Gator Chomping Travel Safety and Winning Recipes for This Week’s Tailgate
The Bulldog Nation needs no reminder that this week’s UGA versus Florida game is the big rivalry of the season. If you’re planning to travel to Jacksonville, we have a few ideas for making sure your tailgate thoroughly beats the competition.
Make a list before you travel – Sure, you can go shopping when you arrive, but you’ll spend less money and get to the fun faster if you take everything you need from home. Organize your list by food, equipment, games, and paper and plastic products. Don’t forget a first aid kit and fire extinguisher.
Pack food safely – Keep cold food cold… very cold. Frozen gel packs and ice in coolers should help you keep foods at 40°F or below to prevent bacterial growth. If using one of the burger recipes below, we recommend making patties ahead and freezing for travel.
Rinse all produce under running tap water before packing into your cooler.
Restaurants, gas stations and rest stops – Look for the crowds. While you may not want to wait in long lines, it’s usually a safe bet that multiple cars mean a restaurant has a good reputation. Be cautious of buffets where multiple people handle the same food. Wash your hands. It’s still the easiest way to avoid spreading germs.
Remember the one-hour rule – Since you’ll be heading further south, and temps may be warm, don’t consume perishable foods that have been sitting out more than one hour when the temperature is higher than 90°F.
Be sure someone knows where you are – Just in case of an emergency, let someone not heading to Jacksonville know where you’ll be staying, when you plan to return and how to reach you.
Don’t drink and drive – You just can’t hear this enough. Be mindful of your tailgate guests and take the keys away from anyone you fear has overindulged.
Now that you have all your travel safety tips, starting planning a Gator Chomping menu with one of these “burger” recipes.
Bacon Burger
Ingredients
1½ lbs. lean ground beef
6 slices of bacon, uncooked
1 tablespoon minced dried onion
1 tablespoon McCormicks Mesquite grill seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
Finely chop raw bacon into small pieces. Combine with ground beef and other ingredients. Form into 6 to 8 patties. Freeze for travel.
Beer Burgers
Ingredients
1½ lbs. lean ground beef
½ Vidalia onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper
¼ cup Heinz 57 Steak Sauce
¼ cup dark beer
Combine onion, salt and pepper with ground beef and form into patties. Mix Heinz 57 and beer. As burgers begin to cook, pour sauce over burgers. Repeat after turning the burgers on the grill.
Gator Burgers
Now’s your chance to truly chomp on the gators.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground alligator meat
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
- salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients and shape into patties. Freeze for travel and to help moist mixture maintain its shape. Grill for 12 to 15 minutes.
Top it off with a win – Finally, consider getting creative with your burger toppings. In addition to lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion, try a few of these surprisingly tasty garnishes:
Avocado slices
Roasted red peppers
Olives
Red or yellow peppers
Jalapenos peppers
Alfalfa sprouts
Pimento cheese
