HotmailPlay-by-play guide to tailgating
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One-dish wonders: Always go through your guest list and find a few folks to contribute their favorite dishes. If Uncle Bob makes good baked beans, have him mix up a batch. Remember that shameless flattery never hurts in the recruitment process (“Oh, Virginia, people have been asking about your famous pimento cheese…”).
The firebugs: Some guests are never happier than when they're standing in front of an open flame. Enlist one or two grill-happy buddies to tend the fires and ply them with plenty of cold beer.
The equipment manager: This is the pal who loves to call the plays and has the practical tools to back it up. He will pack his truck a few days before the game, double-check the guest list, and if necessary, show up the night before to cordon off the party spot. Keep this friend fed and happy
- Keep an eye on the clock: Since your party start time is tied to kickoff, coordination is everything. If you've got a noon game, you'll need to get a really early start. If your team plays at night, you can sleep in. Either way, you don't want to miss out on any of the good pregame dining or schmoozing. To figure out just how early to get to the stadium, make a list of all your pregame tasks (we've included some essential to-dos below) and how long each takes, then work backwards from kickoff time. Keep in mind that in some places, tailgaters need to arrive extra-early to reserve their party space. Also, make sure that you've got some convenient snacking foods (a nice dip perhaps, or some melt-in-your-mouth deviled eggs) ready to keep folks fed while you work on the main courses.
Budget ample time for these basic (but usually overlooked) party-time tasks (all times approximate):
- Hauling tables and chairs, and setting up your tent: 20 minutes
- Preheating the grill: 30 minutes for charcoal, 20 minutes for gas
- Running home to fetch your lucky “We're #1 foam novelty finger”: 30 to 45 minutes
- Smoking succulent, melt-in-your-mouth barbecue ribs: 2 to 3 hours
- Cleanup: 15 minutes
- Finding the nearest garbage can with room for all your postparty trash: 30 minutes.
Equipment
For a successful tailgate, you'll need the following 11 essentials:
- A grill (gas or charcoal) or propane hot plate with extra fuel and a portable fire extinguisher.
- Plenty of disposable bowls, plates, cups, cutlery, and napkins. Aim for two or three per person of everything, and at least six napkins per person
- Large bowls and platters for serving, and serving utensils if necessary.
- Any condiments that are essential for your menu, plus any unusual extras you can fit in the cooler.
- Three separate ice chests (one each for beer, food, and meat products). Ice packs help keep cold items cold, while heatproof padding will help hot foods retain their heat.
- More ice than you think you could ever possibly use.
- Folding tent (team colors preferred) to keep your party safe from the elements.
- Two folding banquet/card tables for food and drinks—reserve some table space for a cook's workspace where you can take care of any on-site food prep.
- Nylon folding chairs (preferably with cup holders).
- A pumpin' car stereo for blasting the school fight song or endless pregame coverage.
- Heavy-duty garbage and recycling bags for easy cleanup — set up recycling and garbage disposal areas, and your cleanup will be much easier — and lots of paper towels.
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