10 Finger-Licking Ballpark Foods to Kick Off Baseball Season!
“Take me out to the ballgame. Take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks…”
The song makes it pretty clear. Most baseball fans are as much anticipating the new baseball season as they are the food at the ballpark. Whether you choose a foot long chili dog or a soft pretzel with a savory side of mustard to nosh on at the game, we thought we’d hit a home run if we celebrated the kickoff of the ball season with a star line up of North America’s most popular ballpark foods—that you can make at home…
1. Hot Dog or Chili Dog
What’s more American than a hot dog when watching a baseball game? The thick and juicy frank on a bun is topped with grilled onions, chili, and cheese.
Recipe:
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Brown 1 pound lean ground beef in a skillet over medium heat.
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Once fully cooked, add 1 jar of salsa, ¼ cup water, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, and 1 pack of chili seasoning mix well.
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Bring the mixture to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 30-minutes.
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Prepare hot dogs on boil or barbecue (your preference).
- Arrange hot dogs on buns, top with chili, add sprinkled cheese and grilled onions.
2. Barbecue Chicken Nachos
This recipe for smoky, cheesy, zesty barbecue chicken nachos will hit a home run with the family for a weeknight game or a room of guests for a weekend game.
Recipe:
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Arrange 2 bags of your choice of nacho chips on a cookie sheet and bake on low heat until hot and crispy.
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Chop 2 large lean chicken breasts, and grill until ½ cooked.
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Cover in 1 cup BBQ sauce.
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Remove nacho chips from oven and cover in chicken mixture.
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Sprinkle 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and place back in oven to heat until cheese melts.
3. Grilled Corn on the Cob
Nothing says summer baseball season like a fresh, juicy cob of corn to gnaw through during a really intense, close game.
Recipe:
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Preheat BBQ grill to medium.
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Remove husks from a dozen corn and rinse in cold water.
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Melt ½ pound of butter in a saucepan over a medium low heat.
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Chop 6 tablespoons of fresh chives and add to melted butter for about 5 minutes.
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Grill corn cobs for 20-minutes rotating constantly for even cooking.
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Remove, brush with butter, and enjoy!
4. Stadium Popped Corn
Popcorn is a classic staple at a baseball game—for little and big fans alike. Out of the top three flavors—butter, cheese, and caramel—my personal favorite is traditional caramel corn, made in a slightly healthier manner for eating at home, of course!
Recipe:
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10 cups air popped corn
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2-tablespoons reduced fat butter
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2-tablespoons brown sugar
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1-tablespoon cinnamon
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1-teaspoon vanilla
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A pinch of nutmeg
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Melt butter in microwave bowl. Mix in brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg. Place pop corn in zip log bag, drizzle with “caramel topping” and shake!
5. Ballpark Burger
If you’re bringing a serious hunger to the field than a plain old hot dog just won’t do. You need the satisfaction of chomping down on a juicy 100-percent meat patty with all the toppings.
Patty Recipe:
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Combine 1 pound lean ground beef, 1 pound veal, 1 small chopped onion, 1 diced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and ½ teaspoon dried chilies in a large bowl.
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Add ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese and mix evenly.
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Mix well and form individual patties with hands.
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Over medium heat, grill both sides of the patties to desired cook and until cheese melts.
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Place each patty on a warm crusty bun, add a slice of cheddar, 3 strips of cooked bacon, and assemble with desired toppings.
6. Steak Sammie
A seriously meaty beef sandwich will fuel you up right for the big game. This one, made famous in ballparks across the U.S., tops hearty sirloin with BBQ sauce, lettuce and thick tomato slices.
Recipe:
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Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
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Add ½ onion, ½ red pepper, and 1 cup mushrooms, cook until tender.
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Add another ½ tablespoon of butter to skillet along with 3 chopped pickled peppers and 1 pound sliced sirloin (or flank steak); cook until browned (should only take a few minutes).
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Reduce heat and place 2 slices of cheddar cheese over meat to melt.
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Spoon mixture into 1/3 of a sliced French baguette and top with extra juices.
7. Ballpark Soft Pretzel
Nothing quite hits the spot at a ballgame compared to the HUGE pretzel. Crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, this twisted beauty can be brushed with butter, and topped with cheese, honey mustard, or your choice of icing!
Recipe:
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Preheat oven to 425-degrees F.
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Combine 1 1/3 cup warm water with 1-tablespoon dry yeast in a small bowl and let stand 5-minutes.
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Combine 2 3/4 cups flour, 1 tablespoon sugar and teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
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Knead yeast and flour mixture with your hands as you gradually add another 1/4 cup extra flour.
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Divide dough into a dozen equal pieces and roll into ropes.
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Prepare 1 egg + 1 tbsp. water, and brush each pretzel with egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt.
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Bake 15-minutes until brown, let cool slightly and serve with honey mustard.
8. Bratwurst and Sauerkraut
Particularly famous in South Western Michigan and Ontario by Brewer’s and Blue Jay fans, traditional Bratwurst sausages placed on a bun and covered in a towering pile of sauerkraut are so popular that they far outweigh hot dog sales at stadiums. For home game viewing, you can grill up any store bought sausage you prefer.
Sauerkraut Recipe:
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Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in pan over medium-high heat.
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Add 1 small chopped onion, cook until soft.
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Add 1 medium chopped green cabbage, 1 and ¼ cups cider, vinegar, ½ cup water, 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon caraway seeds boil covered until the cabbage is tender.
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Remove from heat and let cool (can be stored for 1 week refrigerated).
9. Philly Cheese Steak
You don’t have to venture to Citizens Bank Park for a game to enjoy a famous Philly cheese steak. In fact; stadiums across the country put their unique spin on this particularly authentic recipe, combining rib eye steak with thick Reuben-style salami, onions, tomatoes and ooey-gooey cheese.
Recipe:
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Grease a griddle with olive oil and heat on medium.
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Add 1 large white onion, 2-teaspoons minced garlic, and 1 green bell pepper, cook until caramelized and remove.
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Cook ¼ pound of thin sliced deli roast beef and ¼ pound of deli salami on griddle, continuously flipping for 2 minutes.
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Once heated, mix with veggies, and top with ½ pound of provolone cheese and melt.
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Slice French bread lengthwise and place face down on top of the meat and cheese.
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Once toasted, flip with 2 spatulas and add desired toppings.
10. Corndogs
What’s better than a hotdog on a bun? A hotdog covered in a delectable cornmeal crust on a stick, that’s what!
Recipe:
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Whisk together 2 ½ cups cornmeal, 1 cup flour, 3 tablespoons white sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
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Stir in 4 large eggs and 1 cup milk.
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Fill a large deep fryer with enough oil to submerge hot dogs; heat until thermometer reaches 360-degrees F.
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Insert a 10-inch bamboo skewer through each hotdog lengthwise.
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Roll a dozen dogs in coating, letting excess batter drip off.
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Dip pogo into hot oil for 2 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a paper-towel-lined tray, and let cool.
