Commentary by Joe Drozda and Bob Bley
Not wanting to sound like a broken record, but every year we need to discuss food safety because each season people are either new to tailgating or others simply forget to be careful. You can be sure that from each game some tailgater will go home to be awakened in the night by all the bad symptoms of food poisoning.
It’s very easy to avoid problems by following our simple SAFE rules.
- Safe Start – buy fresh USDA certified beef, pork, or poultry.
- Safe Prep – cook all hot foods thoroughly (beef and pork: 160 degrees; and poultry parts: 170). Keep hands and cooking/serving items clean.
- Safe Storage – keep cold foods cold at least at 40 degrees. Use two coolers: one for beverages (opened frequently) and the other for foods that must be kept cold before and after serving.
Since this early part of the season is a time for lighter cold foods, here is a recipe that should please your guests but not fill them up.
Recipe:
Black Bean Salad Chipotle Monterey Jack Chicken Sausage
1 package JOHNSONVILLE® Cajun Chicken Sausage or Johnsonville Chipotle
Monterey Jack Cheese Chicken Sausage, sliced into coins
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
½ cup red onion, diced
1 can (15 ounces) corn, drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 lime, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine peppers, onion, corn, black beans, sausage and cilantro.
2. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
3. Pour dressing over other ingredients and toss well.
4. Serve with tortilla chips.
