Happy Football Friday. Today we have: Football Friday Tailgate Recipes: Toasty Tailgate Beverages. Did you save last week’s Football Shaped Treats Part Two? This week I decided to do some warm cocktails to keep you warm on these cool fall days. I tried to pick crockpot recipes so you have a large batch and a way to keep it warm at the tailgate party. Y’all have fun with these and enjoy!
Spiked Crockpot Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces dark chocolate chips OR semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 6 cups whole milk, you can also use 2% milk
- 2 cups heavy cream, you can also use evaporated milk or Half & Half
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup Kahlua, or bourbon, or any other liquor that you prefer
- Toppings; marshmallows, chopped peppermint, cinnamon sticks, chocolate syrup, whipped cream
Instructions:
- First, you’ll want to add chocolate chips, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt to the insert of your slow cooker.
- Then, stir in milk, heavy cream, and vanilla. If you don’t want to use heavy cream, add half & half or evaporated milk, instead.
- Whisk it all together; cover and cook for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Remove cover, whisk in some Kahlua or bourbon; or rum, or whatever else you have on hand.
- Ladle into mugs; top with marshmallows and serve.
Spiked Crockpot Apple Cider
Ingredients:
- 1-gallon apple cider
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4-star anise
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp whole cloves
- 2 oranges, sliced plus more for garnish
- 2 lemons, sliced plus more for garnish
- 1-liter good whiskey or bourbon
Instructions:
-
Add apple cider, cinnamon sticks, star anise, whole cloves, oranges, and lemons to the crockpot. Turn the heat on low and cook for 6-7 hours. So you can cook this the day before your tailgate.
-
Take out all of the whole spices, oranges, and lemons before serving. Pour in bourbon. Stir and serve. Garnish with sliced orange and lemon.
Does it matter what kind of whiskey you use?
In short, yes… but not really. We use a good whiskey or bourbon. We love Crown Royal or Bullet bourbon.
Substitutions & Tips:
- If you don’t like whiskey, swap it out for rum or vodka
- A splash of apple brandy would be a great addition, as would a splash of Grand Mariner.
- Throw in your favorite fall spices – Nutmeg would also work.
- Serve with mason jars and sliced fruit for a super cute presentation.
Irish Coffee
Ingredients:
- 3 cups Coffee strong, black
- ½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 tbsp Cocoa Powder
- 2 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream
- Whipped Cream
Instructions:
-
Gather all of your ingredients.
-
Pour the coffee, heavy cream, cocoa powder (optional) into the slow cooker and give it a good stir. Set to low for 2-3 hours.
-
After 2-3 hours, scoop out a cup, add 1-2 tablespoons of Bailey’s. Top with whipped cream. Shave Andes mints on top and serve! Enjoy!
-
Make the coffee ahead of time and put it in the refrigerator so it can be a dump-and-go recipe.
-
Measure out the other ingredients and cover.
-
Combine ALL of the ingredients together and put them in a container in the refrigerator. When you are ready, simply dump in the slow cooker, turn to low and you are off!
- Recipe can be doubled or tripled with no issues at all. If you are feeding a decent-sized crowd, this is recommended!
- Add Kaluha to the Bailey’s in one cup. Trust me on this one, it is INCREDIBLE! If I steer you wrong here, I apologize but I swear by this one.
- Use chocolate shavings instead of Andes Mints
- If you don’t have cocoa powder, feel free to leave it out.
- Add cinnamon to the recipe.
- Now, I wouldn’t suggest you do ALL the suggestions at once but it gives you an idea of how to make this your own using the base recipe!
On The Menu
See you next week for another Friday Football Friday Tailgate Recipe. On the menu next Friday I am going to do an entire post on Hot Toddys. There are apparently several variations and some of them look delish! I hope you get to enjoy all the football games this weekend!
