Parents’ alma mater vs kids’ alma mater on Thanksgiving day so we’ll be tailgating it. The meats are easy (brisket and grilled turkeys) but what sides can I make that don’t require a 350 degree oven (all my standard do)? I’ll make a spinach salad, but really need 3-4 sides! Feeding a large tribe of college students, so I need plenty of food!
It’s amazing how long you can keep hot food hot with insulation. One was is with layers of newspapers, old towels, old blankets for things in casseroles, covered baking dishes or pots. I also know people successfully use those big insulated drink dispensers (think gatorade) or big coolers and fill them with boiling water to heat them up then empty and put the food in and keep the lid shut. Coolers and such can keep hot food hot as well as cold food cold.
In the absence of that, I guess I’d go with more traditional tailgating sides like slaws, potato salads and fruit salads. Cranberry sauce would still work!
How about a butternut squash/apple type of soup? You could keep it warm in a big thermos and serve it in coffee cups.
You can grill a bunch of different veges. And I’d bring rolls, applesauce, cranberry sauce, and some cold side dishes such as noted above (cole slaw, potato salad, macaroni salad etc.). Don’t stress yourself out by trying to do too much – plan things so you can enjoy the day as well.
Honestly, I think everyone will be enjoying a different/fun Thanksgiving experience together and won’t be worried about how many side dishes you have. Sounds like a ton of fun.
I would also have some “plain” sides. Some people can be really picky about things like potato salad and pasta salad. I would have a large, fresh fruit salad. Anytime ds’s friends are here for a large gathering that always goes. Also, plenty of salty snacks. I wouldn’t necessarily try to replicate a Thanksgiving meal. Though, you could do pecan tassies and maybe pumpkin bread or muffins,
I suggest the desserts… Lots of brownies and chocolate chip cookies. They will be hits with college kids no matter what day it is.
Are you grilling? Grilled veggies are great. Asparagus, or peppers, mushrooms and onions would be good.
A couple of dips and chips?
Sounds like fun.
I do love my brownies and cookies but, being Thanksgiving, I’d stick to a “pie extravaganza” (to use @consolation’s term). Easy to transport and would bring that Thanksgiving feel to the tailgating. Plus, pie. 
-deviled eggs made to look like pumpkins or footballs (see pinterest)?
-stuffing muffins are super easy, don’t need to be hot
-crock pot mashed potatoes? or roasted creamer potatoes?
-pre-made roasted root vegetables and apples?
-crock pot butternut squash & apples?
-love the curry squash soup in thermos idea…
If lots of college kids, Trader Joe’s Turkey stuffing flavored Kettle chips—seriously good!
At the tailgate I was at yesterday, one of the most popular items was gourmet popcorn. The provider had brought it from OOS and needed something easy to tote on the airplane. There was not a kernel left (cheese caramel mix). Other popular things were bagels (we started about 9 am, with game time at 1:30) apple slices, fruit, cookies.
The easier to eat standing up with fingers, the better. Other hand needed for drinks, or cameras as ours was a reunion tailgate and lots of pictures, too much talking to concentrate on food.
No reason you couldn’t keep stuff warm, you also could use the sterno heated kind of thing they use at catered events, but they have them using aluminum pans and such and aren’t expensive, so you could heat up things like mashed potatoes, mac and cheese…there also is the insulating bags they use for pizza, they can keep things warm for a while, too…just don’t used the underhood method of heating up food (ie using the engine heat to warm things up), not appetizing.