These simple recipes will score points with fans of sports of all sorts.
By Janet Groene, F47166
November 2014
Motorhome owners are perfectly equipped to host parking lot parties throughout the football season, as well as infield cookouts at NASCAR events and tailgate feasts during baseball’s spring training. Here’s how to feed the gang outdoors with recipes that are easy to cook and easy to eat.
Pecan Pie Coffee Cakes
In the chill of early morning during a 24-hour auto race, pass around these lip-smacking muffins with steaming mugs of coffee.
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 stick butter, softened
1 French vanilla cake mix
24 to 30 whole pecans (optional)
Line 24 to 30 cupcake pans with papers. Set the oven to 350 degrees. Use a fork to whip the egg, then stir in the brown sugar, chopped pecans, and butter. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions. Fill the cupcake papers 1/3 with batter, add a teaspoon of the nut mixture, and top with more batter so each paper is 2/3 full. If you wish, place a whole pecan on top. Bake 15 minutes or until the muffins are firm and springy to the touch.
Breakfast Pizza
When you’re serving a tailgate brunch, wedges of this no-cook “pizza” go well with fresh strawberries and other finger foods. Dried orange zest and lemon zest are found in the spice aisle. One brand is Spice Islands.
2 baked 10-inch pizza shells
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon each dried orange zest and dried lemon zest
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
Orange juice
Put the pizza shells on large plates and prick them with a fork to create holes for the butter to sink in. Cut in wedges but don’t separate. Melt the butter and sugar and stir in the zest. Slowly spoon the hot butter sauce over the pizza shells. Let them stand while you add just enough orange juice to the powdered sugar to make a thin frosting that spins from the spoon. Drizzle over the pizza shells. Makes 12 pieces.
Tipsy Olives
40 large, stuffed olives
1 cup gin
1/4 cup vermouth
Lemon peel strips cut from a medium lemon
Drain the olives well. Cover with water and drain again to remove excess brine. Put the olives in a container with the gin, vermouth, and lemon peel, and chill up to two weeks, tilting the container occasionally to flavor the olives evenly. Serve as a snack with sandwiches or burgers.
Smoky Tapenade
A spreadable paste, tapenade can be made in many different flavors and recipes. It packs a punch, so a little goes a long way, but it’s infinitely versatile to use as an ingredient or spread. This one can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for up to a week. Spread it on wheat crackers such as Triscuits, sliced cucumbers, or a thin-sliced baguette. You will need a food processor or hand blender to make this recipe.
1 16-ounce jar roasted red peppers, well drained
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 to 3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried, crumbled thyme
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons capers (optional)
Process everything but the capers until a chunky paste forms. Add the capers and pulse a few more times. Refrigerate, though it’s best served at room temperature. Makes about 3 cups.
Pick A Pickle
Prepare your own vegetable mix with an eye to color and contrast. This makes a very large batch of finger snacks to go with sandwiches at a tailgate party. Extra-large (2-gallon size) airtight bags are handy for projects such as this one.
4 cups white vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup mixed pickling spices
8 to 10 cups raw vegetables in bite size (carrots, radishes, cauliflower and broccoli florets, peeled broccoli stems, tiny onions, jicama, etc.)
In a very large pot, bring the vinegar, sugar, garlic, and spices to a boil. Stir and add the vegetables. Return to a boil for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool completely. Empty the vegetables and liquid into a large zip-top bag, and seal. Chill overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Use an ice pick or pointed knife to make holes in the bag in multiple places to drain the liquid. Discard the liquid. Empty the vegetables into a large serving bowl. Provide large toothpicks for self-serve. Makes 8 to 10 cups.
Sausage Spheres
A finger food that’s easy to make ahead, then rewarm as needed, these golf-ball-size nuggets are always a hit at tailgate parties.
2 pounds ground sausage (hot, medium, or mild)
1 16-ounce package grated cheese
6 cups biscuit mix
Let the sausage and cheese sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then work in the biscuit mix with your hands to make a thick dough. Form the dough into balls, place on lightly greased baking sheets, and bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, until firm. Test one to make sure the internal temperature is 160 degrees. Serve at once, or chill or freeze to reheat later. Makes approximately 100 pieces.
Soup Cauldron
The key word is sipping, not spooning, when it comes to soups to serve at a stand-up tailgate party. Disposable mugs make things easier. A slow-cooker is ideal for the soup pot, but keep in mind it takes longer to heat soups if you make additions too often.
2 cans condensed split pea soup
2 cans condensed cream of potato soup
2 soup cans milk
2 soup cans half-and-half
Real bacon bits
Whisk the soups and milk over low heat and keep the liquid gently hot. (Milk-based foods scorch easily.) Ladle into cups and sprinkle lightly with bacon bits just before serving. Serves 6 to 8. Add more soup and milk to the pot as needed.
Lentil Salad
When you’re standing around talking sports, this salad is easy to eat with a spoon to complete a simple sandwich meal. Bring disposable bowls. Keep it cold to serve as needed.
4 cups cooked lentils, well drained
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
3 plum tomatoes, diced and drained
3 small cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint (optional)
Bottled citrus vinaigrette to taste
Fold everything together and chill. Stir and serve. Makes about 8 servings.
Herbed Cornbread Bread Pudding
When made with cornbread, bread pudding has a different texture. Serve it in disposable bowls as a side dish with grilled drumsticks.
1 pan of cornbread, baked fresh or store-bought
2 cups milk or half-and-half
3 eggs
1 15-ounce can cream-style corn
1/2 teaspoon each dried dill weed, crumbled dried thyme, dried cilantro, ground black pepper
Liquid margarine or melted butter
Cut the cornbread into bite-size pieces and place in a buttered pan. Whisk the milk, eggs, corn, and herbs and pour slowly over the cornbread so the mixture soaks in. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drizzle lightly with liquid margarine or melted butter and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until set as for custard. Makes 8 to 10 side-dish servings.
Peppy Chicken Sandwiches
Make these sandwiches by the dozen, keep them in the refrigerator, and heat them in the oven or on the grill on demand.
8 hamburger buns
Butter
8 slices provolone cheese
8 paper-thin slices from a whole red onion
1 pound fully cooked chicken strips
1 jar of roasted red peppers, drained well and cut in strips
Split and butter the buns, and make sandwiches with the cheese, onion, chicken strips, and roasted peppers. Wrap the sandwiches individually in foil. Heat for 10 minutes at 350 degrees and eat right out of the foil.
Beefy Spinach Wraps
This recipe is easily doubled to make a big supply of wraps to heat as needed.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and pressed dry
Medium onion, chopped
4 to 6 burrito-size flour tortillas
Light mayonnaise
Thin-sliced deli roast beef
Thin slices of cheddar cheese
Sizzle the garlic, spinach, and onion in hot oil until the vegetables are tender. Cool and drain well. At this point, the mixture can be chilled to use later. To assemble the wraps, “butter” tortillas lightly with the mayonnaise and top them with the roast beef, cheese, and drained spinach mixture. Fold and wrap in foil to heat over the grill or in the oven, or in waxed paper to heat in the microwave. Refrigerate until used.
Books For Cooks
Grit, the rural American magazine, has published the Comfort Food Cookbook (Voyageur Press, $24.99), featuring familiar “family recipes,” from apple crisp to zucchini bread. Filled with colorful illustrations, this cookbook is designed to inspire the kind of meals that create a taste of hometown, no matter where your travels take you. Try the amazing colonial peanut butter fudge, which requires no cooking.
These days, many motorhomes have a slow cooker on board. Now a new cookbook brings fresh inspiration to this mode of cooking. Easy Everyday Slow Cooker Recipes by Donna Pye (Robert Rose, $24.95) is a giant book with 200 recipes and lavish color photos. Try the “red brick” meatloaf that lifts out of the cooker in one piece for slicing, or the pumpkin croissant pudding with rum sauce.
If you don’t have an electric sandwich maker appliance, don’t let the title of Jennifer Williams’ book 150 Best Breakfast Sandwich Maker Recipes stop you (Robert Rose, $19.95). The recipes can be made in a panini press or even a skillet. It’s also not just a breakfast book, as the sandwiches can be enjoyed at any meal. The author also includes recipes for vegans and for people who avoid gluten. It’s fun to page through the pictures for ideas on all the different breads and fillings that can be put together.