The All-New Official SEC Tailgating Cookbook
Last year we missed out on so many things – one of the biggies was college football. We missed not only the games but the pre-party tailgating before those monumental events. My college years were spent at Michigan State University where I religiously attended EVERY HOME FOOTBALL GAME because it was SO MUCH FUN!!
I am happy to announce that the Bayer family has been keeping the BIG 10 tradition going. My oldest son is a senior at Purdue and my daughter a junior at Michigan State. My attitude about attending BIG 10 football games is that I have been there and done that – but can’t wait to do it again.
My youngest son is a senior in high school next year and will be breaking tradition by going to the University of Alabama to be part of their dive team in 2022. Hello SEC football– I cannot wait to meet you. Cheering on the Crimson Tide and eating southern at those tailgates will be part of my future. To get myself prepared I secured the Official SEC Cookbook published by who else but my beloved Southern Living. I am here to share a few of my favorites to help you feed your friends and fans on game day.
First, we have the ham and cheese spirals. Basically, this is a crescent roll wrapped around ham and cheese with honey mustard (with a kick of some hot sauce). It travels well and is delicious at room temp which makes this an easy pick for any tailgate.
Buffalo chicken meatball sliders – do I need to say more? Top these babies with ranch or blue cheese and enjoy!!! These are easy to keep warm in a crockpot or in an insulated dish while traveling. They have fennel in them which adds a kick to the chicken giving it a bit of a sausage taste. This one is a crowd pleaser for sure.
Salad on a stick is the perfect side to meaty mains that make up game day favorites. This bacon lettuce and tomato combo goes great with a side of blue cheese or ranch dressing – pick your favorite you can’t go wrong.
My favorite recipe in this book is the Game Day Hot Brown Turkey Sliders. This recipe is a deconstructed version of the traditional Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich. It starts with buttery Parker House Rolls which are filled with turkey (or my favorite ham), melted cheese and white Béchamel sauce. This recipe is easy to keep warm, delicious, portable, bite-sized, and delicious. An absolute must for your next tailgate.
I am hoping that wherever you celebrate and whichever team you choose to cheer for- that these recipes make an incredible game day experience even better. Here’s to finally coming together to celebrate the sports we love with our favorite people. So, whether you are a student, a parent, an alumnus, a new friend or an old one – happy game day!!!!
