No discussion of college football weekends would be complete without some recipes for your tailgate party. Here are a few tried and true that score big with the home crowds.
Slow Cooker French Dip Sliders
Ingredients
1 pkg. (24 ct.) party rolls of your choice
3 lbs. beef chuck roast
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. provolone cheese, sliced
1/3 c. soy sauce
1 c. Coca-Cola (or other cola)
2 cans (10.5 oz) beef consommé
1 Tbsp. beef stock
1/4 c. dried minced onion
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
3 bay leaves
1 bunch fresh thyme
6 oz. crispy fried onions
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Preparation
Preheat oven to 300⁰F. In a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil and sear beef on all sides. Add beef consommé, soy sauce, Coca-cola, beef stock, minced onion, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, salt, pepper and fresh thyme to slow cooker. Whisk to combine. Place seared beef into slow cooker and submerge in cooking liquid. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Remove beef from slow cooker, slice into thin strips and cut into bite-sized pieces. Strain remaining broth from the slow cooker to use as au jus. Slice both sheets of party rolls in half horizontally, keeping rolls connected. Place bottom sheets of rolls side-by-side in the baking dish and bake for about 5 minutes, or until toasted, to dry out rolls (This is so they don’t get soggy when beef is added). Remove rolls oven. Top bottom half of rolls with half of the cheese, add beef, sprinkle with parsley, crispy fried onions, layer on remaining cheese, and the top half of rolls. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and rolls are slightly toasted. Remove from oven and slice between each roll to pull apart. Serve with au jus for dipping.
Tailgate sandwiches
Ham & Cheese Tailgate Sandwiches
Ingredients
3/4 c. melted butter
1½ Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1½ Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 Tbsp. dried minced onion
1 pkg. (24 ct.) party rolls of your choice
1 lb. thinly sliced cooked deli ham
1 lb. thinly sliced Swiss cheese
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350⁰F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Mix butter, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, poppy seeds, and dried onion in a bowl. Slice both sheets of party rolls in half horizontally, keeping rolls connected. Separate top pieces from bottom pieces and arrange the bottom pieces in a layer in prepared baking dish. Layer about 1/2 the ham onto bottom pieces of rolls; add a layer of Swiss cheese and top with remaining ham slices. Place the top layers of rolls onto the sandwiches. Pour mustard mixture evenly over assembled rolls. Bake in preheated oven until rolls are lightly browned and cheese has melted, about 20 minutes. Slice into individual sandwiches through the ham and cheese layers and serve.
White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, diced
4 sweet yellow mini peppers, diced
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 c. cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
32 oz. chicken broth (can use low sodium)
2 cans (15 oz.) northern white beans, drained
1 can (15 oz.) corn, drained
8 oz. shredded Gouda cheese
2 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp. water
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
chopped green onions
additional shredded cheese
tortilla chips
lime wedges (for garnish)
Preparation
Sauté onion and pepper in butter in large Dutch oven. Add minced garlic and stir in turmeric, cumin and paprika. Mix in shredded chicken and cilantro. Add chicken broth, beans and corn. Simmer for 15 minutes, then turn heat up to medium. Add cheese and stir until melted. Mix cornstarch with water and pour into pot. Stir over medium heat until thickened. Take chili off of heat and add heavy cream. Mix well before serving. Garnish with additional cheese, green onions, cilantro and lime wedges. Serve with tortilla chips.
BLT dip
Best BLT Dip
Ingredients
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
10 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
2 c. shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce
3 roma tomatoes seeded and diced
3 green onions thinly sliced
crostini, crackers, or chips for dipping
Preparation
In a medium bowl, using electric mixer, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream until smooth. Mix in seasoned salt and garlic powder. Spread cream cheese mixture into a small, flat-bottomed dish or 8” pie pan. Chill until ready to serve. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, bacon and green onions. Serve immediately with crostini, crackers, or chips for dipping.
Annaliese Kondo, Studio Pixel Pop
Grilled Oysters on the Half Shell
For your next UGA deck party, cooking oysters on the grill is easy and delicious! You can choose to shuck or leave them unshucked, and they only takes a few minutes on a hot grill. Then, a dose of Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of parsley, and you’ll have a winning appetizer that will impress your whole team.
Ingredients
1 c. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
3 doz. oysters in the shell, fresh is best
Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Preparation
Prepare a hot fire for direct-heat grilling in a charcoal or gas grill. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over the grill. Watch it does not turn brown. Now stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper, and remove from the heat. You can shuck the oysters, leaving them on the half shell. Or, you can put the unshucked oysters right on grill grate, and when the shells pop open, remove the top shell from each oyster (Careful, you’ll need an oven mitt and tongs). Spoon the butter mixture evenly over the oyster meats and grill for 3 – 5 minutes, until cooked through. Transfer to your favorite UGA party platters and top with Parmesan and parsley. Mmmmm mmmm!
Dirty Dawg
A martini to cheer on our beloved Dawgs.
Ingredients
1/2 oz. vodka
1 oz. pomegranate juice
3/4 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 oz. orange liqueur such as Cointreau
Preparation
Combine ingredients: In a shaker filled 2/3 with ice, pour in vodka, pomegranate juice, lime juice, and orange liqueur. Shake to chill the cocktail for 20 seconds and then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lime.