Swing batter, batter swing! Baseball season has begun. Which means you have over 2,000 more opportunities to host a big league baseball BBQ and watch the game with your friends!
Hot dogs, popcorn, beer, nachos, music, 7th Inning Stretch, baseballs caps, team flags, cracker jacks, and jerseys are a good start to set the stage for your get together.
Grand Slam Baseball BBQ…
First set your party date
Get the invite out there – text, email, Facebook, a personal phone call (those still work) – whatever is best to reach your friends.
Now that the date is set and people are invited let’s create a grand slam party!
Creating a ball park menu will set the mood for the party
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Baseball Game Menu:
Hot Dogs
Yes, of course, you can grill up some dogs during the game. That works perfectly. But, it’s even easier in a slow cooker. Stand the hot dogs upright and fill the pot or lay them down on top of each other. Add a littel water to help steam them.
Cook on high for 1-2 hours then turn down to warm. This is a great way to keep the dogs hot throughout the party.
Another option – grill them up earlier, put them in the buns and wrap them in aluminum foil. Use the small ½ foil sheets. Then place the hot dogs into an empty cooler and they will stay warm. Yes, they will stay warm in a cooler. Just don’t put ice packs in the cooler! The dogs will stay warm and anyone can grab one and feel like they are at the park.
Be sure to have mustard, relish, pickles, sport peppers and onions available to dress the dogs. (if you don’t live in Chicago , you can have ketchup too – but please make it Heinz!)
Walking Tacos
This is one of my favorite snacks at the park. Have you ever had them? If not and you love Fritos and nachos you’re going to love these!!
Walking tacos are just a bag of Fritos piled with all your favorite nacho toppings, IN THE BAG! This would be easy to recreate in your home.
What you need for walking tacos:
- Snack size bags of Fritos
- Chili or Taco Stew – keep warm in a crock pot
- Shredded lettuce
- Chopped tomatoes
- Chopped onions
- Shredded cheese
- Warm liquid cheese – Buy your favorite from the store and keep it warm in a small crock pot.
- Sour cream
Your guests just open a bag of Fritos and pile on all the toppings of their choice, grab a fork and they are ready to enjoy! You don’t even need plates or bowls for these.
Popcorn and Cracker Jacks
Pop some popcorn before guests arrive and put bowls around the house for your guests. Buy boxes of cracker jacks and set them up around the party area. These make a great built in decor. It serves 2 purposes decor and food.
Soft Pretzels
How delicious are soft pretzels? Then add in some hot nacho cheese, YUM! If I’m serving up warm pretzels I buy the box in the frozen section of the grocery store. You already have the warm liquid cheese from the walking tacos to use for these too.
Spice the pretzels up with seasonings. Wet down the pretzels before baking and sprinkle Tastefully Simple Garlic, Garlic on it or for a sweet treat, sprinkle Cinnamon Spice Seasoning on the pretzels then bake according to directions. .
Baseball BBQ Beverages
The smell of beer is everywhere around the park, and while you don’t want your house to smell like beer you want your guests to be able to easily grab a beer. Set up some coolers and fill them with beer.
Also have a cooler for pop and water. I personally am not a beer drinker, so I like to also have a margarita mixed up or bottles of Mike’s Hard Lemonade available.
Another great option is to offer Beer Margaritas. This combines the beer aspect of baseball with my favorite drink, the margarita. In addition, you can make a pitcher of this so the guests can help themselves.
What Dessert Should You Serve at a Baseball BBQ?
Ice Cream, of course!
A hot summer day always requires some ice cream. Walk down the frozen aisle in your grocery store and see what catches your eye. What takes you back to being a kid? Or what do you always eat when your at a game? Pick up a couple different boxes of cold treats and I’m sure your guests will find something they love too!
You could also set up an Ice Cream Bar! Your guests will love being able to create their own frozen treat in a cup. Try some sweet and salty combinations. On your table include your favorite baseball game treats, such as, cracker jacks, crushed pretzels and peanuts.
Decorating for your Baseball BBQ
I LOVE to set the mood for the party. Besides the food, there are two other main aspects of setting the mood, the decor and the music.
Decorating ideas:
- Team t-shirts and baseball caps can be used all around to add a little touch of team spirit
- Hang your team’s flag outside your house
- Use large team flag or beach towel as a tablecloth
- Purchase paper plates and napkins in your team’s colors
- Place Cracker Jack boxes all around the party area
Playlist ideas:
Set up your playlist with some of the most popular ballpark songs
- ‘We Will Rock You’ Queen
- ‘Walk This Way’ Aerosmith
- ‘Start Me Up’ The Rolling Stones
- ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’ Def Leppard
- ‘You Give Love a Bad Name’ Bon Jovi
- ‘Glory Days’ Bruce Springsteen
- ‘Walking on Sunshine’ Katrina and the Waves
- ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ Guns N Roses
- ‘YMCA’ The Village People
- ‘Centerfield’ John Fogerty
- And of course, Take me Out to the Ballgame
Now you’re ready for the first pitch! Don’t worry, you won’t strike out with a party like this!
Please pin this post so you can easily refer back to it for all the tips suggested here.
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