Labor Day & Tailgate Meal Ideas
With Labor Day approaching and football tailgating rapidly approaching, it’s a great time to try new, fun recipes!
Here are some tips for a successful Labor Day or tailgating celebration!
Keep the heat out
Labor Day and the start of football season is often still pretty darn hot so keep that in mind when planning food. You will want sides, desserts, and appetizers that are cool! This could include everything from fruit salads to deluxe potato salads. Keep drinks refreshing, cool, and delicious!
Also remember that you won’t want to heat up your kitchen just to make amazing food. Don’t worry, though, that still leaves you with plenty of options! You can grill everything from meat to veggies (and even some desserts), of course. But also keep in mind that slow cookers are not just for winter soups! You can make amazing things that simmer all day without heating up your home. Another option is to order catering from Piguet’s Prime Time!
Save time
Another reason to use a slow cooker or other cooking options is time. You don’t want to stand over a hot stove all day! Besides changing your cooking method, it’s also a great idea to do as much pre-prep as possible in the days leading up to the event. This includes chopping veggies, creating marinades, etc. A little bit of preparation along the way means you won’t have much to do on the actual day of your gathering.
Choose simple options
Fun gatherings don’t need fancy food to be amazing! If you’re going the slow cooker route, consider options such as carne asada. All you have to do is marinate and grill! You can also use hatch chilis and if you’re serving them with pork, it would be chili verde. With beef, it would be beef Colorado. Some veggies are also easily roasted, especially Vidalia onions smoked on the grill!
If you’re tailgating, think about what would be easy to transport and clean up. A taco bar can be pretty simple, same with grilling burgers and bratwurst. Other popular and easy tailgating items include jalapeno poppers and other similar appetizers, and roasted pork loin. Another option that allows for tons of creativity is building various charcuterie boards!
What foods are you looking forward to this Labor Day and football season?
Recipes
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EASY CAJUN CORN
4 TBSP Butter, softened
2 TSP Cajun Seasoning, more to taste if needed
4 Ears of Sweet Corn – shucked
¾ C Water
Combine butter and seasoning. Place each ear of corn on double thickness of foil. Spread butter mixture and wrap foil tightly.
Place ears in 6 qt. crockpot and add water. Cook on high setting until tender – 4 to 6 hours.
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PRIME TIME KOREAN BBQ WINGS
5 pounds of chicken wings, rinsed and drained
Marinade
3 TBSP Brown Sugar
¼ c soy sauce
2 TSP Fish Sauce
2 TBSP Sesame Oil
2 TBSP Rice Wine Vinegar
3 TBSP Garlic (minced)
2 TBSP Onion (minced)
2 Serrano Peppers, seeded and chopped
2 TSP Black Pepper
2 TBSP Lime juice
¼ C Honey
¼ C Water
Grilling Sauce
¼ C Honey
¼ C Water
2 TBSP Soy Sauce
½ TSP Red Pepper Flakes
1 TSP Cornstarch
MAKE THE MARINADE – Add all the marinade ingredients together in a 2-gallon zip-top bag and mix by moving contents in the bag. Add wings and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat oven at 350 and place wings on lined baking sheet. Bake about 35 minutes or longer for larger wings. This step could also be done ahead if wanting to save some time.
Mix the grilling sauce and bring to a boil and then let simmer until reduced by half. Set aside. Place cooked wings on the grill and baste with grilling sauce turning constantly so as not to burn. Should take approximately 10 minutes or so. Place wings in a bowl and add the reserved grilling sauce and serve hot.
Serves 10 to 12.