“Tailgating has become so much more intricate, especially over the last five to seven years,” says MSU’s corporate chef Kurt Kwiatkowski. “Before it used to be you roll up with a cooler, a couple sandwiches, and maybe some chips out of a bag and you’re done.
“Nowadays it’s so much more intricate, and people are there for four to six to eight hours – before and after the game – and the food quality has gone really high, too.”
Chef Kurt advises tailgaters to “keep it simple and don’t over think it. And to me, it’s all in the preparation ahead of time” so you can spend more time having fun with friends.
Brats, pulled pork, ribs and beef brisket are some of Chef Kurt’s favorite tailgating items, and much of the work on these items can be done ahead of time to maximize enjoyment.
To keep your tailgate safe, Chef Kurt advise keeping a separate cooler with extra ice – maybe even dry ice – just to keep proteins and other items cold and away from each other.
Kwiatkowski talks about the extraordinary fare available to fans inside Spartan Stadium too. Spartan Beef Steaks, beef steak nachos, pulled pork nachos and walking tacos are some of the items available inside the stadium on game days.