This post was sponsored by McCormick as part of an Influencer Activation and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. #UltimateHomeGate #ML #ad
Football season is upon us and it is one of my favorite times of year! We get to attend watch parties, hang out with friends and family, eat delicious food and drink tasty, cold beverages. I love going to tailgates at stadiums before games but I also love hosting a nice "HomeGate" party. When your favorite team is playing away, what better way to celebrate than with an awesome HomeGate party! I have the tips on the best drinks and recipes you should include at your next HomeGate.
Foods
Since I am from Kansas City, my tailgates and HomeGates always included some form of barbecue! Whether it is pulled pork, ribs or a nice barbecue dip, it isn't a party without some barbecue. One of my favorite recipes involves Stubb’s® Original Barbecue Sauce. If you haven't heard of Stubb’s®, you definitely should head over to Walmart and check out their barbecue line! They have sauces, rubs and marinades, all made with gluten-free ingredients and contain no high-fructose corn syrup. Anyway, back to my recipe... All you need is:
BBQ Chicken Dip
- ½ cup Stubb’s® Original Barbecue Sauce
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 2 cups of shredded chicken, cooked
- 1 cup of smoked mozzarella cheese, shredded
I love this recipe because it is super easy but DELICIOUS. You heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, mix all your ingredients together and then bake in an oven-safe dish for 15 minutes. You can't get any easier than that, right?! Once it is done baking, you eat the dip with chips, carrots, celery, pretzels, etc. I have even put a smidge on a hotdog and man, it was quite the addition! To check out more Stubb’s® recipes click here.
Creamy Pasta & Veggie Salad
Another delicious food I like to include at my HomeGate parties is a French’s® Creamy Pasta & Veggie Salad. This dish is also super easy and you can keep it in the fridge so it doesn't take up room in your oven or microwave!
All you need is:
- 8-ounce uncooked spiral shaped pasta
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup French’s® Classic Yellow Mustard
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 3 cups vegetables
This pasta salad takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to put together; perfect for your game day! I know gamedays can be stressful so I am all about finding foods that are yummy but not time-consuming.
Spicy Honey Glazed Chicken
One of my other favorite things to have during a football game is chicken! For those of you hot sauce lovers, you will absolutely want to try this recipe! I like to use Frank’s® RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce because I like the extra kick. For this recipe you need:
- ⅓ cup Frank's® RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
- ⅓ cup honey [or brown sugar]
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
For the spicy honey glazed chicken, you just combine RedHot Sauce, honey, lime juice and soy sauce. Then, pour half of the RedHot mixture over chicken. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Next, grill the chicken for 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once and brushing frequently with reserved RedHot mixture. To make this food feel more like a HomeGate I made the chicken slices into small bites and made them kabobs! It was fun and tasty 🙂
Drinks
At my HomeGates, I always have Mike's Hard Lemonade. I like to provide Mike's Hard Lemonades because if you can't decide on one flavor, you can get their variety party pack! The pack I bought has HARD Lemonade, HARD Black Cherry Lemonade, Hard Strawberry Lemonade and HARD Watermelon Lemonade. In the party pack, there is definitely a flavor everyone at your party will enjoy!
Mike's Hard Lemonades are perfect for a HomeGate party because they remind me of original lemonade but with a twist. They are cool, refreshing and delicious. #ML also has a Drink on the Bright Side campaign which works to align the feelings of joy and inspiring good times. Something I like to do with my Mike's Hard Lemonade is put one of the flavors in a blender, add some ice and turn it into a Mike's Hard Lemonade slushy!
Please remember though: to enjoy Mike's Hard Lemonade at your HomeGate party, you must be 21 years and older and should be consumed responsibly.
ULTIMATE HomeGate Sweepstakes
To celebrate football seasons and throwing your own HomeGate, there is an awesome sweepstake you can enter! The sweepstakes runs through September 14 – October 28.
There is 1 grand prize and 4 second prizes.
The Grand Prize Includes:
- One (1) 60” Big Screen TV. ARV $800. Brand and model to be determined by the Sponsor at its sole discretion.
- One (1) Weber® Grill. ARV $700
- One (1) $100 Fanatics® Gift Card. ARV $100. Terms and conditions of the gift card apply.
The Second Prizes Include:
- One (1) Weber® Grill. ARV $700
- One (1) $100 Fanatics® Gift Card. ARV $100. Terms and conditions of the gift card apply.
As a second prize winner, you will win one of each: a Weber® Grill AND a gift card!!
*Only one winner per person or household*
To enter the ULTIMATE HouseGate Sweepstakes click here!
Throwing the #UltimateHomeGate party should definitely be on your list of things-to-do during football season! When your favorite team is away, a HomeGate party is the best way to celebrate and watch the football game. With the availability of French’s®, Frank’s® RedHot Sauce, Stubb’s® BBQ Sauce and Mike's Hard Lemonade at your local Walmart, throwing an awesome HomeGate party will be no problem! Head over to your local Walmart, stock up on these ingredients and then check out the recipes on their websites. You and your guests won't be disappointed!
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