Avocado & Bacon Sammies

Lyell from www.RollBamaRoll.com shared a great recipe for Avodado & Bacon Sammies:
 

Ingredients:

• AppleGate organic bacon (or any other organic bacon). If you can't find organic bacon, regular bacon works just do your own research on the healthiest, least processed brand in your area.
• 4-6 Avocado's (You may need less or more depending on the amount of servings you need)
• Juice from one lime (may need more depending on serving size)
• Salt and Pepper
• 1-2 bags of Romaine Hearts

Steps:

1. Cook bacon as flat as possible. There are many ways to do this but using a heavy skillet or a bacon press is the best option. Set aside on paper towel to cool, making sure to keep bacon as straight as possible.
2. While the bacon is cooking, de-pit avocados and place avocado in a bowl. Add juice from lime and salt and pepper to taste, mix well.
3. Peel off strips of romaine hearts, rinse and set aside.

Assembly Required:

There's a couple of different ways to go about this:

1. Take 4 strips of bacon (2 for top, 2 for bottom), spread guacamole over the 2 bottom pieces of bacon and top with remaining 2 pieces of bacon. This can be a bit messy to eat, so you can use the romaine hearts as a wrap.
2. Take just 2 pieces of bacon (1 for top, 1 for bottom), repeat steps above and then use romaine hearts either as a wrap or a "taco".
3. Cut bacon strips into 2 inch pieces and make "mini" bite size sammies. (see picture above)

Either way you go, you have BACON and delicious avocado. I mean, how can you go wrong? Additional toppings could be: 

• Homemade pico de gallo
• Grilled chicken
• Jalapenos
• Sweet Peppers

Frosty Raptor fans fueled by poutine

Given it was frigid outside, the Raptors tailgate party was a success.

Held outside the Air Canada Centre for the majority of Wednesday afternoon, the party saw a couple hundred fans — many ticket holders — indulge in:

Free poutine (the Raptors special was a carnivorous concoction of sausage, bacon and pulled pork)

Chili (about 700 pounds were consumed in 2 ½ hours)

Hot chocolate

“There is a lot more excitement in the air,” said Josh Samuel, a PhD student in theology at McMaster University. “Openers have a playoffs atmosphere.”

Read more: http://www.thestar.com/sports/basketball/nba/raptors/article/1108257--frosty-raptor-fans-fueled-by-poutine

Cholula Hot Sauces

Cholula hot sauces.  We've all seen the bottles with the wooden caps on them.  Now it comes in 4 flavors for all your hot sauce needs.

Cholula was kind enough to send me a sampler pack which contained their Original, Chili Garlic, Chili Lime, and Chipotle sauces.

Original: All about Flavor, Fire and Fun. More than any other Hot Sauce, Cholula's delicious blend of piquin peppers, chile arbol and signature spices enhances food flavors without overpowering them. It's a combination that has defined Cholula as The Flavorful Fire. Cholula makes your enjoyment of eggs, omelets, soups, pizza, dips, appetizers, drinks - virtually all your favorite foods - a more festive experience you will want to share with others. 

Chili Garlic: A garlic lover's dream. Cholula Chili Garlic gives you the full benefit of Cholula's original Flavorful Fire complimented with an abundant presence of fresh, coarse ground garlic. It is an incredible flavor enhancement to pasta sauces, pizza, poultry, soups and anywhere you would enjoy a little garlic!

Chili Lime: Gives you all of what you love most about Cholula's original Flavorful Fire but with the distinctively delicious, tangy hint of fresh lime. It's a hot 'n' tangy flavor sensation that is incredible on tortilla chips, seafood, chicken, salad dressings and more.

Chipolte: Featuring a savory blend of Cholula's original "Flavorful Fire" and the smokey and slightly sweet flavor notes of real Chipotle peppers. It brings sensational new flavor to soups, ranch dressing, steaks, chicken and more.

Tasting these sauces, they all share the great taste of the original, but each with its own distinct kick.  The tanginess of the lime, the sweetness of the garlic, and the smokiness of the chipotle all stand out and make for great sauces.  I've tried them on chicken, breakfast sandwiches, nachos, and some hot wings for an extra zip.  In all cases, the sauces added a very welcomed flavor.

 You can buy Cholula at your local grocery store, or if they don't carry it, you can always buy it online from http://www.cholulastore.net

True test of tailgating cooking: Bad weather

Anybody can tailgate in nice weather.    But the true test of a tailgater’s mettle is what sort of spread he or she can whip up in nasty weather, and, make no mistake, the weather Saturday at Fred G. Hughes Stadium on the Missouri Southern State University campus was nasty. It was cold, it was wet and bolts of lightning danced around the sky. Because of that, the number of tailgaters was down Saturday afternoon but their spirits were not.

“Eighteen years, rain or shine,” was how Jon Tupper responded with a smile from under a large canopy sheltering he and his guests from the elements when asked how many years he has been serving up food for family and friends prior to MSSU football games.

Tupper, a former MSSU football standout and current member of the team’s radio broadcast crew, talked about tailgating from a perch near his massive smoker grill. While he talked he scooped a spicy grilled fajita mixture and placed it into a soft flour tortilla and handed it to Krystal Coy. He then handed another tortilla filled with the grilled steak, peppers and onions mixture to Austin Gilbert.

Coy and Gilbert, members of the MSSU cheerleading squad were sampling the tailgate fare as part of their duties as judges in a school-sponsored tailgate contest.

“Winner,” Gilbert said after taking a big bite of his fajita.

From underneath another canopy, Bruce Anderson took the lid off of a stockpot sitting on a gas-fueled flame and stirred a mixture of corn on the cob, potatoes, onions, lemons and sausage. In a few minutes, Anderson would add six pounds of shrimp to the stockpot to make a warm and savory shrimp boil.

Anderson said his tailgating group is made up almost entirely of Lionbackers, the MSSU athletics booster club. While Anderson oversaw the shrimp boil, other members of the group munched on chips and salsa and grilled chicken wings. Anderson said he and the other folks who put their pre-football game menus together always try to have a main dish to go with the more traditional tailgate fare like wings and brats.

“Sometimes we do chili or a fish fry,” he said.

Steve Allgood, who was helping Anderson, said there are usually four or five people who handle the cooking at the tailgates and that, in addition to the main dishes, snack items like beef sticks, cheddar cheese and peanuts were available for tailgaters to dive into.

And, while the food took center stage at a tailgate, both groups said that getting together with friends before MSSU football games is what real tailgating is all about.

Tupper, in fact, said he usually doesn’t eat much when he’s dishing out his tailgate favorites. His fajitas, for example, don’t really appeal to him.

“I don’t like the peppers,” he said.

What he does like is watching other people enjoy his food.

“That’s what it’s  all about,” he said.

http://www.joplinglobe.com/food/x94880064/True-test-of-tailgating-cooking-Bad-weather

Top 10 tailgating recipes

About.com has a list of their top 10 tailgating recipes.  They have the standby items such as wings and burgers, as well as a few surprises.

Check it out: http://bbq.about.com/od/seasonal/tp/10_tailgating_recipes.htm

Tailgating on a budget

Here's a great article on tailgating on a budet from Niners Nation (www.ninersnation.com/2011/9/14/2426268/tailgating-on-a-budget)

1. Team Up
The atmosphere at a major tailgate party is all about community, but don't be fooled; there are plenty of freeloaders floating around. Avoid overspending by getting some friends in on the action. Assign a couple of people to drinks, several to snacks, and you take care of the grill and meat. Consider it a sports-centric potluck that cuts costs for everyone. Need some culinary inspiration? Tailgating.com has dozens of free, fan-submitted recipes perfect for game day.

2. Carpool
With fuel prices at an all-time high, it's wise to carpool so you can split the costs of gas and parking. Depending on how often your posse goes to games, devise a schedule and assign driving duties fairly. Otherwise, search for ride share opportunities at sites like CarpoolConnect or CarpoolWorld.com. You can also post a ride and charge a small fee to cover gas and mileage for each seat.

3. Fan Gear for Less
The signs of a high-quality tailgate include a team flag flying high and jerseys as far as the eye can see. Even if you don't have a jersey, there's no excuse for not wearing team colors. If it seems like these items are too expensive, you can always use coupons to get free shipping at such stores as Finish Line from sites like FreeShipping.org.

4. Smart Food Choices
Pre-made salads, sandwich platters and cubed meats may be easy choices, but they're also much more expensive, with mark-ups reaching nearly 100 percent. You can save a lot on food by preparing your own before leaving home. Buy larger slabs of meat from the butcher and cut them up yourself. Depending on the number of people participating in the tailgate, consider buying some food items like cheese, chips, condiments and hot dogs in bulk from stores like Costoco for savings up to 30 percent.

5. Get Your Game On
There are only so many things to do in a parking lot, so it's key to include a few simple games in your plans, like a football to toss around. Lawn games like Corn Hole and Washers are also entertaining choices and can be found at reasonable prices among major retail chains like Sports Authority or Sears. For those with a crafty hand, consider building a board game from scratch for a fraction of the cost. You can get building tips at CornHoleHowTo.com. Otherwise, download the free NFL Football Trivia App on your smartphone to test the football knowledge of your tailgate buddies.

6. Borrow Before Buying
Tailgating requires a lot of supplies, from oversized coolers and pop-up canopies to folding tables and chairs. Before heading to the store to buy whatever gear you're lacking, find out if you can borrow from friends, neighbors or coworkers. Otherwise, scope out used goods on Craigslist or try trading items at Swap.com.

7. Bring the Tailgate Home
There's nothing like attending the game among other screaming fans, but when budgets are tight it's time to bring the tailgate home. You'll save on gas, parking and game tickets. Don't forget, sometimes it's just more fun to watch a big game at home, anyway; You get the benefit of multiple hi-def replay angles and a comfy couch seat while you avoid fighting traffic of a crowded parking lot after a long day of tailgating.

Sweet & Spicy Peanuts

This is a great mix of salty / sweet, with a little heat.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups peanuts
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a pan over medium heat
2. Stir until most of the moisture from the water is gone, leaving a thick syrup
3. Cover a baking sheet with foil, and spread peanut mix onto the foil
4. Put sheet into a pre-heated oven at 300*
5. Stir after 15 minutes, put back in
6. Let bake for another 15 minutes
7. Remove and let cool

 If you have a recipe you want to submit for consideration for the Recipes section, please visit our Submit A Story.

Recipe: Bacon Cheddar Beer Bread

Here's a great recipe for a snack at the tailgate.  It is pretty simple to make, and goes great with anything.  A great use of this is to use the bread instead of a bun.  Just toast it slightly on the grill.

Ingredients: 

• 3 Cups Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 1 Can of Beer
• 1 Lb Thick Cut Bacon, Cut in Pieces and Fried 
• 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 Stick of Melted Butter 

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Mix dry ingrdients
3. Mix in beer, bacon pieces and cheese
4. Spray loaf pan with cooking spray
5. Pour mix into pan
6. Pour melted butter over everything
7. Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool

 Have a great tailgating recipe?  Please send it our way!