The beginning of October brings a few things to mind: the changing leaves, Halloween and let's not forget football.
With football comes most people's favorite aspect of the season: tailgating. Whether supporting the green and white, red and white, black and gold or brown and orange, sports fans everywhere embrace tailgating.
This year, spice up your tailgate party with some fun foods and drinks that I've grown to love and associate with the turning of the leaves.
The stereotypical foods for tailgating are hamburgers and hot dogs. Everyone knows how to brown-up a patty of ground beef, so why not kick it up a notch like Emeril? Chop some green pepper and onion into small chunks. Knead these along with minced garlic, salt and pepper into the ground meat before forming the burgers. Grill as usual. Top with your favorite cheese during the last few minutes of grilling.
Put back the 'dogs and pick up some bratwurst for your next tailgate. Prior to grilling, boil the brats in beer. (You could do this before going to the tailgate site and keep them in a dish.) Grill the brats as usual once you set up your site.
When serving, split the brats in half, placing them on an Italian hoagie bun. Add diced peppers and onions and top with some spicy brown mustard.
My mom created a Mexican rice dip a long time ago that is simple to prepare and tastes delicious. Begin to brown your favorite meat (New Orleans sausage is great) in a skillet. Prepare a box of dirty or Mexican rice, following the directions. Mix in stewed tomatoes plus one can of water and allow it to simmer.
Once this mixture looks done, pour it into a casserole dish. Cover with shredded cheese and microwave until the cheese melts. Serve with tortilla chips.
And finally, the drink selections. Beer is among a favorite with the tailgating crowd, so go ahead and bring a few cases of your favorite ale. For chillier days ' or early morning tailgates ' try some rum and hot cider. Bring a pot that will withstand the heat of your grill. Pour in store-bought cider and allow to heat. Add the rum to your cup first, and then pour the cider over top. Be sure not to add the rum to the pot: the heat will burn off the alcohol.
Tailgating shouldn't be limited simply to the parking lot of a game. This is the perfect time of year to get the last use out of your grill's propane tank. So enjoy the height of tailgating season, no matter what the occasion.
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Caitlin Price
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