Football Tailgating Tips & Tricks: Your Game Day Food Guide

Football season is right around the corner, and food prepping with AdapTable® Meals is the best way to ensure you’re ready for kickoff.

In this blog, we’ll hand off tailgating tips and tricks for you to try so that you can optimize your tailgating experience each and every Sunday. We’ve got you covered on what to bring, options for where to tailgate, and delicious food ideas.

Ready, break!

What is Tailgating?

For the uninitiated, tailgating is hosted during football season. Fans gather to celebrate and prepare for the game by setting up a temporary party space. The go-to party space is a parking lot, either close to the stadium or in a neighboring one. Tailgating includes a lot of different activities. Read on to learn more about it!

What to Bring to a Tailgate

Grill & grill tools: You’d be hard pressed to find a better time to fire up your grill than at a tailgate, so grab your portable grill or griddle, tongs, spatula, meat thermometer, and anything else you might need to create your favorite tailgating recipe.
Food: It’s not a tailgate without great food. More on this later!
Packed cooler: Veteran tailgaters come prepared for a full day of football festivities, which means you’ll need plenty of water and, ahem, other beverages to stay refreshed ‘til game time.
Eating utensils: You need to eat all that food somehow, right!? That said, if there was ever an occasion to eat with your hands like a barbarian, tailgating is it.
Collapsible table: While this isn’t mandatory, it’s a great addition to any tailgate. You want a flat surface for prepping your delicious food, placing your drinks, and playing games.
Games: When it comes down to it, tailgating is really about playing games before the game. Beer pong, flip cup, cornhole, dizzybat, can slam, etc., are great options that bring even more fun and competition to your tailgate.
Sun tent: If you’re tailgating outside, you definitely don’t want to get sunburnt! That’ll ruin your fun, so pack a sun tent to sit under the shade.
Trash bags: Don’t let piling garbage get in the way of your fun. Pack a trash bag or two and clean up as you go so you aren’t left with chores after a long day.
Portable speaker: Every tailgate needs an epic soundtrack. Make a playlist, pack your favorite Bluetooth speaker, and turn it up to max to experience tailgating done right.

Pro Tip: Depending on where and what time of year you’re tailgating, you should prepare for unpredictable weather. If you’re in a cooler climate, make sure to pack a raincoat, gloves, and some extra warm clothes, just in case it rains or snows. You don’t want to have to pack up early!

Where to Tailgate

This one’s up to you. Some people prefer being as close to the stadium as possible, while others prefer being a bit further away in a neighboring parking lot. They’re both great options, here’s why:

Close to the stadium:

Best atmosphere
Easy entrance
More people

Neighboring parking lot:

Cheaper (sometimes free) entry
Less traffic after the game
Family-friendly environment

Whether you decide to set up close to the stadium or in a neighboring parking lot, be sure to get there early so you can land the perfect spot!

What Food to Bring

Now, this is the real head-scratcher. What are you going to make for your tailgate? You want to impress your friends but don’t want to spend all day cooking, right? Well, we’ve got five recipes you can try. They’re easy to prepare, especially when using pre-seasoned meat, skipping the marinating process entirely. Here are some great tailgate recipes:

Baked BBQ Chicken Mac ‘n Cheese: If you have a large group of friends gathering for a tailgate, this mac' n cheese is the way to go! It’s hearty, easy to pack up, and you can prepare large portions in advance!
Air Fryer Pork Burnt-End Nachos: With this recipe, the tradition of enjoying nachos at the stadium can be done right where you are in the parking lot! Plus, you can customize your burnt-end nachos however you want.
Glazed Pork Belly Bites: Packed with protein to keep you satisfied and fired up all day long, these pork belly bites are great for popping on-the-go in between tailgate games!
Pork Sliders: Utensils and dishes? Who needs ‘em! These savory handheld treats are perfect additions to any tailgate due to convenience alone. Let alone how tasty they are!
Smoked KC BBQ Back Ribs with Mashed Potatoes: If you’re looking to go all out whipping up a full meal at your tailgate, look no further. Fall-off-the-bone ribs and creamy mashed potatoes will have friends, new and old, flocking to your tailgate.

Pro Tip: We recommend cooking beforehand and bringing a portable grill, camping stove, or chafing dishes to reheat and keep food warm.

Now You’re Good to Go!

We’ve covered all you need to throw an epic tailgate! Now you know what it is, what to bring, where to host it, and you’ve got some delicious Meal Ideas!

Have a happy football season ahead, and enjoy hosting a fun tailgate!

Find even more tailgate-friendly Meal Ideas here.

Then shop our MVP pre-marinated meats to make feeding your team this season the easiest it’s ever been.