INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri connected on a 51-yard field goal attempt with 22 seconds left in the game to propel the Colts to a 15-13 victory over the visiting Denver Broncos on Sunday, Oct. 27. That game-winning kick was almost as exciting as the 2019 Colts Best Tailgate Recipe Contest before the game.

Presented by the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) and Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), which are the corn and soybean checkoff organizations for Hoosier farmers, the recipe contest highlights the abundance of flavorful foods produced by farmers across the state. Dan Cole, a Colts fan from Madison, Ind., earned first-place honors with his “Uncle Dan’s Award-Winning Schnackburgers with spicy fried corn.” Cole narrowly defeated Kyle Etheridge of Fort Wayne, Ind., who prepared “Heartland Chili” for fans gearing up for the game.

Thousands of football fans, Sunday chefs and Hoosier farmers submitted recipes to the Colts in recent months. The Colts selected Cole and Etheridge as the finalists. The finalists’ recipes and several others were included in the Colts Tailgate Recipe Cookbooklet, which was distributed to 10,000 fans attending the Oct. 27 game.

“Either taking a break from harvest for burgers on the back of a pickup truck, or carrying a thermos of chili into a tractor on a cool, autumn afternoon, farmers are the original tailgaters,” said ISA board director Elaine Gillis, who is a soybean farmer from Dunkirk, Ind. “Appetizing recipes and agricultureare as strong a combo as tailgate cuisine and Colts football. Indiana’s corn and soybean farmers are proud to sponsor the Colts Tailgate Recipe Contest.”

ICMC board members Jeff Gormong, a farmer from Terre Haute, Ind., and J.R. Roesner, a farmer from Ferdinand, Ind., led a panel of judges along with former Colts player Mike Prior, who reviewed the recipes for presentation, the use of Indiana-grown products, food quality, taste, creativity and Colts enthusiasm. As the winner, Cole received $1,000, four tickets to a Colts home game and a commemorative plaque. Etheridge earned a $250 Colts Pro Shop gift card.

The Colts Tailgate Recipe Cookbooklet features recipes from ISA board members David Rodibaugh of Rensselaer, Ind., Denise Scarborough of Lacrosse, Ind., and Anngie Steinbarger of Edinburgh, Ind.; and ICMC board members David Ring of Huntingburg, Ind., Kelly Whiteman Snipes of Rochester, Ind. and Roesner.

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J.R. Rosner of Ferdinand, Ind., (far left) and Jeff Gormong of Terre Haute, Ind., (far right) are both ICMC board members and were judges of the Colts Best Tailgate Recipe Contest. They flank winners Dan Cole and Kyle Etheridge.  

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Winner Dan Cole is preparing his Schnackburger with spicy fried corn.

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Kyle Etheridge explains the origin of his chili recipe to the judges.