Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. I John 4:11
Ever since I was a very little girl, my family has tailgated at all of the Baylor University football games. I must admit, when I was little it usually consisted of Beanie Weenies on a paper plate complete with cheese crackers and a bottle of Gatorade. After I graduated, got married, and started a family of my own, my family kicked tailgating up a huge knot!!! Of course, the opening of the beautiful McLane Stadium was a major motivator!
My girls and I love to plan fun menus to go along with our tailgate. It always includes fruit and lots of water! At one fun October tailgate I thought it would be great to bring pumpkin bark. I mean it was October, and it should have been a lovely cool day, but Waco weather has it’s own ideas. My yummy pumpkin bark melted into a huge mess that was so hard to clean up afterwards. Plan ahead for food disasters!!! Or better yet, plan ahead for crazy weather, especially if you live in Texas!
My family’s very favorite tailgate food is Spicy Hot Cheeze-its!!! I found this wonderful stainless bowl to hold our favorite tailgate food. Spicy Cheeze-its go with everything! Mr. Steve insists they be served at every tailgate…the spicier the better! Just keep adding red pepper flakes until you get just the right level of burning your mouth off! And don’t forget to bring lots of Dr Pepper, the official drink of all Baylor Bears, to quench your thirst!
Our favorite main course for busy football games are varied. Our favorite meal is “Baby Sandwiches!” Baby Sandwiches are just ham, turkey, and cheese put on a Hawaiian roll that has been cut in half. Add mayo, or mustard if you want, and enjoy! Baby Sandwiches have been around since Floyd Casey Stadium was in full swing and we truly just pulled chairs out of the trunk of our car and set up our tailgate in a field! Now we are so much more sophisticated! We have a little television, fans, and heaters to keep us comfortable in our Baylor tent. Now my family prefers food we can just heat and eat. Last week we had pizza from Poppa Rollo’s! The best pizza you have ever eaten! We get barbecue from various yummy places, Rudy’s is a favorite. This week we’ll be having fajitas! Add rice and beans and we will probably have fajitas for lunch before the game and dinner afterwards! That way we hit the road with full tummy’s and don’t have to fight with the post game traffic. Tailgating smart, make it work for you and your family!
Spicy Hot Cheeze-its!
1/2 cup canola oil 1 (1 ounce) package Ranch Dressing mix. 3-5 teaspoons red pepper flakes. 1 (13.7 ounce) box Cheese-It’s
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients. Spread crackers on large rimmed baking sheet. (I cover mine with parchment paper for easier cleanup) Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Cool and store in a resealable bag.