Preparing for the 2012 Tailgating Season

Whether you’re preparing to eat lunch in the field – like a corn field – or lunch in the parking lot – adjacent to a football field – preparations are much the same.  With a little planning, you can enjoy a delicious meal in the great outdoors with family members and friends.

Coach Rhoads visited Latham Hi-Tech Seeds in 2010 during our Freedom of Independence Ride in Ames. Here he is with Chris, Bill, Shannon and John Latham.

This Saturday will be “the main event” for many Iowans, who look forward to the annual matchup between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State CyclonesKickoff is 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8.  If harvest keeps you away from Saturday’s Cy-Hawk game in Iowa City, you can hear the play-by-play action from a local station or Cyclone Radio Network. Remember to stay tuned following the game coverage for the Latham Hi-Tech Seeds Locker Room Show, where analysts, players and coaches share their thoughts after the day’s game.

In a state without a professional sports team, the Cy-Hawk Series is almost as important as the Super Bowl.  It is the Super Bowl of Iowa!

Shannon Latham, Jim Heckman and Amy Rohe pose with Cy at the 2010 Freedom of Independence Ride.

Choosing which team a person will cheer for even divides families.  During last night’s television news coverage, I heard about a household so divided that a couple named its firstborn Kinnick Trice.  I’m guessing the lady of that house doesn’t serve up Cardinal and Gold Cheeseburgers.  🙂

Regardless of whether you’re cheering for the Cardinal & Gold or the Black & Gold, we’d like to help simplify your tailgating plans.  Today we’ve compiled our best tailgating recipes:

I’m also including a new recipe for Tailgating Eggs, which I picked up at the Iowa State Fair.  What’s your favorite tailgating fare?  Please send your recipe to shannonl@lathamseeds.com.

Tailgating Eggs

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 14 large hard-boiled eggs
  • 2 T. vegetable-flavored cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 c. plain cream cheese, softened
  • ½ tsp. Old Bay seasoning
  • ½ c. browned, crumbled and drafted breakfast sausage
  • ½ tsp. ground black pepper
  • 4 tsp. finely chopped fresh chives, divided
  • ½ c. finely shredded Mexican cheese plus 2 T. for garnish

Instructions

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Slice 12 eggs in half and remove yolks.  Place yolks in a medium mixing bowl and stir until combined.  Finely
  3. Chop the two remaining eggs and add to the yolks.  Mix in the cream cheeses, Old Bay, sausage, pepper, 2 teaspoons of chopped chives and ½ cup cheese.
  4. Stuff egg white halves with mixture and place in a baking pan.  Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until heated through.  Top with remaining cheese and chives.

NOTE:  For no-fuss cleanup, bake the eggs and transport them to the tailgate in disposable foil pans.


Notes

Courtesy of the Iowa Egg Council