Clam chowder for a crowd: New England's creamy chowder, with clams, potatoes, bacon and onion in a milk and cream broth, made at home and carried hot to the lot in insulated food jugs or one pot, for 12. About 1 hour 15 minutes at home, and the Gillette Stadium guide already calls for "something hot in a pot when it gets cold."
Feeds: 12 · Hands-on: about 45 min · Total: about 1 hour 15 min at home, plus about 5 min at the lot
Home gear: a heavy 8-quart pot, a ladle, an instant-read thermometer and insulated food jugs that hold about 5 quarts in all, or an empty cooler and 2 old bath towels if you're carrying the pot
Pack for the lot
- Chowder at 165°F, in preheated food jugs or the lidded pot in a towel-lined cooler with nothing cold in it
- Oyster crackers, the rest of the bacon and chives
- Hot sauce
- Ladle and an instant-read thermometer
- Insulated cups or bowls, spoons and napkins
- Your movable grill, if you plan to hold the pot on it
- A trash bag
Lot notes
- The Gillette Stadium rule: the guide says "Fires only in a movable grill. No open fires or open-flame fire pits, and never leave a grill unattended." This chowder cooks at home, so the only fire you need at the lot is the grill, if you hold the pot on it. Keep someone on the grill the whole time.
- The 2-hour clock: this is a dairy soup. Once it drops below 140°F, eat it within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F, then toss what's left. Don't repack leftovers into the jugs.
- Holding hot: preheated jugs, kept closed, hold chowder hot for a few hours. Open them only to pour.
- Timing: lots open 4 hours before kickoff, and there's no lot re-entry, so serve the chowder before you head in.
- Cleanup: rinse the jugs at the lot if you have water. Dried chowder is hard to scrub out.
Can you make clam chowder ahead?
Yes. Make it the day before, cool it fast in shallow containers and refrigerate it. On game morning, reheat it gently on the stove, stirring often and without boiling, until it reads 165°F, then fill the hot jugs.
How do you keep clam chowder hot at a tailgate?
Fill preheated insulated food jugs with chowder at 165°F and keep them closed until you serve, or hold the pot over low heat on your grill. Either way, it should stay at 140°F or above.
How much clam chowder for 20 people?
Make 1⅔ batches: 10 cans of clams, 5 bottles of clam juice, 5 lb of potatoes, about 6⅔ cups of milk and 3⅓ cups of cream. That's about 8 quarts, so use a 12-quart pot or cook 2 batches, and bring jugs that hold about 8 quarts in all.
Can you cook at Gillette Stadium?
Yes, in a movable grill. The Gillette Stadium guide says open fires and open-flame fire pits aren't allowed, grills can't be left unattended and used charcoal has to be disposed of properly.
Can you use fresh clams?
Yes. Steam about 6 lb of littlenecks or quahogs until they open, chop the meat and strain the cooking liquid to use in place of some of the bottled juice. Toss any clams that don't open.