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We took a break from tailgating last week last week because we didn’t play. I personally spent time at Taco Mac, a local Atlanta wings and beer joint, so I hope you enjoyed football, too. This week, we travel to Landover, Maryland, to take on Brigham Young, who is from Provo, Utah. BYU is the official university of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, otherwise known as “Mormons.”
Because of this, we’re going to blend local flavors, Utah favorites and traditional Mormon dishes in this week’s Smoking Musket Tailgate menu.
Crab Cake Sandwiches with Fry Sauce
It’s the only thing Maryland does well, despite the old saying. But hey, at least the state is really good at something delicious. We’re adding to this the most beloved of all Utah foods, fry sauce—yes, I know it’s a condiment, and some buns to make hand-held sandwiches.
Crab cakes are very simple to compile but require some deft skills to cook correctly, especially in a tailgate setting. You’ll need a large frying pan for this food. The good part about this meal is that most of it can be prepped the day before.
Crab Cakes
The most traditional recipes for crab cakes may call for dried bread, but the Baltimore style calls for saltine crackers. In a bowl, mix together mayonnaise, egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce a tablespoon of Old Bay seasoning. In another big bowl, toss the kind of shredded crab meat with a sleeve of saltine crackers and another tablespoon of Old Bay.
Pro tip Make this into patties and set them in an aluminum baking pan separated by wax paper to refrigerate the night before the tailgate.
At the tailgate, heat oil in the frying pan and fry up the cakes.
Fry Sauce
This is the most-talked about food thing from Utah, and it’s actually pretty darn good. For our purposes, it’ll make a great condiment for our crab cakes. It’s also the easiest thing to make. Simply mix mayo and ketchup together in a 2-to-1 ratio and a teaspoon of onion powder and a few teaspoons of pickle juice.
Pro tip: Basically, you can use how much or little you want for your taste.
To make the sandwich, put the crab cake on a bun, drizzle some fry sauce on top and eat.
Pro tip: Toast your bun a bit. Any good tailgater knows this, but few actually have the time, but try to do it.
Funeral Potatoes
I have to admit, I literally googled “Mormon food” to research for this menu. This was the most ubiquitous result. Apparently, “funeral potatoes” is a dish commonly brought to a funeral luncheon or to the family of a person who has passed. In fact, a couple sources state that each local LDS church has its own recipe that everyone uses.
The actual name for this dish is “Cheesy Potato Casserole,” which is a name and description all in one.
The great thing about this dish? It’s a casserole. Literally throw a bag of (thawed) frozen shredded potatoes, a bunch of cheese and a can of cream of chicken soup (of course, it’s a casserole) in a casserole dish and top with corn flakes.
I thought Mormons were against mood-altering substances, but they somehow make an exception for this purely orgasmic casserole.
Pro tip: Offer these to the BYU fans who pass by…so make two pans.
Honey Cupcakes with Home Cream Cheese Frosting
Utah’s nickname is “The Beehive State,” so obviously honey had to be used. I’m not quite Winne-the-Pooh, but I do love honey in a lot of things. This dessert will be a great finger food for your tailgate guests to gobble down just before leaving for the game.
Us blue cupcake liners to add a WVU feel to them because the cupcakes have a yellow tinge to them already and this recipe calls for yellow sugar sprinkles on top.
Pro tip: Just use any normal white cake mix for the “dry” cake ingredients.
Jell-O Shots
Utah eats more Jell-O per capita than any state in the U.S. There’s only one good use for Jell-O at a tailgate, and that’s in shot form. I feel obliged to include a recipe for Jell-O shots, even though you should know how to make them on your own.
Pro tip: Use Jolly Rancher gelatin mix with regular vodka because this gelatin mix has better flavor.
DO NOT offer these to the BYU fans. They have alcohol in them and most BYU fans are Mormons, who don’t consume alcohol. Don’t be that guy.
Pro tip: You could make non-alcoholic Jell-O shots, but that’s like drinking decaf coffee…just pointless.
Be nice to the visitors from Utah, even if most of them will be from the local area. If you’re heading to the game, make sure to hit me up on Twitter (@BartimusPrime19) and come have a drink.