11 Worst Foods To Bring To A Tailgate Party

Heading out to a tailgate party? There's plenty of time to cheer on your team with fellow fans, but a big part of the day's events revolve around eating and drinking. The best options are ones that you can make and eat without a lot of fanfare. While the most elaborate setups in the parking lot can include refrigerators, coolers, and other serving dishes to keep foods hot or cold as needed, simple tailgate food doesn't need any refrigeration. A grill for burgers and hot dogs, plus a few sides, will typically do the trick. Keep things simple so that you can spend your time getting ready for the game.

When planning your tailgate, it's helpful to know what to keep off the menu so that you don't spend your time feeling sick or paying close attention to complicated dishes rather than cheering on your team. Drinks and desserts should also pair well with hearty fare and provide enough options that everyone will find something that they like. Messier dishes can also make things more complicated, especially if you're in a hurry to get inside in time for kickoff.

Whether you're hosting the event yourself or you're a guest headed to someone else's tailgate, make sure to bring something that people will enjoy that doesn't need any special serving setup. Skip these dishes to make sure that you get a repeat invite next time.

You can do salad right at any outdoor gathering, but it takes a special setup to keep it cool. The last thing that you want is a bowl full of warm greens that have lost their crisp and crunch. You can use the trick of cooling your serving bowl, but that won't work for the long haul. The challenge with serving salads at tailgate is that you may not know how long you'll be there. You may put out the salad at 11 a.m. and it can sit for hours before kick off. While the first few plates are fresh, crispy, and delicious, after a few hours, the salad is wilted and potentially a food safety hazard.

If you add the dressing ahead of time, it can be even worse. Greens that sit in dressing tend to soak them up and lose their appealing crunch. You'll just end up with a soggy mess that no one wants to eat.

For those determined to serve up a side salad at their tailgate, a simple cooling setup can do the trick. Put ice in a disposable foil tray and set your dish of salad in the makeshift cooler. On particularly warm days, you may need to change out the ice periodically. Keep the dressing on the side in a cooler and let guests add their own right before eating.

This one should be obvious, but serving ice cream at a tailgate is challenging at best and a melted mess most of the time. If it is hot, you'll end with sticky hands a little ice cream to show for it since the melting factor can cause big problems. If it's cold enough to keep the ice cream from melting, it's probably too cold to enjoy it. Keeping ice cream chilled is also a challenge, especially if you want to tailgate for a long time. You'll need to have a place to keep the ice cream cold throughout the tail gate as well and even filled with ice, a portable cooler usually isn't enough to do it.

If you really want to put ice cream on the menu, go with something that you can eat quickly and hold easily, such as a cone or drumstick. You can also look for creative ways to serve ice cream without a cone, but beware any that will result in sticky messes of melted treats. Ice cream sandwiches melt quickly and can be tricky. Bowls of ice cream require someone to be in charge of the scooping and extra utensils. Overall, this dessert is better kept to get togethers where you have easy access to a freezer.

Nothing puts a damper on the day like food poisoning. Unless you can find a way to keep them cool, foods with mayo are just waiting to ruin your tailgate so they should be left off the menu. Potato salad and macaroni salad are crowd pleasers, but they also get warm when left outside. It's generally recommended to limit the outside time for mayo-based dishes to two hours or one hour if the temperature outside is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The guidelines don't stop with traditional American-style mayo and mustard salads either. Potato salads from around the world that use mayo also need to be kept on ice.

The exception is when you're serving shelf-stable mayo on its own as a condiment. Many commercially-produced mayos don't have the same ingredients that homemade mayo does, so they aren't as susceptible to bacteria growth when kept at room temperature. Look for individual packets that you can put out as a topping for burgers or hot dogs. These are sealed and not exposed to the air until you're ready to use them and eat. You can keep them in a portable cooler to stay chilled but it isn't always necessary for food safety unless it's super hot outside. It's still a good practice to get into to keep them on ice, however, and it also helps the mayo stay firm, chilled, and ready to enjoy.

Pre-marinated meats can be a timesaver that adds tons of flavor to your heartier tailgate fare. The problem is that those with allergies don't always know what goes into the marinade and it may not be obvious when looking at the final dish. This may taste great on the grill, but unless you know exactly what went into the marinades, it can pose a problem for those with food allergies or sensitivities. This is especially true of store-bought marinades or meat that is marinated at the store. Make sure to check the ingredients list and have a copy on hand for anyone who wants to eat at your tailgate party.

If you're making the marinade yourself and letting the meat get all of that tasty flavor ahead of grilling, make sure to label everything, especially if you have a lot of people at your event. You may make new friends on game day and the last thing that you want is to serve them something that will make them sick. Putting labels with ingredients listed is an easy way to avoid ruining your day in this way. We can't guarantee that your team will win, but at least everyone will be happy with full bellies while they watch the game.

Unless you're setting up for a big tailgate, a keg is probably more than you'll need. A standard keg holds around 165 12-ounce beers. That's a lot for one afternoon if you're a small group. Instead, go with a half keg, pony keg, or mini keg, which all have less beer inside them.

A lot of stadiums also prohibit excessive drinking and may not let you into the game if you're too drunk. Tailgate numbers can also be a bit more unpredictable than other get togethers, since people often stop by and make new friends as they're getting ready for the game. Half of the fun of tailgating is chatting it up over a cold one and a plate of food with other fans.

If you buy a large keg hoping to get help finishing it off, you may end up over-consuming or throwing the extra out. If you go too small, you'll end up thirsty and rationing your beverages. Instead, get cans or bottles of your favorite beverages and keep them in an accessible cooler or two. Anything that you don't finish can be stored for the next game. Keep the keg for big events like graduation parties or birthdays when you have a better idea of your crowd.

Tailgates are generally outside in the parking lot and amenities are pretty scarce. So while foods like classic buffalo wings may taste good, the mess they leave behind can really put a damper on the day. Most stadiums have restrooms, but you'll have to go all the way inside and can't always return back to the tailgate until the game is over. Sticky and greasy foods make it hard to enjoy the day until you can get your hands clean. Unless you have wet wipes, make sure that anything you'll be eating with your hands won't get your hands gross.

Some experienced tailgaters set up portable wash stations, which can solve this problem. It is extra work and gear to haul around, plus extra water that you'll have to bring. Wet wipes or a ton of napkins can also work, but be sure to dispose of them in the right place and keep track of your trash. No one wants to deal with the mess of a tailgate not picking up its trash.  Like including mayo-based foods in your tailgate, you can add messy finger foods. Just be ready to accommodate washing up with a special setup.

Even though they are fantastic foods to eat outdoors, crab and lobster don't always work well on game day. Foods like crab and lobster require a lot of work to enjoy. These dishes tend to need plenty of space to sit down and spread out, which isn't always easy to come by at a crowded tailgate. They can also be on the expensive side, so serving them for a big group will up the price tag of your game day celebrations considerably. When you consider that you might need to bring live crustaceans to your event and grill or steam them on site, it gets extra tricky to plan out the logistics. Who wants to keep your dinner from escaping when you should be getting ready for the big game?

These are best left off your tailgate menu unless you want to pre-crack them to get the meat out, however. If that's your plan, make sure to keep it cool throughout the day to prevent any food spoilage. You can make crab cakes, lobster rolls, or other tasty and iconic dishes to celebrate where you're tailgating. You can also go with the canned version, instead, but be aware that many crab and lobster enthusiasts won't consider it the same dish.

There are a few exceptions, but fish isn't always a big hit as tailgate fare, which tends to be more casual. Think fried and grilled foods rather than dishes that require special preparation and techniques. Meatier fare tends to be a big hit, plus sides to round things out. Fish tends to be more complex and guests won't always appreciate the balance of flavors that goes into a tasty branzino. Plus, most fish dishes need to be served immediately after cooking and that's not always possible at a rugged tailgate.

Anything that requires special table-side filet skills should be a no-go. You won't have the time or attention to execute any special skills at a tailgate, where the focus should be on spending time with your friends and family. Unless you really want to show off your culinary chops, save the special displays for another time.

If you're a tried-and-true pescatarian and want to keep fish on the menu, look for seafood that belongs on your grill. You can put it right alongside other meat options so that everyone has something to enjoy on game day. Firmer fish like salmon can get the grill treatment. This fish works in place of a steak and can get extra tasty when grilled and served on a plank. But because you don't have precise control over the heat on a grill, more delicate fish options don't work well.

If you're adding ribs to your tailgate menu, consider the size and the time that it will take for them to cook. You can grill up ribs, but if they're too large, they might not be done in time to eat. You'll end up spending the whole game out in the parking lot waiting for your food to cook.

The best cooking method for fall-off-the-bone ribs calls for six total hours of cooking time. You'll need three hours uncovered, two hours wrapped in foil, and one additional hour uncovered. The results are delicious and super tender meat, if you can give it the right amount of time. Game day might not be the best time to give this method a try or you'll be babysitting your ribs all afternoon.

It's better to keep things smaller so that you can get them done on the grill in time. Try a half-rack or even a few ribs at a time. You can put them on the grill alongside your burgers and hot dogs. Smoked ribs are also a great option, but you'll have to take care of that in advance of your tailgate. You can always reheat them once you get to the tailgate, but that can be challenging as well. Unless you're a rib expert or have a lot of time, it's best to keep this dish for backyard barbecues where you can start the cooking before the main event.

You might think to impress the crowds with a delicate or intricate dessert. But getting it to the tailgate is a consideration and you won't want to see all of your work arrive smashed. If you're making a complex dessert, you may be able to bring all of the parts and ingredients to the tailgate and assemble it there. But anything that requires a light touch in advance should be left for parties where there isn't so much going on.

Keep in mind that not all tailgate locations have smooth or even ground as well. If you're setting up a table for food, there's a good chance that you'll have some rocks or gravel to deal with. It might also be tilted a little, which can cause your dessert spread to end up sliding down and onto the ground. Stick with simple serving dishes that will stay in place rather than something overly complicated.

Desserts also tend to come out after the rest of the food, but people might already be heading into the game to find their seats. Try not to focus so much on dessert that you neglect the other parts of the menu, only to have your dish be forgotten in the rush to make it inside for kickoff.

Deviled eggs are a mayo-based dish but we thought they deserved their own spot on our list not only because they are delicious and popular picnic food, but also because they have a double whammy on the food safety concerns list. This dish includes both eggs and mayo, two ingredients that need to be kept at cool temperatures to prevent harmful bacteria from growing.

Once the outside temperatures reach 40 degrees Fahrenheit, you need to be sure to pay close attention to the time anytime you have deviled eggs out on your food table. The FDA recommends putting them on ice anytime they'll be out for more than two hours if the temperature is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit and only one hour if it gets above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

It's hard to keep them at the right temperature, plus they can be difficult to transport. Deviled eggs often slide around on the plate unless they are kept on a special serving tray. If you're not careful, you'll end up with an eggy and mayo-ridden mess rather than a side dish to enjoy.