Tailgating at Home with The Home Depot

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Traeger Grill \\ Bounty Paper Towels \\ Coca-Cola \\ Grey Dress \\ Cream Hat \\ Brittany’s shoes \\ Collins’ Onesie \\ Chris’s Hat \\ Chris’s Pullover \\ Outdoor Patio Info

Hi friends, Chris here. I am back on the blog but this time its not about clothes. This time it is to talk to y’all about one of my favorite things, watching football. And everyone knows the most important part of any good home-gating session, is the food you eat. Luckily for me, and for all of y’all, Home Depot has us covered. I have been wanting to try a wood pellet grill for awhile now, and I gotta say the Traeger has exceeded my expectations.

First off, let’s talk about how easy it is to shop at Home Depot. After Brittany and I picked out the grill, Home Depot Associates actually put it all together for us, and then loaded it into my truck. After having built multiple grills, I must say, this was a very nice touch. After we got home, Brittany and I took the grill out of the truck and got it into position for a fun filled football watch party.

I woke up bright and early to start the cooking and the ease of use for the Traeger is second to none. Simply plug it in to an electric outlet, add some Traeger wood pellets, then click ignite. After a few minutes the smoke was flowing and the grill was steadily approaching the temp I set. Now I know some purists won’t love this, but the touch screen to set the temp I want, and then the app on my phone to monitor that temp is super convenient. For the meat I went over to the local butcher and picked up an eight pound brisket. After a light seasoning, I received the alert that the temp was at 250 and the grill was ready to go. After adding the meat I plugged in the built in meat probe and closed the grill. Once the meat was on, it was time to sit down, relax, and let the slow cook commence.

Maintaining the temp and smoke over the nine hour cook was incredibly easy. Over the course of the nine hours, I periodically checked the pellets and added as needed. Other than adding pellets, and checking my phone which monitored grill and probe temp, there was nothing I needed to do. With an hour to go, I opened the grill and added my three cheese smoked mac and cheese. With plenty of room for a 12in skillet and an 8 pound wrapped brisket, the Traeger delivered again on what I needed.

Traeger Grill \\ Bounty Paper Towels \\ Coca-Cola \\ Grey Dress \\ Cream Hat \\ Brittany’s shoes \\ Collins’ Onesie \\ Chris’s Hat \\ Chris’s Pullover \\ Outdoor Patio Info

After letting the meat settle, it was time to feast. The meat was perfect, mac and cheese, had a nice smokey flavor, and we washed it all down with Coca-Cola, which is a must in Georgia. After the games were over, the food, and desserts that somehow snuck into the house, were finished, it was time for cleanup. Anyone who has smoked food before knows about drip pans and the amount of grease that accumulates over the course of the cook.

Clean up was a breeze, as I pulled out the built in drip liner and wiped it down with our Bounty paper towels. I then pulled out the attached drip catcher, emptied it out, and used the Bounty to wipe it down. After a long day of football, and a tad bit of over eating (don’t judge me), having an easy clean up really sealed the deal for me recommending this grill. The fact that you can smoke meat as easily as grilling a steak with a quick turn on/off, an easy clean up, and lastly an app that allows you to change and monitor the temp, makes this a must have for all home-gating adventures. 

Our outdoor patio furniture is also from Home Depot. All details on the screened in porch is linked in THIS POST.

Thank you to The Home Depot for sponsoring today’s blog post. As always, all opinions are my own! Photos by Naomi Hopkins Photography.