The Cotton Bowl: Bringing the Grove to Dallas

Last Friday I had the opportunity to watch my Alma mater, Ole Miss, put a whopping on the 11-1 Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Rebs pulled out a victory 47-34 in Dallas surprising everyone!

The game was a blast, but the real fun began before the game with a few great hours of tailgating. Below are a few pictures of my family’s tailgate. We did our best to bring the Grove to Dallas with a nice little spread of food and cocktails. Our tailgate even made a cameo in a Dallas Morning News video (skip to 1:22) and on the Commissioner of Tailgating blog. Sorry for the messy photos; the food was picked over before we could take any pics!

The table cloth was inspired by the Big Game party theme on Hostess with the Mostess.

An arrangement of roses and daisies adds a touch of school pride to the table and classes it up a bit.

A tree-tiered serving stand helps utilize space on a small table.

On the Menu:
Tailgating calls for snacks and finger food. When you’re not in Oxford and Abners is not an option, try these easy options:

• Chocolate Chip Cookies – Nestle Toll House slice and bake baby!
• Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches – Grill or bake pork tenderloin. Slice into medallions and place onto Hawaiian Sweet Rolls.
• Chips and Dip – Any kind, you can’t go wrong!

What to pour:
With a 1:00 pm kickoff, the tailgate was forced to get off to an early start. Here are some ideas for some alcoholic cocktails that are socially acceptable to drink before noon! These recipes are less complicated with few ingredients – very tailgate friendly! Be sure to pick up some Solo cups in your team colors to serve the drinks!

 

 

Bloody Mary:
– Bloody Mary Mix
– Vodka
– Celery Sticks

Follow the directions on the store-bought bloody mary mix. Serve in cup and garnish with a stick of celery.