Gridiron Grillin’

It’s autumn. For some lake residents, that means touring exquisitely decorated homes in the name of charity or sipping and shagging at the wine festival. For others, it means another time-honored fall tradition: the football tailgate party.
    Whether Lakers are rooting for the Hokies, Cavaliers or another area team, most have one thing in common – enthusiasm for sharing recipes for a successful tailgate.
    Melinda and Ed Talley of Moneta are Virginia Tech fans who tailgate at every game, home and away. Melinda Talley confided that she gets most of her inspiration from fellow tailgaters.
    “A trip just to walk around the parking lots prior to a game will get you lots of info, and it’s free,” she said.

Equipment
    Beginner tailgaters should start small with basic equipment. Begin by utilizing what you already have around the house or in the garage. Portable chairs, a radio, coolers, a grill, a tailgate and good friends are all you really need to kick off your party.
    More seasoned tailgaters may opt to bring a small charcoal grill. The truly serious may graduate to a completely transportable gourmet kitchen, complete with grills, cookers, smokers, cabinets and a sink with running water.
    Despite many years of organizing tailgate parties, Talley said she prefers to keep it simple.
    “We have the small gas grill, gas hotplate, [and] all the matching accessories,” she said.

Eats
    As friends start gathering and warming up for the big game, appetizers are a necessity. Make the ordinary extraordinary with homemade salsa or spinach dip. And if greasy chips or salty crackers aren’t your preference, offer a fresh vegetable tray with homemade pita chips.
    For more hearty eaters, you may want to step your fare up a notch. Talley said she likes to vary the menu based on the weather forecast. Cold salads and sandwiches are perfect for warm fall days. Soups and quiche may keep friends toasty on a crisp afternoon later in the season.
    “Rarely do I repeat a menu,” Talley said, explaining that her favorite items over the years have included sliders, shrimp, wraps and homemade soups. No matter what you decide to feed your friends, remember it’s not always easy to use a knife and fork at a tailgate so keep it finger-food friendly.
    Paninis (grilled sandwiches) are an easy way to provide a hot entree without much fuss. Grilled sweet potato slices are an easy, warm accompaniment. Grilled angel food cake slices topped with warm strawberry sauce can be a sweet and easy finish to any meal. Serve the potatoes and cake in plastic cups with forks, which will free up guests’ hands and result in less spillage.
    No matter what you pack for the big game, remember to keep your uncooked meats separate from the rest of your food and drinks.

Bottoms up
    Game-day drinks – whether it’s a cooler filled with sodas, beer and bottled water or frozen margaritas – can be easy to make. Purchase “booze in a bucket” at your local grocery or ABC store. Filled with a liquid drink mix, all you have to do is add alcohol and freeze. Tote your frozen concoction to the game and pour into fancy plastic glasses. (Remember to drink responsibly and always designate a driver.)

Decorations
    Decorations should, of course, celebrate your favorite team. Use a tablecloth and napkins in team colors for a classic look with minimal effort. Serious tailgaters can find more elaborate items at book stores near campus, craft stores or online. Consider sports-themed tents, chairs and flags to really spruce things up.
    If you have kids attending your tailgate, a great pre-party project is to have them decorate plastic ware with themed stickers, paint and charms.
    And don’t forget about decorating yourself. There are the basics – jerseys, hats and jackets – but if you want to go all out, an easy and inexpensive way to show team spirit is through face paint. Buy washable non-toxic face paint at craft stores and be creative with your designs.

Activities
    Corn hole is a classic game for tailgating fun, but you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on a commercial set. With the right tools and a little bit of time and effort, you can make your own for a fraction of the price. Log on to cornholethegame.com for specific directions. Don’t forget to decorate your corn hole set with paint and stickers supporting your favorite team.

Tailgate  Party Menu
Spinach Dip
Guacamole
Pita Chips
Paninis
Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges
Grilled Angel Food cake with strawberry sauce

Tailgate  Party Recipes

Spinach Dip
1 package, frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1 cup of mayonaisse
1 16 ounce package of sour cream
1 package dried vegetable soup mix

Chop spinach and mix well with other ingredients. Store in an airtight container or in a hollowed out round loaf of bread and chill. Serve with cut up veggies, pita chips and/or pieces of bread.


Guacamole
1 medium avocado, peeled and diced
1 (4.5-oz.) can chopped green chiles, drained
4 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced
3 to 4 tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
¾ tbsp. salt
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded

Place all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Place mixture into an airtight container and chill.

Baked Pita Chips
4 (6-inch) pitas
Olive oil
Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a pizza cutter, slice bread into 8 wedges and separate each wedge (the top from the bottom). Lay the triangles out evenly on a cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned. Package these chips in an airtight container.

Paninis
(Makes four sandwiches)

8 slices of Vienna bread
6 ounces of sliced deli smoked ham
4 slices provolone or mozzarella cheese
1 bottle roasted red bell peppers, drained and cut into strips
Olive oil

Heat grill to a high temperature. Top four slices of bread with ham, cheese and pepper strips and top with remaining bread slices. Brush olive oil onto both sides of sandwiches.
Place onto hot grill and cook for about five minutes on each side (or until bread is golden and cheese is melted). Slice into triangles for easy eating and serve immediately.

Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges

Four medium sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
¼ cup olive oil
Kosher salt

Heat grill to moderate/high temperature. Put sweet potato wedges into large plastic baggie. Add olive oil and toss to coat. Place sweet potato wedges onto grill and cook 3-5 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towel. Sprinkle kosher salt over top to taste. Serve in plastic cups for easy handling


Grilled Angel Food Cake with Strawberry Sauce

1 angel food cake, sliced
1 jar strawberry jam
½ package (small) of strawberries, diced
Whipped cream (optional)

Heat grill to high temperature. Heat strawberry jam and strawberries in a small pan for 5-10 minutes until hot, stirring constantly. Place cake slices onto grill and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Serve in a plastic cup, topped with warm strawberry sauce. Add whipped cream (optional).