It’s time for the Daytona 500!  We will be watching at home again this year, so I’m planning what to eat and drink at home.  This year, we will be going simple with sliders, fries, chips and dip, and a checker flag cake to finish.  To drink?  It will be two cocktails:  the Daytona Rolling Thunder and the Daytona Dream.  It’s always exciting to start the racing season, and this year is no different.  As we tune in to FOX on Sunday, February 17, 2019 we will be cheering on our drivers, turning up the sound during the Crank it Up segments, and tweeting out using the #daytona500.  Here’s hoping for some good old fashioned beatin’ and bangin’ on Sunday!

Sliders

I’m going to do some simple, traditional sliders.  I’m making it easy on myself with preformed hamburger patties and slider buns.  We will put lettuce, tomato, sharp cheddar cheese, some barbque sauce and bacon on ours.  Here’s a video with a huge variety if you’re wanting to try something more adventurous!

Fries

• 3 large baking potatoes, peeled, rinsed, and sliced into french fry shaped pieces
• 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for tossing
• Salt and pepper, for sprinkling
• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped fresh

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large bowl toss the potatoes and the oil until evenly coated. Spread on one to two baking sheets so the fries are in a single layer.  
3. Place in the oven and turn after 15 minutes. Cook until the fries become golden brown about another 10 to 15 minutes depending on how thick you sliced them.
4. Remove and sprinkle with salt, pepper and fresh chopped parsley.  Source for recipe

Best Dip of All Time

2 lb. loaf of Velveeta

1 lb. ground sausage

8 oz. cream cheese

2 cans Rotel tomatoes and chiles

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

Cut up Velveeta into cubes and put in crockpot.  Turn on high.  Cook ground sausage until brown.  Add to crock pot.  Add cream cheese, Rotel and soup.  Let contents melt a bit and stir.  Once the cheese is melted and the dip can be stirred thoroughly, turn down to low.  Serve with large dipping corn chips.

Checker Flag Cake

I’ll make this easy on myself and just make one chocolate and one white cake from boxed mixes.  You can certainly do this with made from scratch layers, though.  Here’s the video that shows how to get that checker flag design inside your cake:

Daytona Rolling Thunder

courtesy of Inside Tailgating

1 1/2 oz. Southern Comfort peach liqueur

1/2 oz. triple sec

1/2 oz. bourbon whiskey

1/2 oz. peach schnapps

orange juice

grapefruit juice

Pour the Southern Comfort, triple sec, bourbon whiskey and peach schnapps into a cocktail shaker half-filled with crushed ice.  Shake well, and strain into a frosted glass mug with a few ice cubes.  Fill with orange and pineapple juice, to taste, and stir.  Garnish with a slice of orange centered on the rim.  Add a straw and serve.  Source for recipe

courtesy of Inside Tailgating

Daytona Daydream

1 1/4 oz. spiced rum

3 oz. pink grapefruit juice

2 oz. coconut cream

1/2 oz. grenadine syrup

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes.  Shake well and strain into a highball glass filled with ice cubes.  Garnish with a slice of lime and serve.  Source for recipe