Saturdays are meant for grilling out, cheering on the team and enjoying a day in the Swamp with friends. No one wants to stress about their tailgate on gamedays, but you don’t want to slack in your Gator spirit either. With the Alabama game just a few days away, it’s time to break out our best orange and blue to tailgate in full-force. Follow our easy recipes and spirited tailgate gear suggestions to have the most popular tailgate on the lawn.
Gator Gear
We’re calling a time-out on tailgates that lack the essentials: a, a diverse food spread and entertainment.
No tailgate is complete without a tent to set up base under – and with summer’s boiling temperatures lingering into the beginning of fall, you’ll be glad to have some relief from the sun.
Make sure to bring along a cooler to store ice and drinks in. It’s an investment that will last for several seasons and a tailgate essential you’ll be happy to have when all your drinks are refreshingly cool. If you have space on your food table, set up an ice bucket with plenty of drinks already on ice for friends to grab as they get their food. It’s a simple upgrade that will make an impression on friends in a hurry.
Dishware is also important thanks to everyone’s favorite part of tailgating: the food. Pick up some orange and blue paper plates for loading up on gameday favorites like burgers and hot dogs, and some Gator-themed serving platters that will look just as good loaded up with food as they do empty.
To keep your crowd from wondering over to the ladder golf game at the next tailgate over, set up a game of cornhole or start a pick-up game of football to keep friends entertained. Don’t forget a radio so everyone can listen to music and pre-game coverage before kickoff.
Food & Drink
With so many great orange and blue ingredients to choose from, it’s easy to incorporate some team spirit into your gameday meal as well. Orange juice cocktails, blue ranch for dipping hot wings, orange-and-blue iced cupcakes – the options are endless. For a simple Gator-themed dish, try blue cheese-stuffed burgers inspired by a recipe from the food blog Pinch My Salt:
Blue Cheese Burgers
2 oz. cream cheese
2 oz. crumbled blue cheese
1/8 t. onion powder
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound ground beef (I use 85% lean)
salt and pepper
Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)
1. In a small bowl, mash together cream cheese and blue cheese then stir in the onion powder and parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
2. Divide ground beef into 8 equal pieces. I first divide it into four pieces then divide each piece again. Form the pieces into balls then sprinkle the balls lightly with salt and pepper, rolling them around a bit to make sure all sides are covered. Flatten each ball to form thin patties of equal size. I find it easiest to form the patties on a sheet of waxed paper.
3. To fill burgers, place a tablespoonful of cream cheese mixture in the center of each of four patties. Spread the filling out evenly to within half an inch of the edge of each patty. Place the remaining patties on top to form four filled burgers. Gently press the edges of each burger together to form a seal.
4. Sprinkle burgers liberally with coarsely ground black pepper (optional).
5. Prepare your grill and cook burgers until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees (USDA recommendation) or until desired degree of doneness. Let rest for ten minutes.
6. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:I recommend cutting these burgers in half before eating to avoid ‘burger blowout.’ I don’t add anything besides salt and pepper to the meat because the filling is so flavorful, but you are more than welcome to add extra seasoning to the meat if that’s what you like. Feel free to experiment with different seasonings in the filling, too!