Hi! I need a good recipe for a tailgate on Thursday. It's going to be 95 degrees, we'll be out there for about 6 hours, and there is no way to keep things cold, so nothing that will go bad during the afternoon.
It's an all-adult tailgate (recipes with alcohol are ok :), and others are already bring a wide variety of dips and salsa. I'm trying to think of a side dish other than pasta salad.
Ideas?
Thanks!
Fruit salad!
This one looks especially yummy!
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/tomato-and-watermelon-salad-1000000163465
Or this one ....
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/watermelon-salad-50400000122620/
Alcohol soaked fruit. Put watermolon berries grapes apples anything in different alcohol. Watermelon in vodka apples In an apple flavored vodka berries in light rum.
Broccoli slaw - buy the shredded broccoli in a bag with whatever addj-ins they have (usually some carrots etc.). Add craisins or raisins, almonds (slivered are best - stay crunchy longer than sliced I think), wine vinegar (or cider vinegar) and some olive oil. You can add whatever else looks good - shredded or diced peppers and onions, cooked linguine (broken into roughtly 2-3 inch pieces, cooked and cooled and tossed in a little oil if you aren't assembling the salad right away), or you can substitute ramen noodles - make one package without the flavor packet.
Something that really looks awesome is a watermelon porcupine - take 1/2 watermelon (regular size or seedless depending on the size of the crowd, and hollow it out, draining it on a rack so it doesn't keep weeping. It's important to wash the outside rind - select the half with the fewest blemishes. Meantime, cut up various fruits including the watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, grapes etc. Take some long toothpicks - not standard length - I like the plastic ones that have a pointy arrow on one end because the fruit stays on them better. Thread 3-4 fruits on each skewer, alternating colors. Not all fruits will fit on a skewer - just mix them up by differing colors (don't put honeydew next to a green grape or strawberries next to watermelon. Take a shish kebab skewer and poke holes in the rind of the watermelon, either randomly or in a pattern. Set the watermelon, cut side down, on a platter and start inserting the toothpicks of fruit in the holes so it looks like a porcupine. Take along an extra cup to collect the used toothpicks, or people can put them on the edge of the platter.
Another possibility is a quinoa or bulghur salad with any kinds of beans (pinto, red kidney, white) or chickpeas, and some oil/vinegar, plus any veggies you like such as cucumbers and peppers, diced. and some chopped onion.
If you put the serving bowl or platter inside a much larger bowl or even the bottom half of a turkey roaster with a bunch of ice in between, your dish will stay cooler longer.
Three-bean salad? I don't care for it, but most of my family does...
I would make those pigs in a blanket. You know, the little sausages in the crescent rolls. They taste good hot or room temp (i.e. 95 outside lol). I always picture tail gate parties as more of a finger food kind of thing as opposed to salads and such. JMO. Or maybe homemade chicken tenders and bring a bottle of bbq sauce and ranch dressing. Or bean/beef/cheese burritos, those taste good warm. Or what about dessert? Good old choc chip cookies would be great. Think finger foods. Good luck!!!
Not sure what this is called but it is good.
2 cans of sweet corn, drained
1 pint cherry tomatoes, washed and halved
2 cans black beans, washed and drained
1/2 bunch of cilantro, washed and chopped
1 packet taco seasoning (I think low sodium version is good)
mix together, pack up into a foil packet and grill for 10 minutes. You can do this at tailgate if anyone around you is bbq'ing; otherwise do so at home and take it with you, warm or refrigerated. Either way is really good!
Is there going to be any meat? Or is everyone else just bringing chips and dips? Definitely don't bring anything dairy based if it will be outside for that long. I like this recipe:
Tex-Mex Black Bean Salad
Ingredients
Serves: 4
2 drained 16-oz cans black beans
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 drained 8-oz can corn
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup each bottled oil-and-vinegar dressing and chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 tsp ground cumin
Directions
Put 2 drained 16-oz cans black beans, 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken, 1 drained 8-oz can corn, 1 cup chopped tomato, 1/2 cup each bottled oil-and-vinegar dressing and chopped cilantro, 1/4 cup chopped red onion and 1 tsp ground cumin in a large bowl. Toss to mix and coat.
I have a coleslaw recipe that needs no refrigeration.
Betty Ann's Cole Slaw
1 head shredded cabbage
1 small carrot
1 green pepper
1 sweet onion
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup veg oil
1 T salt
1 t dry mustard
Combine all vegetables and 3/4 cup of the sugar and toss
In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup sugar with remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil.
Pour over cabbage is true and stir well
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (or more)
Keeps forever!
I would get green and red grapes cut them into small bunches. They will go good.
Why are you not able to use ice packs?
You could try tabouli salad.
http://www.food.com/recipe/tabbouli-tabouli-tabbouleh-salad-parsley-salad-197922
Isn't there a way to keep things cool by putting dry ice in a styrofoam cooler with a bag of ice over the top of it (leave the car window open a crack)?
Can't you have coolers & ice?
I can't imagine being in a hot parking lot for six hours with no way to keep food and drinks cool, yuck :-(
I guess you could do pretzels, cornbread or cookies, something like that.
I was gonna say pasta salad.
But you don't want to bring that.
What we did for our family reunion in Ohio at the park outside was put a large bowl with ice then put the bowl with the food in it on top. Large bowl, ice, smaller bowl with food. We took creamy grape salad. It worked for us.
Hi All,
Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll head to the store this evening with some ideas from you all. I’m leaning towards some corn muffins (we grill chicken and shrimp, and it would go well with that). And either the fruit salad or the cole slaw…
Of course we’ll have coolers for drinks so we will have something cold! But we typically set all the food out on a table and I worry about any food with dairy that might spoil, even if we tried to put ice under it. And the reason for no pasta salad is that someone else is already bringing that - it is a good idea 
I can’t wait, it’s going to be a blast even in this heat!