This post was written by me through an activation with HireInfluence on behalf of Community Coffee. Although I received compensation for participating in the campaign, all thoughts and opinions are my own for this Tailgating 101 post which includes my very own Homemade Baked Beans with Coffee Recipe!
The sidelines. It’s where you’ve always been able to find me.
In high school, you’d find me there in a short skirt with pom poms in hand.
In my 20s, you’d find me at the Dallas Cowboys home games. Season tickets. Visitors side. Second row. One of 2 rows you had to go through security to get to. It was that close. So close, I’d often bring friends who couldn’t wait to get their picture taken with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. So close, you often couldn’t see what was happening on the field in front of you without looking up at the big screens. Too many professional football players standing right in front of you. Not that I complained. 🙂
All this to say I know a thing or two about football, being on the sidelines and tailgating.
Ah, tailgating!
While I daydream about some of my favorite experiences, let me just say that I’m surprised to discover many who don’t actually know what tailgating is! How can this be? I’ve noticed that some of my friends even refer to any type of entertaining (even at home) during a football game as “tailgating” – WRONG! So let me set the record straight. We’ll call this Tailgating 101.
TAILGATING – “tohost or attend a social gathering at which an informal meal is served from the back of a parked vehicle, typically in the parking lot of a sports stadium.”
If there’s one thing I know about tailgating, it’s that it happens come rain or shine…or as in the case of Fall 2014 – SNOW!
It’s true! We headed up to South Bend, Indiana for the weekend with no chance of snow in the forecast. We knew it would be COLD, but had no idea that we would wake up one morning to over a foot of snow. First things first, we headed to the local mall to buy snow boots. With that one expense, we were set for the weekend – including tailgating before the Notre Dame football game in the snow!
My best memory of tailgating actually happened Thanksgiving Day. Beautiful fall day outside Texas Stadium before a Dallas Cowboys home game. We actually tailgated Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, cranberry sauce and all sitting in the back of my dad’s pickup truck. That is a favorite memory of my mom, dad, sister and I. And memory making is what it’s all about. Well, that and food.
Speaking of food…
When it comes to tailgating, food is #1. You’ll find everything from barbecue to hand held desserts and everything in between. If it can be reheated and/or cooked on the grill, it’s a prime tailgating food.
It’s with tailgating in mind that I created my own version of baked beans.
- It needed to be thicker and not so “soupy” to make transporting easy
- It needed to have less sugar than most recipes as we have many in the family who struggle with diabetes/high blood sugar
- It needed to use my secret ingredient – COFFEE
Did somebody mention coffee?
Yes, not only is coffee a great drink to have while tailgating, it’s also an amazing ingredient in both sweet AND savory dishes! In fact, I spotted dishes likeDark Roast Coffee Pork Sliders andBrown Buttered Pecan Cookies over at TailgateTraditions.com!
HOMEMADE BAKED BEANS WITH COFFEE
Ingredients:
5 slices of bacon, cut into small chunks (I love to use nitrite free bacon)
1 white onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of coffee, brewed (I love Community Coffee’s blends)
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/8 cup brown sugar
2 tsp stone ground mustard (or any other spicy mustard with extra flavor)
1 12-oz can tomato paste
1 TBSP distilled vinegar
1/2 tsp allspice
2 16-oz cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Instructions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees
In pot, brown bacon until almost completely cooked.
Add diced onions and cook over low heat with bacon until onions are soft.
Add brewed coffee to the bacon and onion mixture and stir over low heat.
Add all other ingredients (except beans) to the pot over medium heat and stir for 5 minutes.
Add the beans, stirring gently as not to mash them.
Remove pot from heat.
Prepare an oven-safe baking dish, coating with non-stick cooking spray.
Pour baked beans misture into baking dish and cook at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
The verdict!
Delicious – the entire family loves them and they were surprised that coffee was my secret ingredient. My husband knew it was more flavorful than other recipes he’s had.
Perfect for family dinner, football parties and yes, tailgating!
Now…how would you like to WIN big? Maybe a trip to the BIG GAME?
Community Coffee Company has partneredwith Southwest Airlines® for its annual Instant Win Sweepstakes game and sweepstakes, Tailgate Traditions.
From July through September, 2 million packages of Community® coffee will give fans a chance to win an all-expense-paid trip to Houston for the Big Game along with over 500 instant win prizes.
To participate, consumers can purchase specially-marked packages of Community® coffee, including 12 ounce Premium ground coffee and 12 and 18-count K-Cup® boxes in a variety of blends and flavors. Each package will feature an on-pack sticker containing a unique game code, which can be entered online at TailgateTraditions.comfor the chance to win. In addition to saving 55¢ on a future Community® coffee purchase, participants are eligible to win a variety of valuable prizes.This year’s grand prize includes a trip to Houston with two tickets to a sponsor-designated event, round trip airfare on Southwest Airlines® and hotel accommodations, as well as a $1,000 gift card, coffee brewer and one-year supply of Community® coffee. Instant win prizes include Flat Screen TVs ($500 Value; Qty: 5), Keurig® K300 Brewers & Coffee Bundles ($375 Value; Qty: 50), Outdoor Grills ($500 Value; Qty: 5), Brewers & Coffee Bundles ($150 Value; Qty: 50), Thermos & Coffee Bundles ($110 Value; Qty: 200), Southwest® gift cards ($250 Value; Qty: 150) and Tumbler & Coffee Bundles ($25 Value; Qty: 50).
Community coffee is available for purchase at grocery stores throughout the Southeast region of the United Statesor online and is thelargest family-owned and operated retail coffee brand in America!
Have you ever been tailgating? Any favorite traditions?
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