We talked to expert party planner (and serious football fan!) Kate Marlys Rodgers to score tips on the best foods to make for a tailgate, plus how to pick the perfect tailgate spot and what to bring for an unforgettable game day celebration.
The Best Tailgate Food Is Simple
A common tailgating mistake is trying to cook an entire meal from scratch right in the parking lot. Stick with simple tailgate grilling ideas that travel well and are easy to serve, like hot dogs, burgers, kebabs and barbecued chicken. Bring a few make-ahead sides, too, like potato salad and chips with homemade dips.
If you don’t feel like cooking at all, pick up premade platters from the grocery store, like deli sandwiches, chicken wings or vegetables with dip, or order takeout from a local restaurant. According to expert party planner Kate Marlys Rodgers, “sometimes the easiest food is the best food because it means you get to spend more time hanging out.”
Prep as Much as You Can Before the Tailgate
The day before your tailgate, prepare any make-ahead foods, pack the car, finalize your playlist, and gather your games, so you’re not starting everything from scratch when it’s time to transport the dishes. Make-ahead tailgate foods are a lifesaver: Assemble the dishes you can ahead of time and store them in airtight containers in the fridge. If you have access to a generator, pick a few slow-cooker tailgate foods: Just prep or cook them ahead of time and reheat them right in the slow cooker as soon as you set up at the tailgate.
With this much prep, all you have left to do is set up your space. “The less you’re trying to do once you arrive, the better!” Kate says.
Keep Hot Foods Hot and Cold Foods Cold
A top tailgate priority is making sure all the food stays at food-safe temperatures throughout the day. But unless you’re hosting a giant tailgate every weekend, you shouldn’t need to buy portable generators or expensive power sources. Instead, keep cold foods cold with well-insulated coolers filled with ice. Place tailgate sandwiches, salads and cold appetizers at the bottom and load the ice on top.
Grilled foods, soups, warm dips and anything else best served hot should be stored in soup canisters, chafing dishes, or coolers turned into warming boxes with hot towels or heated clay bricks wrapped in foil. You can also keep food warm in a slow cooker. If your slow cooker isn’t plugged in, though, the food is only safe to eat for the first two hours.
Organize Your Coolers Strategically
If you’re hosting a bigger tailgate, multiple coolers are key. Kate separates and labels her coolers: one for water, one for beer and other drinks, and one for cold food. “It makes everything so much easier, especially when you have a big group and people are constantly going into the coolers,” says Kate.
For a small gathering, one large cooler is usually sufficient. Place the drinks at the bottom, with a variety easily accessible so people don’t need to dig around too much, then layer the ice on top. It’s the best way to keep drinks thoroughly chilled. This goes for food, too. It’s much easier to Tetris the food containers into an empty cooler to make sure everything fits, then dump the ice on top.
Choose Your Tailgate Spot Wisely
Always get to the tailgate early—how early depends on the size of the group. Smaller tailgates with just one car and a handful of people can show up three to four hours before kickoff. But when you’re trying to park multiple cars next to each other and set up a larger tailgate, showing up early makes a huge difference. “When we’re doing a big event or a big tailgate, we tend to arrive way early. I’m talking, it’s still dark outside,” Kate says.
Kate’s parking spot secret? Look for an open area where you can back up to the grass: “Getting a corner spot is always key because it gives you a little more room to spread out and makes setting everything up easier.”
Make a List of Essential Tailgating Supplies
It’s easy to remember the big stuff when you’re preparing for a tailgate: drinks, food, tables. To keep your tailgate well-stocked, make a checklist of smaller items and less obvious supplies. “One year we forgot a wine opener, which is definitely something you don’t realize you need until you need it,” says Kate.
When packing for a tailgate, think about:
- Tents
- Chairs
- Tables
- Drinks (don’t forget water)
- Bottle openers
- Ice
- Food (snacks, too!)
- Disposable plates and cups
- Utensils for serving and eating
- Koozies for keeping drinks cold
- Markers for labeling food or coolers
- Portable grill with propane and grilling tools
- Napkins and hand sanitizer
- Trash bags
- Cleaning supplies
- Bug spray and sunscreen
- Team swag for decorating your space
- Speakers for listening to music or the pre-game show
- Outdoor games
- Extension cords
- Batteries
- Jumper cables
If you do forget to bring an essential, ask your tailgating neighbors for help! “That’s part of what makes tailgating fun,” Kate says. “You go over to another tailgate, ask if someone has a wine opener, and suddenly you’ve made a new friend.”
Bring Games and Decor for a Party Vibe
Set up your tailgate spot with tables, chairs, coolers, the grill, plenty of food, and outdoor games. Cornhole, cards or other group games are a great way for people to mingle, have fun and kill time before kickoff. “Once everything is set up, the music goes on, people start arriving, and you just let the tailgate happen,” Kate says.
To make the tailgate extra festive, and to make your spot easy to find, add balloons, signs, flags, streamers or banners—in your team’s colors, of course.
Plan for Unexpected Weather at Your Tailgate
Even if your weather app promises a bright, cloudless day for your tailgate, it’s a good idea to bring a tent. It will protect your group from any unexpected rain, but it’s also useful on days that are a bit too sunny. “Having some shade can make a huge difference,” says Kate.
On a cooler days, throw extra blankets, sweatshirts, gloves and hats in the car. When you’re standing in one spot, it can feel colder than you were expecting, especially if it’s windy. In winter, a package or two of hand warmers can save the tailgate.
Be a Good Tailgate Neighbor
Being friendly and respectful of the people tailgating around you sets the stage for a fun day filled with camaraderie and the possibility of new friends. “You’re all there for the same reason,” says Kate, “so I think the best tailgates are the ones where people are friendly and actually interact with the people around them.”
Be conscious of your space and don’t take up more than you need to, so everyone can fit, and keep your music at a reasonable volume—unless your tailgate neighbor asks you to turn it up! Tailgating and drinking go hand-in-hand, but if your tailgate neighbors are all giving you the side-eye, your crew might be getting a little too rowdy.
Clean Up Before You Leave Your Tailgate Spot
If you’re grilling at your tailgate, make sure to finish at least 30 minutes before you plan to leave so the grill and grate can cool off. When you’re done, use tongs to take the grates off the grill, which lets them cool more quickly. Never pour water on the grates or cast-iron pans because the metal can warp. But you should put hot charcoal in a metal bucket and douse it with water to cool it off.
Just like packing up camp, picnics or a spot at the beach, you have to clean up your tailgate area. It’s a “leave no trace” understanding, and it’s easiest if you clean as you go. Kate sets up multiple trash bags around her tailgate spot, so no one is hunting around for where to throw things out. Pop-up hampers lined with trash bags make roomy makeshift trash cans that are easy to transport to and from the tailgate. You could even bring two, and label one for recycling beer cans and other items.
“You should leave the parking lot the way you found it,” says Kate. ”It’s really that simple.”
