Essential Dishes for a Tailgate

Feature Image: The State

There’s only a few more days until August and if you’re from South Carolina you know that means college football season is right around the corner. That’s right, only a few more weeks until your favorite team is back on the field and your surrounded by friends and family cheering them on to victory. 

Any good game day starts with a fun tailgate, and good food is a tailgate necessity. So, whether you go to the games to cheer on your team or just enjoy a good tailgate, we’ve got the ultimate tailgate menu. 

Here are our favorite tailgate dishes:  

Chips and Dip

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While more of an appetizer than a full-blown meal, it is probably the king of all tailgate appetizers. Never underestimate the power of crunchy chips with a delicious dip of your choosing. Whether it be salsa, guacamole, buffalo chicken dip, onion dip, you name it. People will keep coming back for more and more.

Ham and Swiss Buns

These Easy Ham & Cheese Sliders Are Absolute Perfection

The homemade poppyseed dressing makes these sliders EXTRA special. We like using yellow mustard for it’s bright, acidic flavor, but dijon or whole grain mustard would be just as delicious. In terms of buns, we tend to reach for sweet Hawaiian rolls. The sweetness of the rolls pairs beautifully with the salty ham and cheese.

Source: Delish 

These little sandwiches always seem to be a huge hit. For some reason, caramelized buns stuffed with some ham and swiss taste especially great on gameday. People usually come back for seconds and thirds of these small, yet delicious snacks. 

Burgers and Hot Dogs

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Some of the more common tailgate foods, but when done right, they can elevate any tailgate experience. These items are something that can be enjoyed by anyone who comes along. Using quality meat and having a wide array of toppings and condiments will help your tailgate stand out. Consider even adding Italian Sausage to the mix for something a little different. 

Chicken

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Source: Bojangles 

Chicken wings, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, grilled chicken, whatever kind of chicken you bring to the table, it’s sure to be a hit. Wings and fried chicken tend to be the most popular at tailgates, however. There’s little that can go wrong with adding a little chicken to the mix. Plenty of chicken restaurants even offer special tailgate deals.

BBQ

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Whether making delicious pulled pork in your slow cooker, enjoying BBQ sandwiches, or serving up fantastic ribs, the sky’s the limit here. Adding some great sides to the mix will take it to the next level and will have people coming back every game day for more. 

Chili 

Simple, Perfect Chili

2 pounds ground beef 2 cloves garlic, chopped One 8-ounce can tomato sauce 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground oregano 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 cup masa harina One 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed One 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed Shredded Cheddar, for serving Chopped onions, for serving Tortilla chips, for serving Lime wedges, for serving

Long considered a gameday classic, Chili is another great option to add to your tailgate menu. Having your own unique chili is sure to have folks coming back for seconds. 

Pigs in a Blanket 

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These delicious snacks are the perfect addition to your tailgate. These mini hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls are both incredibly tasty and very easy to make, making it a favorite on game day.

What’s your favorite tailgate dish?