How to Be Awesome at Tailgating: The Snackadium

From what I have learned in my studies, a very important part of football culture is tailgating.  Eating lots of snack-type foods while hanging out before and during the game is probably the most fun part of the whole thing, especially for someone like me who isn't really that into the game itself.   Traditionally, tailgating should happen at the game, like, you know, sitting on the tailgate of your truck, but still, you can do it from home.

My fantasy football league decided to get together to spend a Sunday afternoon watching multiple games and eating foods, and because I am obsessed with Pinterest and like to go overboard on just about everything, I suggested the Snackadium, which I found here.  (Check it out.  They do a great job of explaining it and theirs is really big!)

We assigned everyone different things to bring ahead of time, and then just assembled it when we got there. 

To make the Snackadium, you will need the following:

• A foil pan
• A sheet of Rice Krispies Treats
• Various Chips
• Small Sandwiches
• Three dips of your choice (We did nacho cheese, salsa, and guacamole.)
• String cheese (or sour cream)
• Foil
• Plastic bendy straws
• Black construction paper
• Tape
• Sliced cheddar cheese (optional)

First you build a wall around the foil pan with your Rice Krispies Treats.  (We just kind of eyeballed how wide we thought the strips should be and then mashed them together a little so they would stick.)  Then we set the sandwiches around the "wall" leaving room for the chips.  That way, the chips are held in by the sandwiches and the Rice Krispies.  (The chips are supposed to be the fans, I think.)

Then we added the dipping sauces.  We used foil cheese to make barriers so they didn't all blend together.  Then we used string cheese to make yard lines.  (The original post used sour cream, but we had someone who is lactose intolerant, so the string cheese was easier for her to maneuver around.)

To complete the look, Brian made goal posts out of bendy straws and black construction paper, and Bekah put cute little pennant flags on the sandwiches that said things like, "Go Ham," and "Yay, chicken!" so we could tell which sandwiches were which.  As a last minute inspiration, they also made some "stadium lights" out of cheddar cheese and more bendy straws, but they didn't stay up very well.  (Rice Krispies aren't as good of a glue as you would imagine...)

Finish with a cute football tablecloth and plates and some sandwich fixin's, and you've got a pretty awesome snack spread!

We used a smaller foil pan than what the original post said, and we did a pretty good job of eating it, but even with all six of us pretty hungry, we still couldn't eat all of it, so it was the perfect size.

Go team Snackadium!