Tailgating Central

Tune into WZZM TV13 Saturday morning, September 12, 2015 for my tailgating tips and recipes! I'll be on around 7:15 am with my tailgating tips and again around 7:45 am with these tailgating recipes. Go Green!

Video

Checklist Prep

TAILGATING CHECKLIST-

COOLERS – PACKED WITH ICE (GREAT TIP IS TO FREEZE SOME WATER BOTTLES)

LABEL YOUR COOLERS – PREP ALL FOOD AT HOME AND PACKAGE IN ZIP LOCK BAGS

TENT OR CANOPY (ESPECIALLY IF RAINING)

CHAIRS AND FOLDING TABLE

GRILL AND ACCESSORIES

COOK WARE AND UTENSILS

FOOD – CONDIMENTS – DRINKS

PAPER TOWEL – PLATES – PLASTIC WARE – CUPS

BURLAP WITH CHALK

BLANKETS

TAILGATING BOX –

TAPE

SCISSORS

PENS/MARKERS

SHARP KNIFE

FLASHLIGHT

CAN OPENER/BOTTLE OPENER/WINE OPENER

TOOTHPICKS

MATCHES

NAPKINS

COOZIES

FLASK/SHOT GLASS

RAIN GEAR

SUNGLASSES

SUNBLOCK

INSECT REPELLENT

PLASTIC DISPOSABLE GLOVES

FIRST AID KIT

LANYARD WITH MONEY/ID/TICKETS (WATERPROOF IF RAINING)

BUSINESS CARDS FOR NETWORKING

HAT

GLOVES

TRASH BAG/ZIP LOCK BAGS

PEPPERONI PIZZA DIP

3 – 8 ounces cream cheese, well-softened

1 cups grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ cups (or more) pizza sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup pepperoni slices

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

Combine cream cheese, parmesan, oregano, garlic and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Add this mixture to the bottom of the pan. Top with the pizza sauce, then add the mozzarella and pepperoni. Cover until ready to heat. Heat for 20-25 minutes in an oven at 375 or add to a grill and heat over medium heat until cheese is melted and bubbly.

TAILGATING BURGER

Ingredients:

Special Sauce

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup ketchup

3 tablespoons dill relish

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

1 tablespoon grated onion

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

8 slices thick-cut bacon

PATTIES

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck, 80/20

1 tablespoon canola oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

4 slices cheddar cheese

4 hamburger buns, split and toasted

Lettuce

Pickle Chips

Tomato

PREPARATION:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and pre-heat a grill to medium high heat. 

To make the sauce, add all of the ingredients to a non-reactive bowl and mix together until well combined.  Cover and refrigerate until assembly.

Place the bacon on a slotted pan or parchment lined pan and cook in oven for 17-20 minutes, or until crispy. Lay bacon on paper towels to drain.

For the patties, gently form the meat into 4 equal patties that are slightly larger in circumference than the bun, then depress the centers for even cooking. Brush patties with canola oil and generously season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill for 10-12 minutes for medium, turning only once. Add the cheese for the last minute or two of cooking, making sure it is thoroughly melted. 

To assemble the burgers, add some sauce to all cut sides of the buns. Starting with the bun bottom, add some lettuce, pickles and a burger patty. Next, add 2 slices of bacon to each burger and then a tomato slice finishing with the bun top. Enjoy!

SLOW COOKER MICHIGAN APPLE AND ONION PULLED PORK –

5-6 pound pork shoulder roast, trimmed

2 cups thinly sliced onions

2 cups thinly sliced Michigan apples

2 packages McCormick BBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning Mix

1 cup ketchup

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2/3 cup cider vinegar

(If you like things spicy, add one can of chipotles in adobo sauce)

Place pork, onions and apples in slow cooker.

Mix seasoning, ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar until thoroughly combined. Pour over pork and cover.

Cook 4-5 hours on high or 8-9 hours on low. Remove pork from slow cooker and shred.

SWEET AND SAVORY NACHOS-

SWEET NACHOS – Cinnamon Sugar, Apples, Salted Caramel and Chocolate

16 ounce bag of tortilla chips (I use LaFiesta chips)

½ cup melted butter

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 Michigan apples, cored and diced

¼ cup caramel

¼ chocolate

Sea salt for garnishing

Add the nachos to a 9x13 pan.

Mix the melted butter, sugar and cinnamon together and pour over the nachos, make sure they are all evenly covered. Heat in 375 oven for 15 minutes or add to a grill and heat for 10-15 minutes over medium high heat, make sure you don’t burn the chips. Remove from heat then add the apples. Drizzle the caramel and chocolate over the apples and finish with a touch of sea salt. Enjoy!

SAVORY NACHOS- Pulled Pork Nachos

16 ounce bag of tortilla chips

2 cups pulled pork (recipe above)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

½ cup pickled jalapenos

1 cup shredded lettuce

1 cup diced tomatoes

½ cup diced green pepper

¼ cup sliced black olives

Salsa and Sour Cream for garnishing

Add the nachos to a 9x13 pan. Then add the pulled pork and shredded cheese, top with jalapenos. Heat in oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted. (Or add to a medium heat grill until cheese is melted) Remove from heat and top with remaining ingredients.