Tailgate Extravaganza

September 12, 2011 7:03 pm, CDT

By: Rebekah Harris

It is not out of the ordinary for Ole Miss fans to empty their dining rooms of their finest. Drag it all out to The Grove. Hire someone to setup (including the chandelier), serve , and watch the tent all day. They party into the wee hours of the morning. Then they take it all back home and do it again the next weekend. Not too shabby!

But, that is not the reality for most people.

I love a good tailgate party. And there is so much out there these days to put that special little touch on your party- no matter how big or small and no matter your budget.

This past weekend, my Razorbacks played at home away in Little Rock (figure that one out!) So, the Harris house decided to throw a little shindig to watch and celebrate from home in Fayetteville!

I thought I would share a few of my favorite details.

First of all, I found this burlap football for Merry Football Christmas. I think the football is a homerun…or touchdown!

Then I made this little banner out of burlap and ribbon. The “Go Hogs” is the perfect finishing touch.

I painted some glass jars red and put white polka dots and twine bows on them. The hubs called them festive. I just called then cute! The possibilities are endless for these. I used them as centerpieces with flowers but they could be used to hold your eating utensils. Or if you painted a wide mouth jar, you could use it as a serving piece. Easy. Cheap. Cute!

I also made wreaths for our front door. Basically, I raided the Christmas section at Hobby Lobby for anything red, white or football. The balls, footballs and the ribbon are actually Christmas decor! That is the good thing about being red and white! The Hogs are magnets and I just used hot glue to secure them to the wreath. You could probably find these at your team’s store or your university’s bookstore. And lastly, the “Go Hogs” are just decals that I stuck to red card stock. That is why they are a little bent. Then I used hot glue to secure those as well. Not the best option for being out in the weather, but they held up all last fall. So, I have faith.

We threw our canned drinks in a tub adorned with a Razorback because that is what you are supposed to do, right?!

Who doesn’t need a cake as big as a Razorback?

And what is a tailgate party without yummy dips?!?! I made Caramelized Onion Dip for the party and my mouth is still watering. My friend, Kelly, shared this recipe recently and I have been itching to try it. So, for the curious, here is the recipe.

Caramelized Onion Dip
2 large yellow onions
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch-thick half-rounds. (Yielding about 3 cups of onions)
Heat the oil and the butter in a large sauté pan over medium high heat (it works better to NOT use a non-stick pan). Add the onions, cayenne, salt and pepper and sauté for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook for 40 more minutes, stirring occasionally (but not too often-the onions should start to stick to the pan) until the onions are browned and caramelized. Add the Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes. The onions will turn dark because of the Balsamic Vinegar. Allow the onions to cool. Combine the cream cheese, sour cream and the mayonnaise. Whisk until smooth. Add the onions into the cream cheese mixture. Stir to combine. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to combine. Serve at room temperature with potato chips. I used Kettle Chips and it was YUMMY!

And that, my friends, is how we throw a tailgate party Razorback Harris style!

Gals be sure to check out our friends at Passionately Rivalicious and their $250 giveaway.