Best Food and Drinks to Have During Your Cold Tailgate

Best Food and Drinks to Have During Your Cold Tailgate

When things get chilly outside, fans of sports are going to crave warm tailgate food and alcohol that won’t turn their stomach to ice. Luckily, there are plenty of amazing  recipes of food and drinks that won’t make you freeze in the cold. Here’s a list of the best food and drink ideas to have during your cold tailgating season.

Need to keep your head warm during the cold weather, but don’t want to give up real estate when it could be used for cheering on your team? Check out our collection of team hats.

Tailgate Food for Cold Weather During Football Season

Cold weather food is usually warm. This way your body doesn’t expend a bunch of energy and temperature heating up the food for the digestive process; although, you don’t have to be dumping warm chocolate and oatmeal down your hatch to stay warm, keep in mind that food that is nutritious and fibrous, taking longer to digest, can actually help keep you warm because it generates body heat. And with that, here are our tailgating recipes for you during the much-awaited football season!

Here are some of our favorite foods for tailgating you and your friends will love - most are easy recipes. Strap on your favorite team sweatshirt and start cooking, grilling, or mixing. 

Vegetable Soup

Soup is perfect because it’s unlikely to get spilled onto your favorite gameday outfit. Yes, here’s a pitch for making vegetable soup, the staple of your tailgate. If you’re cold in California, this might be a good option. If you’re from the midwest and can’t imagine watching a football game without eating some meat, don’t fear, we’ve got recipes for you below. 

The easiest way to make soup is in a slow cooker or an instant pot, most of which have a soup setting. If you’re going to use an instant pot then you should use the soup setting, but bump it up to a whole 12 minutes to make sure it cooks all the way through.

The critical piece of a good soup is a good base. From there, you can pretty much add whatever kind of vegetables you want without ruining the flavor. For this vegetable soup, combine two cans of fire-roasted tomatoes with chili. Don’t strain them. Add four cups of vegetable broth. Add one can of black beans and one can of whole corn, both strained. Now add four ounces of cream cheese, chopped into little squares. Add a tablespoon of chili powder, a teaspoon of paprika, and a teaspoon of cumin. Mince two cloves of garlic and add. Mix well. Add a little bit of salt and pepper.

Now you’ve got an all-star base for soup that will incorporate pretty much any vegetables you toss in that direction. Also, experiment with some odd root vegetables. Add a whole white onion, carrots, zucchini, sweet potato, green bell pepper, sweet peppers, or basically any other vegetables that you like.

The key part of the soup is making sure that the veggies have been cut into small, bite-size pieces so that they cook all the way through when you make the soup. If you keep your soup thin enough, you can scratch the bowls and go for insulated cups — this way, you can eat it (or drink it!) from the cup without worrying about additional utensils.

Chili

A true crowd favorite and a perfect way to stay warm, chili, also comes in many variations and allows for some creative cooking. Chili is also a great way to make sure everyone gets something warm and delicious even when temperatures are below zero.

The great thing about chili is that it’s so versatile; you can add all kinds of different ingredients to make a unique and delicious dish. Start by sautéing some onions, garlic, green peppers, and jalapeños in a pan. Add ground beef or turkey and season with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Now add in some beans (pinto or black are great) and tomatoes. Simmer for about 30 minutes until it thickens.

Finger Foods

A lot of the most popular college football stadiums are in colder places. If the food to remain warm, but also want to deliver finger food, things will get a little more complicated. After all, it can be difficult to keep food warm in the freezing weather!

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Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo chicken dip is a classic crowd-pleaser, and it’s perfect for the occasion. Who doesn't love a good buffalo chicken, right? Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Shred two cups of cooked chicken, then combine it with one can of cream of celery soup, one 8-ounce package of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of hot sauce, and 1/2 cup of blue cheese crumbles. Mix it all together in a bowl, then pour it into an oven-safe dish.

Sprinkle some extra blue cheese crumbles and bake for 20 minutes or until the dip is bubbly. Serve up this creamy dip with celery sticks, tortilla chips, crackers, or whatever you think would make a good accompaniment. It’s sure to be a hit!

Potato Salad

Potato salad may be an unconventional choice for a cold tailgate, but it’s still sure to please everyone in attendance. To prepare, boil some potatoes until they’re fork-tender and let them cool completely. Chop up some celery, red onion, and pickles. In a bowl, mix together the cooled potatoes, celery, red onion, and pickles. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl, mix together mayonnaise, dijon mustard, vinegar, and sugar. Combine the two mixtures together until everything is evenly coated. Serve it chilled or at room temperature — either way it’s sure to be delicious!

Sliders

Grab your buns, bacon, red onions, and some fresh lettuce — it’s time to make sliders! Sliders are good way to feed a lot of people quickly especially if we are talking about the big game because these are sure to be a hit at any tailgate. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare, take some slider buns and cut them in half, then spread melted butter on the top and bottom of each bun. Place the buns in a baking dish and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, cook your bacon until it’s crispy. Slice up some red onions and lettuce to top off the sliders.

To assemble, spread some mayonnaise on the bottom half of each bun. Place a cooked bacon slice on the bottom bun, followed by a lettuce leaf and some red onion slices. Place the top bun over everything and secure it with a toothpick.

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

No tailgate is complete without a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. Make sure to make enough for your friends and family — these little treats will be gone before you know it!

To make them, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, mix together two sticks of butter and one cup of brown sugar until creamy. Add in two eggs and one teaspoon of vanilla extract, then add in 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, one teaspoon of baking soda, and one teaspoon of salt. Mix everything together until it’s all just combined.

Add in two cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips and mix them in with a spoon or spatula. Drop spoonfuls of the cookie dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are just beginning to brown. Let them cool on a wire rack and enjoy--perfect even for summer!

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Deviled Eggs 

Deviled eggs are great when it’s freezing outside, even if you can’t keep them hot. Start by hard boiling some eggs. When they’re done, let them cool, then carefully peel the eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks into a bowl and mash with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.

Fill each egg white half with the yolk mixture, then sprinkle with paprika for garnish. Go extra with your food styling and you’ll be sure to wow your guests! Serve them up on a platter and enjoy.

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Nachos by the Bag

Need a quirky food option to go with your goofy tailgating outfit? A more creative option is tacos by the bag. You’ll need to purchase a number of single-serve chip bags, usually tortilla based. Pop open bags of tortilla chips and pour taco meat or a simple chili over the top of them, along with beans, cheese, lettuce and any other toppings. Serve the bags with forks.

To vary the recipe a little bit, you might need to crush the chips a bit before pouring in the taco meat. Also, while you can definitely use chili sauce or salsa, it’s best to use ground beef that has been lightly seasoned with taco seasoning. This helps the saltiness of the chips and the crunch to remain strong.

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Grilled Skewers

If you’re going to be grilling things, then putting things on kabobs and sticks is the best way to deliver a hot finger-food experience. You can grill up some steak and then cut into small enough pieces to toss on skewers and grill. Also, fruits like pineapples and veggies like bell peppers are great grill-friendly options to round out your skewer game.

Philly Cheesesteak Sliders

This recipe is so cool because it has you make the filling all at once in a single baking dish. Once the filling is made you can easily heat and reheat, and you’ll only have to grill the buns on site. Simply toss some filling into the buns and you can make a whole bunch of sliders at the same time! These are some savory, savory sandwiches that will pair super well with all the sweet and warm drinks that are listed below!

Hot Alcoholic Drinks For Tailgating in Cold Weather

Most great alcoholic drinks that you can think of off the top of your head are cold. And speaking of the top of your head, if things get really cold outside, then you aren’t going to want to be drinking in cold alcohol and cooling your head off. You’ll need some hot alcoholic drinks for tailgating.

Spiked Peppermint Cocoa

You can either use milk or water for this one. If you’ve got an electric kettle, that could be a really easy way to heat the water for the hot chocolate. You also can use a pot over a tailgating stove to heat up the milk (don’t burn it!). Once you’ve heated the water, you can give everyone a coffee mug and let them pick a hot chocolate mix. Since you’ll be mixing the hot chocolate with schnapps, it can be easier to use dark chocolate so that you get a more robust flavor. 

Make the hot chocolate as normal and then add a shot of peppermint schnapps. Top with whipped cream and some crushed up candy cane to complete the drink. If you want to get even more creative with the recipe, try mixing up the hot chocolate recipe.

Irish Coffee

If you’re looking for another great game day ritual to add to your growing list, Irish Coffee can make sports mornings more exciting.

The essential drink for all of those cold morning games is an Irish coffee, which beautifully combines whiskey and coffee to both wake you up and fire you up for the game. You’ll have to make the cream at the tailgate by using an electric mixer. 

Whip a cup of heavy cream and three tablespoons of Bailey’s Irish Cream together until the mixture is stiff. Now combine a cup of super strong, very hot coffee with two tablespoons of whiskey and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Make sure that there is still about a third of the mug free for the cream to be added to the top.

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Try These Food and Beverage Ideas on Your Next Tailgate Party!

Tailgating in cold weather doesn’t have to be boring or unappetizing. With the right tailgate recipes, you can enjoy an amazing game that keeps everyone warm and satisfied. Whether it’s a Philly Cheesesteak Slider, Grilled Skewers, Spiked Peppermint Cocoa or Irish Coffee – there are plenty of delicious options for your next party!

You don't have to be Greg Dupree, but with prop styling and an eye for tasty dishes and recipes, you can make your tailgate party a hit! From light snacks to hot and savory drinks, there are plenty of cool treats and recipes you can try to make your tailgate a success.

 Don't forget to bring along some extra blankets and hot water bottles so that everyone stays comfortable as it's going to be a big game day ahead!

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