As a longtime advocate for simple tailgates, it should come as no surprise that I don’t think cooking on site is essential for a good time. In fact I’ve had great times when we had pizza or sub sandwiches. Fried chicken is another great grab and go type food, and if you’re in the Southeast you’ve probably even seen the bright yellow box of Bojangles’ chicken in the parking lot at some point. If you have it’s probably because Bojangles’ has one of the most noticeable tailgating-centric marketing plans that I’ve seen thus far.
Probably the best thing about Bojangles’ offerings is that they have large order pricing listed for just about all of their menu items. While we’ve all seen the “Family Size” or other large order type of listing, Bojangles’ is the only one that I know of that labels these options with the word “Tailgate.” Even though you might think of your tailgating group as family, if you’re out with the bros you might find it more comfortable to order your grub by using slightly less affectionate terminology.
Recently I received an email telling me that they upped their tailgate love by introducing the “Tailgate Everything” promotion. Among the things included on their site are some tailgating themed tips for managing your life, items for purchase, and some interesting recipes where you can turn their regular menu items into something different at your party. The section on tips for improving your tailgate really spoke to me, although I think given the current situation in Washington we might have a tough time booking the Blue Angels for a flyover, but fingers crossed nonetheless.
They were also kind enough to pass along some vouchers for samples so I decided to give a couple of these recipes, the Grilled Cheddar Bo Biscuits and the Roasted Chicken Bite Skewers a whirl. Both of which I’m pleased to say were easy to make, and quite tasty.
From Bojangles’/TailgateEverything.com
Grilled Cheddar Bo Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 Bojangles’ Biscuit
- 2 slices of your favorite cheese, cheddar or smoked Gouda
- liquid margarine
- foil wrap
Directions
- Cut the Bojangles’ Biscuits in half
- Place the bottom half of the biscuit on a double layer of foil wrap
- Place 2 slices of your favorite cheese on the bottom half of the biscuit
- Cover with the top of the biscuit and spray with liquid margarine
- Wrap in foil
- Place on a medium hot grill, cook 3 minutes on each side until cheese has melted
- Serve with grilled vegetables of your choice or grilled watermelon
From Bojangles’/TailgateEverything.com
Roasted Chicken Bite Skewers
Ingredients
- 2 orders Bojangles’ Roasted Chicken Bites (freshly purchased)
- 1 sweet red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 yellow onion
- 3 oz Italian salad dressing
- 4 wooden skewers
Directions
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes prior to using
- Cut peppers and onion into 8 pieces each
- String skewers alternating the already cooked chicken bites and fresh vegetables
- Place on medium grill and brush with Italian salad dressing, turn and continue to brush until the vegetables are cooked (to speed up the grilling process, wilt the vegetables in the microwave before assembling the skewers)
Even though we typically reserve the “Tailgate Approved” designation for product reviews, I think Bojangles’ is deserving of it here. They are making it easy for the fan on the run to swing by and grab some eats to enjoy before the game, and they’re even having some fun with it outside of the parking lot. You can see more and enter to win some prizes at tailgateeverything.com and they’re on Twitter @Bojangles1977.