Football season is here! Growing up with three older brothers and a dad who were all rabid sports fans, I always smile when I hear the Monday Night Football theme, a college band playing their fight song, or watch the crowds begin to gather for our local team's (Go Niners!) home games. That means I have the perfect excuse to make tailgating food – either at the game or at home.

Tailgating doesn’t have to be limited to just the stadium parking lot. Why not set up a party with your neighbors? You can all set up chairs outside and start the party earlier in the day, grilling delicious foods together, then head indoors to watch the game. You can have nearly the same experience as if you were at the stadium.

Did you know that tailgating has been around a lot longer than the old family station wagon? Town folks gathered to watch battles during the Civil War, bringing food and beverages with them, and the western chuck wagon provided the same type of outdoor cooking over live fire as we have with barbecues - just a little more rustic. We still crave the flavors of meats cooked over fire which is why pillars of smoke fill the parking lot for hours before game time.

The foods people serve while tailgating run the gamut from cheap and easy to high end and fancy. Some people bring pre-made sandwiches, others prepare entire meals in the parking lot. No matter how you plan to celebrate, make sure that all your foods are kept cold enough to be safe. You can never have too much ice!

For me the perfect game day food is big, fat, messy sandwiches jammed with grilled meats and slathered with sauces. Steak is one of my favorites, but high-end cuts are too expensive to make for a large crowd. When I am hosting the gang, I turn to cuts like Chateaubriand, London Broil, or flank steak to save money and give everyone the beef they crave. A larger piece of meat is easier to carve and you are less tempted to serve huge portions. Chateaubriand is more tender and flank steak needs to be cut against the grain to reduce the toughness, but they all make great options for sandwiches.