Game-Day Eats: 100 Recipes for Homegating Like a Pro

By Eddie Jackson

Create epic feasts for game days at home with this full-color cookbook from former NFL star and celebrity chef Eddie Jackson that includes 100 fresh and inventive recipes for tailgating at home.

There’s nothing like day full of football and great food. While many fans tailgate on game days—gathering in the stadium parking lot to grill and eat with family and friends—the real fun of the weekend for former pro-football star and celebrity chef Eddie Jackson is “homegating”: throwing a party in your own living room or den. With homegating, the party doesn’t have to stop once the game starts.

Game-Day Eats combines Eddie’s two greatest passions—cooking and football—in one hearty cook’s playbook. Eddie gives you  100 recipes centered around eating, drinking, and spending time with friends while enjoying the game in your own space. The key to a great homegate is food that can be cooked while spending time with your guests. Because you’re cooking in your own kitchen, you can go way beyond brats, chili, and cheeseburgers. With Game-Day Eats you can enjoy mouthwatering Roasted Herb Wings and Chipotle Rib Nachos as well as fun surprises like Jalapeño Honey Chicken Biscuit Sliders and Citrus Beer Floats.

Eddie shows how anyone at any culinary skill level can create festive feasts any day of the week. Each inventive and hearty recipe includes steps that can be done ahead of time or prepped very quickly so that you never have to miss a play—whether you're gathering for a traditional Sunday afternoon or for a weeknight game. With influences from Eddie's international culinary escapades and pro days traveling the country, and illustrated with 150 mouthwatering full-color photos, the food in Game-Day Eats is sure to win over your favorite crowd.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 29, 2019
• ISBN: 9780062870841

Eddie Jackson

Eddie Jackson is a former NFL player turned celebrity chef and owner of Rosehill Beer Garden and Food Truck Park located in Houston, Texas. After winning the 2015 season of The Next Food Network Star, he became a beloved member of the Food Network family and has been the face of several shows including BBQ Blitz, Kids BBQ Championship, Christmas Cookie Challenge, and Cooking Channel's Yum and Yummer, as well as Eddie Jackson’s Game-Day Playbook on foodnetwork.com.

Book preview

Dedication

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THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO

ANYONE WHO DREAMS FOR BIGGER

THINGS THAN THEIR EYES CAN SEE

AND THEIR HANDS CAN TOUCH.

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Contents

Cover

Title Page

Dedication

Introduction

01: Pre-Game

What is Homegating?

More is More

Essential Ingredients

Essential Equipment

Essential Techniques

Rubs

Sweet Assassin Rub

Love Blanket All-Purpose Rub

Texas Heat Rub

24/7 Rub

Herky Jerky Rub

Marinades

Jammin’ Rum Marinade

Garlic Herb Marinade

Sauces

Alabama White Sauce

Holy Molasses Barbecue Sauce

Honey Gold Barbecue Sauce

Calabrian Red Sauce

Condiments

Jalapeño Honey

Jerk Ketchup

Avocado Crema

Salsa Ranch

IPA Caramelized Onions

02: Scoop & Score

Chorizo con Queso Dip

Pico de Gallo

Grilled Corn and Pomegranate Relish

Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach, and Artichoke Dip

Chipotle Hummus with Tajín

Ponzu Ceviche

Royale with Cheese Dip

03: One-Handers

Mac and Cheese Cups

Barbacoa Bites

Sichuan Turkey Legs

IPA Brats

Savory Salmon Deviled Eggs

Meatballs

Roasted Peach Meatballs

Blackberry Meatballs

Spicy Calabrian Meatballs

Curry Turkey Meatballs

Pancake Chicken Poppers with Maple Whiskey Dipping Sauce

Bourbon Dates

Smoky Corn Dogs

Pineapple-Gochujang Short Ribs

Tamale Cups

Mojo Pork Chunks

04: Fan Favorites

Chipotle Rib Nachos

Caribbean Jerk Sliders

Hoisin-Glazed Ribs

Wings

Habanero Wings

Honey Gold Wings

Roasted Herb Wings

Cajun Sticky Wings

Spicy Korean Wings

The Perfect Brisket

Texas Philly Steak Sandwiches

Chopped Beef Sandwiches

Cheesy Mac Casserole

Buffalo Mac

Three-Pepper Chicken Sandwiches

Not-So-Sloppy Joes

05: Game Changers

Deep-Pan Pizza

Escovitch Fish

Blistered Shishitos

Brown Butter Grilled Cheese

Hash Pie

Stout-Glazed Steak Tips

Pepper Shrimp

Jalapeño Honey Chicken Biscuit Sliders

06: Half-Time

Sun-Dried Tomato Garlic Bread

Garlic-Parmesan Popcorn

Zesty Crackers

Tangy Chickpeas

Red Ale Onion Rings

Lemon-Pepper Nuts

Smoked Paprika Tortilla Chips

07: Super Bowls

Texas-Style Stout Chili

Poblano and Hatch Corn Pudding

Smoky Charro Beans

Goulash

Hearty Chicken Gumbo

Corn-Mushroom Chowder

08: What the Salad

Texas Caviar

Summer Corn and Basil Pasta Salad

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Spicy Pesto Pasta Salad

Honey Gold Coleslaw

Blackened Shrimp Salad

Banh Mi Salad

Bucatini Salad

Not Your Grandma’s Potato Salad

Jalapeño Honey Fruit Salad

09: Cheers

Beer Floats

Citrus Float

Vanilla Float

Espresso Float

Wheatsicles

Strawberry-Basil and Mint Wheatsicles

Very Berry Wheatsicles

Mango Wheatsicles

Smoked Shrimp Michelada

Cucumber Chelada

Shandies

Strawberry-Basil Shandies

Blueberry Shandies

10: Sweet Victory

No-Bake Desserts

Blueberry Cheesecake

Sweet Potato Mousse

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

Chocolate Pecan Bars

Toasted Coconut Brownies

Mango-Peach Cobbler

Caramel Bourbon Milkshakes

Double-Stuffed Cookies

Acknowledgments

Index

About the Author

Copyright

About the Publisher

Introduction

For as long as I can remember, sports and food have been my ultimate passions. Coming from a family with a number of standout athletes and amazing cooks alike, it’s not surprising that I ended up where I did. My father, Eddie P. Jackson Sr. (or Big E, as everyone calls him), was, in some circles, the best athlete to walk the streets of my beloved hometown, Americus, Georgia. To this day, whenever I go back home, I am regaled with tales of how my father once jumped over a moving car or ran a 9.9-second 100-meter sprint with stitches in his leg. Whether these tales are embellished or not, I definitely inherited my athletic ability from my father. But both of my grandmothers were highly regarded cooks in the community, so I think it’s safe to say the food bug was in my blood as much as being an athlete was.

My lifelong love of food all started with a biscuit. My grandma Geraldine was the head chef at my town’s local high school, and every morning for more than thirty years, she made biscuits for the eagerly awaiting students. I tagged along with her to watch, and help, her make these fluffy treats, a daunting task for a scrawny five-year-old who stood heads below the commercial mixers. I can still remember the feeling of flour covering my face as my grandmother reached over my little shoulders to show me how to use a rolling pin for the first time. Through many burnt crusts and rock-hard biscuits, I began to perfect my pastry-otic craft. Little did I know this was the beginning of a lifelong culinary adventure.

I moved to Dallas, Texas, at the age of ten with my dad, Big E, who has long been an influence to me on and off the field. My dad was a military guy, which meant he didn’t take any mess, a fact I found out the hard way on several occasions. But any father-son disagreements were always worked out over a great meal and conversation. My dad is the son of cookbook author Annie Ruth Jackson—memories of her decadent four-layer caramel cake still make my mouth water—and the food bug is strong in him as well. His particular passion is the grill. Settling down in Texas made it easy for him to fall in love with Lone Star staples like tender brisket, spicy chili, and gamey meats.

We had a tiny apartment in north Dallas with a patio just big enough for two Weber charcoal grills. We grilled up everything imaginable: chicken wings, pork butts, and even fresh-caught fish. Saturdays and Sundays were our Patio Days, where we would lounge outside with the game on, meats on the grill, and smooth jazz in the background. Everything changed for me on January 31, 1993, when three pivotal things occurred: my hometown Dallas Cowboys won Super Bowl XXVII; my favorite entertainer of all time, Michael Jackson, rocked out the halftime show; and, most important, my dad turned the tongs over to me and let me man the grill. After spending the day dishing out succulent wings and molasses-glazed baby back ribs, I never looked back.

I became more and more intrigued with food and cooking, and I would often shadow my dad in the kitchen. He welcomed me home from long school days with down-home country cooking taught to him by his mother. Each day of the week represented a dish: Meatloaf Mondays; Chicken Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (For some reason, we would always have chicken coupons, so midweek you would find several varieties of chicken dishes on our table: chicken and dumplings, fried chicken, chicken chili, chicken pot pie . . . you get the picture.); Fish-Fry Fridays, accompanied by yellow mustard and white bread; and Patio Saturdays and Sundays, when we would man the grill all weekend.

With my dad’s continued guidance on the field as well as in the kitchen, I was rewarded with an athletic scholarship to the University of Arkansas. Woo Pig! In my coveted spot as a Razorback, I was a four-year starter and SEC champ in football and an All-American in track and field. Even though sports occupied the majority of my time, I continued to explore my passion for food and cooking by practicing in my small off-campus apartment. I was known for my athletic abilities but won the admiration of my teammates through their stomachs.

The downfall for many college athletes is being away from Mama’s (or Dad’s) home cooking. I saw this as a lucrative business opportunity that would further my cooking skills and continue a weekday tradition—packaging tasty meals for my eagerly awaiting teammates . . . for a nominal fee of five bucks! Meatloaf Mondays became Meatball Mondays with mashed potatoes and homemade gravy; Chicken Tuesdays became Chicken Taco Tuesdays; leftover chicken would be used for Chicken Spaghetti Wednesdays; Thursdays featured Chicken and ’Laya (short for Jambalaya); Fish-Fry Fridays remained the same, supplied by trips my teammates and I often took to Beaver Lake, where the trout was plentiful; and Friday night’s fish fry continued through into Patio Saturdays and Sundays with penny beers in hand.

After many five-dollar Styrofoam packaged meals and athletic accolades, I went on to play five years in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins, and New England Patriots. After succumbing to injuries from the game, I decided to retire and see where my other childhood passion, food, would take me.

Throughout my travels as a professional athlete, I would find myself gravitating to the food trends of the cities I visited. For instance, each time we visited New York to play the Jets or the Giants, I would find myself eating homemade meatballs in Little Italy or Peking duck in Chinatown. For a country boy, this was food heaven. The first time I went to San Francisco to play the 49ers, a few of my teammates and I visited Fisherman’s Wharf, located just off the Golden Gate Bridge along the bay, the mecca of seafood. With food vendors lining the pier and the smell of the water and fresh seafood in the air, I was instantly transported back to Fish-Fry Fridays.

After retirement, I settled down in tropical Miami, Florida, known for its beautiful beaches, nightlife, and diverse food culture, where I focused on perfecting my homegrown culinary skills for the ones I love. I started to create dishes that took pieces of my travels as a pro athlete and combined them with the flavors of the local Caribbean culinary scene. Through word of mouth, the demand for my food grew, and I began catering events, offering private cooking lessons, and, ultimately, opening my own food truck, the Caribbean Grill. Traditionally, Caribbean cuisine features bright and vibrant flavors from allspice berries (pimento seeds) or sour oranges, but it can have pops of spice from chiles, especially Scotch bonnets. Whether in the Bahamas, Jamaica, Cuba, or Puerto Rico, there are staples you will always find, such as seafood fresh out of the water (like escovitch fish with pickled veggies from Jamaica) or juicy pork dishes (like crunchy-skinned, slow-roasted whole pig from Cuba topped with tangy mojo sauce). I fell in love with this cuisine, and I was able to create a menu that reflected my style of cooking and allowed me to creatively and seamlessly integrate new flavors into the staples I grew up loving and preparing.

My culinary path led me to Food Network’s hit show Food Network Star, where I was a contestant on season 11. My savvy cooking chops, outgoing personality, and competitive nature got me crowned the ultimate champion. Since my victory, I have gone on to host several shows on Food Network, such as BBQ Blitz, Kids BBQ Championship, Yum and Yummer, and Christmas Cookie Challenge.

I’m back in Houston, Texas, now, but the food that I love to make blends the cuisines and experiences that I’ve had all over the country. This book focuses on 100 of my absolute favorite, all-star recipes that are fit for any homegate or gathering. These recipes will allow you to focus on all of the essentials—eating, drinking, and spending time with friends—all while watching a good game. The key is to make food that allows you to spend your time with your guests, not slaving over the stove. Each recipe will focus on steps that can either be done ahead of time or prepped very quickly so that you don’t miss a beat during the game. My favorite thing about food and sports is how they bring people together no matter their race, gender, or religion, and how both create occasions for people to gather. Game-Day Eats is the culmination of my two greatest loves and the perfect guidebook for you to enjoy them in your own home.

01

Pre-Game

As my father would say, stay ready so you don’t have to get ready. From setting up your pantry, to essential cooking techniques, to creating flavorful rubs, tongue-tingling marinades, and lip-smacking condiments, this section is all about setting yourself up for success on game day.

What is Homegating?

More is More

Essential Ingredients

Essential Equipment

Essential Techniques

Rubs

Sweet Assassin Rub

Love Blanket All-Purpose Rub

Texas Heat Rub

24/7 Rub

Herky Jerky Rub

Marinades

Jammin’ Rum Marinade

Garlic Herb Marinade

Sauces

Alabama White Sauce

Holy Molasses Barbecue Sauce

Honey Gold Barbecue Sauce

Calabrian Red Sauce

Condiments

Jalapeño Honey

Jerk Ketchup

Avocado Crema

Salsa Ranch

IPA Caramelized Onions

What is Homegating?

At its core, homegating is just a house party centered around a theme, and for the purposes of this book, that theme is sports! Think of it as a great tailgate brought indoors so that the fun (and eating) don’t have to stop once the game starts. Because you’re cooking in your own kitchen, you can go way beyond plain old brats, chili, and cheeseburgers. Homegating varies tremendously from coast to coast, city to city, and home to home, but every great homegater has that one recipe they bring out on game day, whether it’s slow-cooked pork rib tacos, three-chile chicken sandwiches, or smoked Buffalo wings.

More is More

This book focuses on feeding large groups of people, because, let’s admit it, no game is as fun when you’re watching it alone. Each recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you have a crowd larger than expected. The recipes are all easy to follow and contain a lot of make-ahead tips, however there