#TailgateBracket Semi-Final: Jambalaya vs. Boudin Balls

The final four items here are all fairly connected, when you think about it. They all involve sausage in some way, and three of the four feature rice. Here, we have the tailgating black pot specialty, against the single most-Louisiana fried item we have here.

Some genius, somewhere, came up with the brilliant idea of taking boudin out of the casing, breading it and deep-frying it, and it's become a staple of restaurant appetizers, bar food, parties, whatever. I don't know that many people actually fry them up on-site at tailgates, because, well, it really is just so much easier to pick up a tray of ‘em somewhere in town. There's no real recipe, just pick whatever your breading of choice is. Most people also like some sort of horseradish sauce to pair with ‘em, which is not so much my speed. I like having a good boudin that can stand on its own.

Jambalaya remains exactly what we have said here -- it gives you the right value for the purpose and simplicity of recipe that provides a high level of customization. On a meal-by-meal basis, I think more people would probably take boudin balls on quality. But for the purposes of tailgating, it's just really tough to go against jambalaya. It's always there, it can be a meal on its own, and frankly it's more fun to cook when you can sit around with your friends and family, drink beer and tend to a giant cast-iron pot.

So who moves on to the finals?