Tailgate Takedown premieres on Wednesday January 6th at 10pm ET. The show promises to explore a different college stadium and rivalry game each week, and each week three competing teams of local tailgaters face off against one another in a spirited cooking competition.

After hunting down the home team’s most fanatical fans to find the most talented tailgaters to compete in the Tailgate Takedown, Cahn introduces the three teams and takes viewers on a tour of their tricked-out trailers and tailgating tools. Viewers get a first hand look at the hard work, creativity, inventive technology and cooking skills that go into these one-of-a-kind tailgate creations.

I can’t wait to check it out! I love TLC’s programming lately, they’ve been getting more and more decorating, party, food, and wedding related shows. Now I just need to wrestle the remote away from my son and my husband more often so I can watch them!

Image: istockphoto.com

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Here are some tailgate party foods, and ideas I’ve shared before here at She Knows Parties. I’m putting them all together to kick off to kick things off, and to help you plan a rockin’ tailgate party this football season.

• This guacamole football field would be perfect for a tailgate party.
• When it starts to get cold this hot raspberry cider would be wonderful.
• Break out the beer brats!
• A tailgate grill makes it easy to take the party on the road.
• Kabobs are easy tailgater food.
• Or these Teriyaki Beef Kabobs
• This shot cooler with a tap from Jägermeister keeps your drinks cool and ready to go (just make sure you drink responsibly and have a designated driver)

I’ll have more tailgate party ideas coming up in the next few weeks, stay tuned!

Image via istockphoto.com

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The 6-Bottle shot cooler comes with six 750ml bottles and 50 shot cups. Just add ice and you’re ready for a party!

The new  cooler will be available from retailers starting September 1st.

One important note, don’t forget to remind your guests (and yourself) to drink responsibly whatever the event or occasion!

Images Jägermeister

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It would also be fun to take camping, to the family reunion, or just to the park on a Saturday afternoon.

Here’s the scoop from Margaritaville®:

A stylish accessory for any ride, it featuring an electronic ignition, 352 square inches of cooking surface area, disposable aluminum foil grease pans to minimize clean up, and a temperature gauge to get those ‘cheeseburgers in paradise’ done to perfection.

The Margaritaville® Tailgater Grill also has several unique built-in features, including fold-out side tables made, a fold-down condiment tray and utensil hooks. The Tailgater Grill also doubles as a tabletop grill with integrated legs.

At the end of the party just pack everything up, and check out the main event.

The grill will be available at Frontgate, Amazon.com, Bass Pro Shops and on Margaritaville Cargo beginning August 2009.
Images via Margaritaville®

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Here’s a really cute idea from Wholly Guacamole.

Football season traditionally means tailgate time, play-off parties and a table of unhealthy dips loaded with calories–70 per tablespoon for spinach dip and a whopping 90 per tablespoon in buttermilk ranch. With Americans deriving an estimated 30 percent of their daily calories from outside traditional meals, the trend in party fare is to serve healthier options. At just 25 calories per tablespoon, adding pre-made, all-natural guacamole to the party line-up makes a game-time winner.

The Recipe:
Wholly Guacamole Gridiron Game Time Dip       
Prep: 30 minutes 

Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp butter
- ½ cup red bell pepper
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 2, 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed / drained
- 2 tsp fresh chopped jalapeno peppers
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 cup salsa
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 14 oz Wholly Guacamole
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 bag tortilla chips

Instructions:
1. Melt butter in skillet; add peppers and onion. Cook over medium heat until onion is softened. (4 minutes). Stir in beans, jalapenos and cumin. Cook until heated.

2. Transfer 1 cup of bean mixture to a food processor, process until smooth. Return blended mixture to remaining mixture and stir to combine. Spread onto an 11×8 baking dish. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

3. Just before serving, layer over the bean mixture: salsa, cheese and top with Wholly Guacamole.

4. Spoon sour cream into resealable plastic bag. Snip off small corner and pipe sour cream lines over the guacamole to resemble yard markers on a football field.

Image and Guacamole recipe via Wholly Guacamole

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Before you plan your next tailgate party check out the Freedom Grill. According to the company the Freedom Grill,

is the ultimate grill for your next tailgating experience or camping adventure! The Freedom Grill is perfect for SUVs, Pickups, and RVs – mounts onto any 2″ hitch receiver and the patented arm locks securely in place while driving, then swings away conveniently when at your destination for outdoor cooking.

It’s a grill that’s specially designed to secure to the back of your vehicle. You can haul the party with you. I think it would be great for fall parties, group parties, tailgating, camping, family gatherings, and on location birthday parties.

Image via Freedom Grill

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You can tailgate in your own driveway, or in the game parking lot. Since the party may be on location, keep things simple. Here are some ideas for a kid’s tailgate birthday party:

• Throw the grill in the back of the truck and serve hot dogs, and brats.
• Easier yet order pizza, or pick up a bucket of chicken.
• Make sure you have enough parents to help with driving and chaperoning the children at the big game.
• Serve football theme cupcakes, it will be easier than cutting and serving cake.
• Serve juice in football shaped sports cups, or a cup with the teams logo on it.
• Paint faces using vegetable oil base face paints, with the teams logo or colors.
• Have everyone wear a team shirt to show their spirit.  
• Decorate your vehicle with balloons during the party, so everyone can find you.
• Have fun!

Image via Stock.xpert

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Here’s the recipe:

Hot Raspberry Cider

8 cups of apple cider or apple juice

1 cup of frozen raspberry juice concentrate, thawed

1/4 cup sugar

1 cinnamon stick

Combine all the ingredients in a 4 quart pan. Heat over medium heat, and stir occasionally until the mixture starts to simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer 10 more minutes. Remove from heat, and remove the cinnamon stick before serving hot. Makes about 8 cups. Enjoy!

If your going to a tailgate party, put it in a thermos to keep it warm.

Image via Stock.xchng

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Beer brats are great for tailgate parties. Their easy to make, here’s my favorite recipe:

You already have the beer in the cooler, just bring the brats, a sliced onion, a sliced green pepper, and a disposable aluminum pan to cook them in. 

Heat up the grill. Put the sliced onion, 6 brats, beer, and green pepper in the aluminum pan, and put over medium heat on the grill. Cook the mixture for 15-20 minutes, or until the brats are cooked through. If the beer does not completely cover the brats turn them every few minutes, or add more beer.

When they’re done cooking in the beer I like to throw them directly on the grill for a few minutes to brown them up before serving.

If you need to cook more brats, just add a can of beer, a half an onion, and a pepper for every 6 brats added.

You can also use this method to cook hotdogs, or italian sausage.

Serve your beer brats, with the onions and peppers, on a bun. Enjoy!

Image via stock.xchng

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