Football season, or foodball as I like to call it, is in full swing, so let’s line up some easy tailgate food. Whether you’re parking it at the stadium or just enjoying a game day at home with friends, these tailgate food ideas are keepers for sure!
Move over chicken wings and beer cheese, we’ve got some fun new foods to try this season, including Buffalo Chicken Bites, Loaded Potato Salad, and Jalapeño Popper Potatoes!
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You’ve got your fantasy football picks all lined up. You’ve secured tickets for the weekend game. You’re ready to enjoy it all along with some great friends and great food.
How about some cheap and easy tailgate food?
The costs for tailgate food can escalate quickly. By the time you’ve purchased the meat to grill, the drinks to line the bar, and all the necessary condiments, you can easily find yourself with empty pockets.
I call that a penalty, for sure!
Don’t pass up affordable and easy tailgate food this season. With a few key strategies you’ll be able to enjoy the game with friends over a frugal, yet festive feast.
The Main Idea: How to Tailgate on a Budget
The best way to tailgate on a budget is to use a three-prong offense: shop your pantry for core ingredients like pasta and beans, build your menu around seasonal proteins like hot dogs and rotisserie chicken, and prep cold, make-ahead side dishes like macaroni or potato salads so you can eliminate kitchen stress on game day.
All it takes is a little advance planning so you can skip those expensive fast food “meal deals”!
You may not think that it matters, but the less you spend on your tailgate food purchases, the MORE tailgate parties you can host! Score big with your friends this season by stretching your dollar with budget-friendly, easy tailgate food.
Budget Tips for Tailgating
As always, the Good Cheap Eats System is a go-to play, especially when you want to offer a delicious spread of tailgate food. Follow these PLAN-SHOP-COOK tips for best results.
Plan budget meals and plan for leftovers.
Focus on good simple game-day food, like hot dogs, buffalo chicken salad made with rotisserie chicken, and easy-to make cold salads.
Keep in mind how to serve the food so leftovers will still be good. Keep hot food hot in slow cookers and chafing dishes. Keep cold food cold in coolers or tubs of ice.
Shop your kitchen.
Chances are you’ve got a lot of good stuff on hand already. I know from my frequent pantry challenges, that I’ve got some great treasures lurking in my cupboards, fridge, and freezer.
Do a quick scan of your kitchen stores and see what’s there. Reverse Meal Planning is a key strategy for the big game.
Consider these ideas to warm you up:
- Macaroni, canned beans, and tomatoes can easily be combined with spices to make a delicious Crockpot Chili Mac.
- A bag of frozen chicken tenders will quickly become Crispy Chicken Tenders or a Thai Chicken Pizza. Serve a variety of mustards and sauces you can make yourself on the side.
- A bag of potatoes? Serve a baked potato bar with Crockpot Baked Potatoes.
- A carton of sour cream and a visit to your spice cupboard will earn you a Sour Cream Onion Dip to rival any packaged mix on the market.
Tailgate food doesn’t need to be expensive, especially when you’re using what you’ve already purchased!
Shop the best store.
Once you’ve got your plan mapped out based on what you already have and what’s affordable, head to the store with the best prices on the basics. Usually this is ALDI, Walmart, or Winco, but other grocery stores may surprise you.
Take a look online at the prices of the ingredients on your list so you can maximize your spending.
Shop the Sales and Clearance.
Shopping the sales and clearance has been my go-to play for saving on groceries for years. Apply it to your game day menus and see how you can win.
Each week your grocery store releases a flyer with some of their best limited time specials. These change on the same day each week; for instance here in San Diego, the new sales period starts on Wednesdays.
Make it a habit to check your sales flyers – you can access them via the mail, in the store, or online. Build your menus around what’s on sale.
As hockey, basketball, and football seasons are gearing up, you’re sure to find tailgate food in and among the different sales offers, like sales on brats and buns so you can make my Grilled Brats with Peppers and Onions cheaply.
But don’t dismiss clearance or soon-to-be-discontinued items. There’s wealth to be had in the clearance section!
On a recent trip to my grocery store’s clearance sections, I found super fresh hot dog and hamburger buns, high-end ground turkey, a stack of fancy pants soup mixes, fresh sourdough bread, oyster crackers, and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
Supplemented with a few other purchases, this haul could easily render a burger/hot dog night as well as a soup supper – with a sweet treat for a gluten-free fan to enjoy. All for less than 50% their normal prices.
Think creatively when you shop and you’ll score big time! Tailgate food doesn’t need to be pricey. You can very easily stretch your dollar to accommodate the fun celebrations you want to host this season.
Cook tailgate food you love!
Be sure to plan your favorite outdoor foods. Tailgating is different than a backyard BBQ since you’ll be packing it all to take elsewhere and cook outside. It’s closer to camping – but with a sports-themed potluck!
- By nature, tailgating involves eating out of the car or in a parking lot, be sure to choose recipes that are easily portable.
- Pack lots of ice (weather requiring) and meal prep dishes so you can package away the leftovers for later.
- On very cold days, choose low-mess dishes that you can eat without taking off your gloves, like Sausage Kabobs.
Cook extra to freeze.
People assume that you can’t prep ahead for a tailgate party, but you absolutely can do some freezer meal prep. Chili for hot dogs and homemade hot dog buns freeze beautifully as do those easy to serve cookies and bars.
Ingredients to Stock Up On for Your Next Tailgate Party
Keep an eye open for sales on these ingredients so that you can enjoy tailgate food on a budget.
- hot dogs, burger patties, chicken wings, and other grilling cuts
- cream cheese, sour cream, and shredded cheese for dips and toppings
- eggs, mayo, and mustard for deviled eggs
- black beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans for chili
- bacon and jalapeños to make poppers
- pasta for easy pasta salads
- veggies to make a simple vegetable tray
- cabbage for homemade coleslaw
FAQs
It’s called tailgate food because traditionally it was enjoyed from the back of a truck’s tailgate in the parking lot of the stadium before the game.
Who cares? Make what you like and what fits the budget. There’s a world of options out there — and not enough games to try them all.
You don’t want to feel rushed and you want to enjoy the game. Arrive at the stadium 3 to 4 hours prior to kickoff so that you have plenty of time for set up, socializing, and scarfing good eats. Be sure to read the rules and regulations at your local stadium too.
Best Recipes for Tailgate Parties
Easy Appetizers that You Can Eat Standing Up
Appetizers are perfect tailgate food. Everyone can bring a couple different options and you’ll have easy variety. Choose finger foods that are easy to eat without sitting at a proper table.
Main Dish Recipes You Can Cook in a Parking Lot
Grilled meats are traditional tailgate food, but don’t forget you can grill veggies or even pizza!
Slow Cooker Recipes for Tailgating
The slow cooker or instant pot can take a lot of the hassle out of prepping tailgate food and keeping it hot. Be sure you have the right plugins for your vehicle to keep the slow cooker powered.
Cold Salads that You Can Haul in a Cooler
Salads are great tailgate food choices since you can make them the day before and keep them cold on ice in the cooler.
Portable & Handheld Tailgate Desserts
You gotta have some dessert after your hearty tailgate food. These are easy to transport or even assemble on site.
Beverages
While beer is de rigeur for game day, consider offering some soft drinks or mocktails for those who prefer them.
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This post was originally published on September 6, 2018. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Janet
A taco bar is a family favorite tail gate party at our house. We almost always have the pantry items in stock: a can of rotels, processed cheese, and a bag of tortilla chips are all you need for queso dip and chips. I have yet to have a quest that will not chow down on queso dip and chips. We usually have the taco bar items on hand as well – ground beef, shredded cheese, shells or tortillas. Add a few fresh ingredients – tomatoes, avocados, lettuce, lime, and sour cream—and you are good to go for a great night of eating. Added bonus, much of the prep can be done ahead of time. I cook up three or four pounds of taco meat at a time and freeze in one pound bags.
Jessica Fisher
Sounds delicious, Janet! I love how planned ahead you are!