5 Food Items Every Tailgate Should Have

5 Essentials that are Always on our Tailgate Spreads

Thanksgiving brings us so many wonderful things: the chance to break bread with our loved ones, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, the green light to start decorating for the holiday season (too soon?), and, of course, a few last chances to tailgate (one of my husband’s family’s traditions).

Whether it’s at a horse race or a football game, we get VERY into our tailgates. It’s so much fun to collect football items and equestrian-themed goods and I make it a point to keep an eye out for them throughout the year. This is also why we went on an organization spree earlier this year to get everything divided out and boxed up.

There are plenty of entertaining items and tabletop goods that I’d call “essentials,” but, today, we’re talking about the food since that’s the theme of the week. No matter where we’re tailgating, these are five food items we always pack.

1. Veggies

You just can’t go wrong with a good veggie tray. It’s a welcome, refreshing appetizer, especially with the heavy food that tailgates often bring – think chili, grilled chicken sandwiches, etc. Remember that you eat with your eyes first, so make sure you go with veggies that are a variety of colors.

2. Cheese and crackers

Another entertaining staple, cheese and crackers can be as simple as cheddar and wheat crackers or as complex as a few different soft and firm cheeses and a selection of charcuterie. Either way, it’s a total crowd-pleaser.

Our turf runner came from Swoozies and I’ve gotten more compliments on it from strangers than almost anything else!

3. Something sweet

We’ll always include something for the sweet tooth, even if it’s as simple as candy corn footballs or store-bought cupcakes or cookies. It’s nice to have a sweet ending to your tailgate before folks head into the game or race. We also put out little individually-wrapped butter mints this year wrapped in the team’s colors.

4. Protein

No matter how long your tailgate is, getting a good protein in to last throughout the game or race is key to keeping your guests full and happy. For our tailgate at UNC’s gorgeous campus, we served do-it-yourself deli sandwiches with a variety of meats, cheeses, and toppings. It was a hit and it was so easy to pull together!

5. Snack items

Pack a few items that guests can grab a small handful of and snack on out of a cocktail napkin or on a tidbit/appetizer/dessert plate. These can include trail mix, bar mix, crackers, pretzels, popcorn, and so on. These little items are also great to pull out after the main event while you’re waiting in traffic.