Take (me) Out to the Ball Game

April 11, 2013 9:55 AM

My husband and I are hoping to catch several weeknight Nationals games this season. While Ben's Chili Bowl half-smokes are awesome I don't think I can permit myself to eat them with frequency. What are your favorite picnic/ballpark dinners and snacks that we could make a day ahead of time and eat cold?

As for the outside food policy at Nationals Stadium: outside food that is in single serving bags/containers is allowed. I'm using one factory sealed water bottle as ice, and the other to drink right away.

Ideally I'd like to make something the night before, get home, get changed, and head back out the door quickly. Things that are fragile, need to be heated/kept hot, or need last minute prep, aren't good candidates. Anything else goes. We eat meat, are decent cooks, and can seek out speciality ingredients if need be. I'd prefer things that are fork-able, vs hand-held if possible.

Bonus question: favorite reusable containers?

posted by fontophilic to Food & Drink (6 answers total)

I'm planning on bringing peanuts tomorrow to the Yankees/Orioles game.
posted by Jahaza at 10:16 AM on April 11, 2013

Hummus! Great portable food! (Of course, now you can get that at Nats Park but I guarantee brought from home is cheaper.) I love those Ziploc-brand containers, cheap and last a long time. They come in small, single-serving sizes that you can pack in a bag. I rarely take food to Nats Park, but once our daughter is old enough to stay up past 7 and go more more games, we'll need to start so I will be watching this thread for more ideas!
posted by bijou243 at 10:17 AM on April 11, 2013

When I was a kid, I remember taking field trips to the minor league game, thru either cub scouts or church, I forget, and we used to get a Box Lunch - a little cardboard box lined with wax paper that contained a cold roast chicken leg, roll with butter, and a little container of cole slaw, handed out with a piece of fruit for a snack.

I loved the heck out of that, much moreso than the ballpark fare I had when I was older. Made the trip seem like a big to-do.
posted by Slap*Happy at 10:28 AM on April 11, 2013 [1 favorite]

We used to bring boxes of kebabs and rice into RFK, when the Nationals were still just fledglings. Those are better warm, but perhaps chicken satays with peanut sauce? Or peanut garlic noodles?
posted by jetlagaddict at 10:31 AM on April 11, 2013

I'm helpless in the face of Shake Shack, Blue Smoke, and Box Frites all conveniently lined up on the Scoreboard Walk, so good on you folks for bringing your own food!

The Zoijirushi Mr. Bento comes in Nats red, has four individual containers, and is very sturdy. The Mr. Bento Flickr group is a treasure trove of ideas.
posted by evoque at 10:35 AM on April 11, 2013

Drumsticks/wings are easy enough to make the day before, can be eaten cold, and can be put in plastic bags pretty easily.

To maintain the Mid-Atlantic flavor, may I suggest Old Bay Wings? Some might say they're more appropriate to the Orioles, but whatever, they're delicious.
posted by zombieflanders at 11:02 AM on April 11, 2013 [1 favorite]