble at the tailgate someone ends up needing a band-aid. This First-Aid Kit is small and budget friendly and goes with all on vacations as well.
Set up a Tent and Chairs: Kids tend to wear down (read: get whiny) when they are out in the elements for a while. Tailgating can be a super long event especially when paired with an event to follow. A tent will help reduce sun exposure and give them a great place to rest in a chair.
Bring plenty of activities: Make busy bags full of crayons, coloring books, small games, books, bubbles, balls etc. We are fortunate that we often tailgate with other families so we can all bring our share of these items. The bonus to that is that it is then all “new” to my kids!
Pack Plenty of Changes of Clothes: It never seems to fail that our kids will inevitably end up wearing their food or tearing a hole in their pants after romping around at the Tailgate. Having an extra outfit on hand is super helpful for those accidents. Don’t forget to also pack for any other potential weather events (rain, snow, wind, etc). For more on that, see our Tips for Tailgating in the Rain.
Yard Games are a huge fun: There are so many awesome giant games on the market now. Adult me also loves a lot of these! Giant Jenga, Giant Connect 4, Giant Checkers, and Yardzee are just a few of the great ones available right now.
Bring Kid-Friendly Tailgate Food & Drinks: Let the kids know that they can help themselves to a certain cooler of drinks like small waters, juices, milk, etc. Bring plenty of food and snacks that all ages will love. Some of our most popular tailgate foods for our kids are popcorn chicken, chicken nugget trays, popcorn, chips, pretzels, cheese, and fruit.
Make sure a bathroom is close by: If you have a choice of parking, scope out spot that may be nearby a bathroom to reduce any potty accidents. You will appreciate not having to parade a gaggle of children through a large tailgate.
Bring Hand-Sanitizer, Disinfecting Wipes, & Baby Wipes: Kids are inevitably going to touch ALL of the nasty things despite our pleas in the port-a-potty. When you don’t have the access to a sink, baby wipes comes in majorly handy for wiping faces and messes. Don’t forget the hand sanitizer for post-potty!
Wagons are great for small kids: If you are going to do a lot of walking, it was much easier to use a wagon to bounce around from tailgate to tailgate with little kids. We got a lot of miles on our Step 2 Wagon during tailgating.
Bring a Fan: A portable misting fan is always a big hit with my kids. I think they see this as more of a toy, but it certainly minimizes the “I’m so HOT” conversations.

There you have it! The Tailgate Winners Tips for Tailgating with Kids but the most important of all, be patient and have fun! Being prepared and organized will go a long way in a kid-friendly tailgate. What other tips do you have?

Tailgating Tips

Tips for Tailgating in the Rain

Jan 19, 2020

10 Tips for Tailgating in the Rain

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Our opinions are 100% our own.

Excitement is in the air planning for the big tailgate but there is no bigger disappointment than a rainy weather forecast for the outdoor event of tailgating. It only took us one super soggy football season to put together a new game plan for there being rain in the forecast. We have put together our tips for tailgating in the rain so that you can stay dry and rock the tailgate!

Over-prepare for any chance of rain. We once went to a tailgate with a 30% chance of rain. At the last minute I ran back into the house and grabbed a light rain jacket. It poured the entire time from the moment we arrived. You can never be too safe with the weather reports.
A great tailgate tent makes a big difference. While we most often use our tent for shade, it is an absolute must have for a rainy tailgate. Our tailgate tent is also easy to assemble and comes with walls to help keep the rain out.
Use tarps as a flooring or tent walls. If you tailgate in a grassy area, it can easily become a mud pit. When we anticipate rainy weather, we put down a tarp as a floor to minimize the mud and surprisingly it does not become super slippery.
Spread out straw in your tailgate area to spread to minimize mud and pooling. Double check ahead of time that your facility allows for this but it will also keep the grass better intact.
Invest in quality waterproof rain gear. Having quality rain gear comes in handy not only for tailgating in the rain, but year round as well. It only took us throwing out pairs of water-logged, swampy smelling shoes to realize that we needed to upgrade our wardrobe. We currently love our Hunter rain boots and Columbia Waterproof Jackets because they keep us dry and have the added bonus of finding this gear in our team colors.
Use your car’s heater to help dry any wet layers before heading into your event. You can use the visors to hang your wet clothing items and point the vents towards them. It may not make them totally dry, but definitely more bearable.
Wear a Hat. A hat really comes in handy for those rainy tailgates. Even if you don’t have a large amount of rain gear, wearing at least minimize how wet the top of your head gets.
Bring extra changes of clothes to be on the safe side. It is absolutely no fun to go into a football game or another event with wet clothes. Don’t forget the extra socks and shoes too!
Bring more make-ahead tailgate food items or food that does not require cooking. If you are looking at a long day with downpours, skip the grilling and bring food that can be easily served. If you do want to grill, make sure you keep it away from your tent.
Don’t let a rainy forecast keep you from tailgating! Have fun and make the best of your tailgate no matter what rain might be in the forecast. With a little planning ahead of time, you will be more than prepared to tailgate in the rain. Happy tailgating!

Tailgating Food

Cold Pizza Football Dip Recipe

Jan 17, 2020

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Our opinions are 100% our own.

Cold Pizza Football Dip has been a fan favorite time over time again and we love to serve up this cold appetizer at tailgate parties and other parties we host throughout the year. This tailgate recipe is a breeze to put together with only 5 ingredients and also does not require any cooking or heating. Perfect for your tailgate party or next super bowl party, but if football isn’t necessarily your thing, it also makes a perfect dip for other occasions.

Cold Pizza Football Dip Tips

Toppings are truly endless depending on the tastes of your crowd. In the photo above we added black olives. This is truly an impressive looking dip
The chili sauce is what truly makes this a unique tasting appetizer/dip. It’s saucy and a touch of sweet blending in seamlessly with the rest of the toppings
The chip we love the most with this dip are Fritos Scoops. They add a nice depth to the flavor. Otherwise you can serve with tortilla chips, crackers, or even veggies

Cold Pizza Football Dip Recipe

Super easy, 5 ingredient recipe perfect for tailgating or your Super Bowl parties. No cooking or heating required!

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 0

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 12 people

Ingredients

1 8oz. Block Cream Cheese Softened
1 Cup Chili Sauce
1 Cup Finely Shredded Cheese Mozzarella or Colby Jack
20 Pepperonis
½ Green Pepper Sliced into Strips

Instructions

Take softened cream cheese and spread evenly on a round platter
Take chili sauce and spread evenly on top of cream cheese
Take shredded cheese and spread evenly on top of chili sauce
Spread pepperonis and shape like a football
Add green pepper slices around your football
Make "football laces" out of sliced cheese and a small knife
Serve chilled with your favorite dipping chips, crackers, or veggies

Keyword Cold Tailgating Food, Easy Tailgate Food, Food for a Crowd, No Cook Tailgate Food, Tailgate Food, Tailgating Appetizers, Tailgating Food, Tailgating Food Ideas

Cold Pizza Football Dip for Tailgating — Pin Me!

Tailgating Essentials

Green Tailgating Supplies

Jan 17, 2020

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Our opinions are 100% our own.

Green Tailgate Supplies

Renewal, energy, and prosperity are often associated with the color green. While green may not be as popular of a color for sports team logos, it does stand out for those sports teams that use green as a team color. The Green Bay Packers and Boston Celtics use green as a primary color making them stand out in a crowd. Below we are sharing some of favorite picks for green tailgating supplies:

Green Tailgating Tent

ABCCanopy Pop Up Canopy Tent : We have been super impressed with the durability and easy set up of this tailgating tent as this is the tent we use for our tailgates. Major bonus as this tent currently comes with the sandbag tent weights that are great for setting up on asphalt or concrete.

Green Tailgating Chair

Faulkner Folding Director’s Chair with Side Table: Tailgate chairs with side tables may very well be one of the best creations for tailgating. When you are trying to juggle food, drinks, and other accessories, this chair is a lifesaver.

Green Tableware

There are so many options for green tableware through Amazon. Green is a super popular color for tableware, likely due to being a color related to the Christmas holiday season. Here is a quick list of green tailgating supplies for tableware.

Tailgating Essentials

Red Tailgating Supplies

Jan 17, 2020

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Our opinions are 100% our own.

Red Tailgate Supplies

Intensity, bright, and warmth are often associated with the color red. Many sports teams have a variation of the color red. Have you noticed how many MLB teams use the color red in their logos? We would venture to say it’s likely the league that most often uses red. Red is also super easy to find in a variety of items making it a huge bonus when it is your team color. Below we are sharing some of favorite picks for red tailgating supplies:

Red Tailgating Tent

ABCCanopy Pop Up Canopy Tent : We have been super impressed with the durability and easy set up of this tailgating tent as this is the tent we use for our tailgates. Major bonus as this tent currently comes with the sandbag tent weights that are great for setting up on asphalt or concrete.

Red Tailgating Chair

Portal Folding Director’s Chair with Side Table: Tailgate chairs with side tables may very well be one of the best creations for tailgating. When you are trying to juggle food, drinks, and other accessories, this chair is a lifesaver.

Red Tableware

There are so many options for red tableware through Amazon. As mentioned before, with red being a popular primary color, there are a lot of great red items out there. Here is a quick list of red tailgating supplies for tableware.

Tailgating Essentials

Purple Tailgating Supplies

Jan 17, 2020

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Our opinions are 100% our own.

Purple Tailgate Supplies

Likely the easiest round up of all time for the team here at Tailgate Winners, is purple tailgating supplies! Our alma mater colors are purple and gold which means that we have no shortage of all things purple in our home and at our tailgate. Check out some of our favorite picks for purple tailgating supplies below:

Purple Tailgating Tent

ABCCanopy Pop Up Canopy Tent : We have been super impressed with the durability and easy set up of this tailgating tent. Major bonus as this tent currently comes with the sandbag tent weights that are great for setting up on asphalt or concrete.

Purple Tailgating Chair

Picnic Time Portable Chair with Side Table : We cannot begin to tell you how much fellow tailgaters talk about this purple tailgating chair. When you are trying to juggle food, drinks, and other accessories, this chair is a lifesaver.

Purple Tableware

There are so many options for purple tableware through Amazon. Over the years we have bought a variety of items to coordinate our purple and gold tailgate. Here is a quick list of purple tailgating supplies for tableware.

Tailgating FoodEasy Tailgate Recipe, tailgate food, Tailgate Food for a Crowd, Tailgate Food Ideas, Tailgating Food, Tailgating Recipe

Caramel Apple Nacho Bar for Tailgating

Jan 14, 2020

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Our opinions are 100% our own.

Fall time is apple time! If you are looking for an easy, kid-approved, delicious tailgate food idea, try creating a Caramel Apple Nacho Bar for Tailgating. Adults are sure to love this feel good tailgate recipe as well with all the sweet and savory combinations.

Easy Setup for a Caramel Apple Nacho Bar

The great part about setting this up, is that the toppings are truly endless and can be personalized to any tastes, allergies, or dietary restrictions. Simply slice your apples into wedges and add your toppings! Here are some of our caramel apple topping ideas to help get you started.

Print Recipe

Caramel Apple Nacho Bar for Tailgating

This unique twist on caramel apples is sure to be a crowd pleaser of all ages! Put together a quick and easy Caramel Apple Nacho Bar for your tailgate crew.

Prep Time30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cold Tailgating Food, Easy Tailgate Food, Food for a Crowd, No Cook Tailgate Food, Tailgate Food, Tailgating Food, Tailgating Food Ideas

Ingredients

Toppings

Caramel
Chocolate Syrup
Chopped Nuts
Slivered Almonds
Mini Marshmallows
Crushed Oreos
Mini M&Ms
Mini Pretzels
Mini Chocolate Chips
White Chocolate Chips
Reeses Pieces
Almond Butter
Peanut Butter
Nutella

Notes

Tips for a Caramel Apple Nacho Bar:

For that perfectly warm melted caramel, you can use your Instant Pot like a double boiler
You could also use a lined Crock Pot. We love the cook and carry style crock pot to minimize accidents in the car
Turn your Nachos into easy dipping ability with Nacho Trays
Stick with 2-3 toppings for a smaller group to minimize food waste
Fresh orchard apples are divine! You won’t be disappointed if you go for fresh apple quality.

What will you add to your Caramel Apple Nacho Bar?

Click here to see even more tailgate food recipes and tailgating food ideas from Tailgate Winners!