Tailgate Bloody Marys

It�s FOOTBALL SEASON. SEA � HAWKS! SEA�.HAWKS!

Tailgate Bloody Marys // Loves Food, Loves to Eat | #foodiefootballfans

To celebrate the upcoming season, I�ve joined a group of bloggers from all over the country, who are all fans of different teams, to bring you a ton of tailgating recipe ideas! Stay tuned over the next few months for other football inspired posts from this group of #foodiefootballfans!

Tailgate Bloody Marys // Loves Food, Loves to Eat | #foodiefootballfans

I like the idea of tailgating, but I�ve only been to a handful of actual tailgates. The thing is, I kind of hate big crowded events. Here are few reasons:

I�m five foot zero inches tall, and in crowds, that means my face is stuck in a million armpits, if I�m lucky. If I�m not lucky, it�s stuck in a million butts.
I�m a bit of an introvert in that I can only do so much group socializing at a time. And these types of events usually last for hours.
I�m a lightweight, and like a grandpa on Thanksgiving, after a couple beers and a hotdog, I just want to take a snooze on a recliner and not be bothered to stay up and cheer for several more hours.
In college I was even more of a lightweight, and on the way to a Husky game, I threw up in the parking lot of Husky Stadium, surrounded by alumni tailgaters. #memories
Port-a-potties.

I like to watch football from a comfy booth at a local bar, or in my PJs on my couch. I can see the appeal of tailgating though. I�ve been once or twice (at UW football games), and like I said, I like the idea of it. It�s sort of like camping�sitting around drinking, grilling, preparing fun food that you wouldn�t necessarily make at home�but in a parking lot with a bunch of hyped up football fans.

Tailgate Bloody Marys // Loves Food, Loves to Eat | #foodiefootballfans

Since I don�t go to a lot of tailgates, I was racking my brain coming up with a good tailgate recipe that wasn�t just grilled stuff or chips and dips. So I turned to the expert, my sister, who is the biggest sports fan I�ve ever known, and who tailgates on the regular. She recommended bloody marys, something she and her husband always have at tailgates, since they usually start in the AM, hours before game time.

Tailgate Bloody Marys // Loves Food, Loves to Eat | #foodiefootballfans

So that�s what we�re having! I thought about naming these after one of our Hawks, but I didn�t think we wanted to start the season with a Bloody Wilson. Yoiks. Nothanks.

Tailgate Bloody Marys // Loves Food, Loves to Eat | #foodiefootballfans

These are easy to bring to a tailgate (or camping!) because you prep the mary mix ahead of time, in separate, sealable jars that can be tucked into a cooler of ice, and quickly customized. And, because it�s not a tailgate without a BBQ (or, so I�ve been told), we�re garnishing our marys with lil mini grilled smokey sausages!

Tailgate Bloody Marys // Loves Food, Loves to Eat | #foodiefootballfans

Tailgate Bloody Marys
Makes 1 pint-size canning jar drink

This base mix is how I learned how to make bloody marys years ago, from my Uncle Rock and Aunt Cat. I prefer a basic scratch mary to a store-bought mix, but even you decide to use a pre-made base, packing it up in individual transportable, sealable jars makes tailgate time fun and easy!

1 cup tomato juice
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1/8th of a lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon pickle juice
About 6 splashes of hot sauce (like Tabasco)
Generous pinch or two of: celery salt, black pepper, sea salt
2 ounces vodka

For the skewer:
1 lil smokey
1 cube bread (like garlic-parmesan rustic loaf)
1 mini tomato
1 pepperoncini
1 cube pepper jack cheese

Other garnish:
Celery stick
Dilly beans

Add base ingredients except vodka to mason jar, seal, and shake to combine. For optimal flavor, make ahead.

At tailgate, shake each jar to re-mix, add ice, and add 2 ounces of vodka.

For garnish: put smokey and bread cube on skewer, and grill until lightly charred. Then slide tomato, pepperoncini, and cheese cube onto skewer.

Set out pre-cut celery sticks and dilly beans, along with skewers, extra hot sauce, and everyone�s jar of Bloody Mary!

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Note: This post is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by the National Football League (NFL) or any of its teams. All opinions and views expressed on our blogs are our own, not that of the NFL and/or any of its 32 teams. Any team names, logos or other symbols referenced are properties of their respective organizations. We are just big fans � and we want to share our love for our teams, the game and the food that brings us all together on game day.

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