Day before: prep as much as possible.
Pre-cook wings, make salads, and pre-cook onions and peppers, stuff peppers, make your postgame sandwich.
Store the food in disposal pans - Think Silver not green. Cover with aluminum foil and lable with a sharpie.
Make sauces, marinades and dips ahead and store in zip lock bags
Fill empty water bottles with tap water and freeze them. Use them to keep food cold. Ice is for the beer only
You can then store the food in a plastic tote. Use the frozen water bottles to keep them cool.
Note when the water ice melts you’ll have water to drink and extinguish the coals.
Store the gear in totes. I use one 18-gallon and two 10-gallon totes.
One for your heat, one for your meat and one for your utensils and dry goods. Use one for the bar if you are making
mixed drinks.
Night before: pack.
Store everything in your vehicle except the food. Remember to leave room for the food tote and cooler.
Game Day: get moving early.
Load food and cooler. Ice down the beer and soft drinks.
Fill your travel mug with your beverage of choice and head to the Stadium as early as they will let you in.
Pay for parking, find a spot that others in your tailgate group can identify and call the others and let them know
where to find you. Best to know your spot ahead of time.
When the parking lot attendants give you grief about paying for one spot and taking up four spots let them know
they will be welcomed with open arms to your tailgate party.
Set up your kitchen and fire up the grills. Get your buffet table set with plates, cups, etc. Set out your dips and
chips. And set up the bar.
Game Time: clean up and pack up.
Get the trash in bags, extinguish the fire. Place the coals in a disposable pan.
Postgame: stay or fly.
We let the crazies head into the traffic jams. We kick back, eat our postgame sandwich and wait for the cars to
clear out. |
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