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What’s a tailgating party without the chow?

September 03, 2010|By Jennifer Howard

As we get ready for a fall full of football and other fun activities, don’t forget that food safety is a very important part of enjoying any outdoor eating experience. Since many of us want to spend time at the game and not a lot of hours cooking, here are a few tips and recipes we can follow to make our game plan a winner:

— Wash your hands, utensils, and surfaces with hot soapy water before and after handling raw meat and poultry.

— Keep raw meats and poultry separate from ready to eat foods to avoid cross contamination. Always use a clean platter and utensils when removing cooked foods from the grill or cooking surface.

— Cook meat and poultry thoroughly to kill bacteria. Use a thermometer to ensure proper internal food temperatures.

— Refrigerate (or use a cooler full of ice) to keep foods and leftover stored promptly.

It’s always a game rule to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Don’t leave foods sitting out, keep it stored in the cooler. And to avoid the guess work and handling of raw meat, make these meatballs up at home, bake, and freeze until ready to heat up at the game.

Campfire Meatballs

1 pound ground beef

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1 egg, slightly beaten

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heavy duty aluminum foil or foil packets

In medium bowl, combine all ingredients together mixing lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 24 meatballs. Place on aluminum foil and fold edges over to seal. Place packets on grill over medium heat. Grill uncovered 16 to 18 minutes or until meatball centers are no longer pink.

Grilled Garden Medley

2 large tomatoes, cut in large chunks

2 medium zucchini, sliced

2 medium summer squash, sliced

1 small onion, sliced

2 tablespoons margarine

Wrap all ingredients together in heavy duty aluminum foil. Bake over medium grill heat for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on desired doneness.

Jennifer Howard is the Clark County Extension Service agent for family and consumer sciences.

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