Tailgating in Kansas City is out. But “homegating” in Pittsburgh will work for Sunday’s Steelers game.

Tradition means your halftime buffet might include kolbasi, hot sausage hoagies, chili, pierogis, wings, and chips and dips.

No, never change that winning game plan. But you can add to it.

How about a crowd-pleasing Tater Tot Quiche? If a French quiche Lorraine and an American loaded baked potato had a baby, it would be a tater tot quiche. It’s an easy-to-assemble savory pie chock-full of fried potatoes, crisp bacon, creamy eggs and molten cheese. If you want to be really bad, serve slices topped with sour cream.

Here are some tips for success:

• Cook the bacon on a rack in a 400-degree oven for crispy, no-fuss, spatter-free, hands-free cooking.

• The crust is easy. Just moosh up tater tots with cheese and seasonings.

• Grate the cheese from a bar of, say, Kraft brand sharp cheddar; avoid pre-grated cheese.

• Strain the egg filling into the crust using a fine-mesh strainer to catch egg strands that toughen when cooked.

• Use scallions in the winter, chives in the summer; they are not optional.

• Swaps: For an Italian version, swap crumbled sausage for the bacon, grated Parm or mozza for the cheddar cheese; for TexMex, crumbled chorizo, chiles and Jack cheese; for veggie, caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese.

There are few occasions when such a calorie-loaded dish is perfect, and a football tailgate or “homegate“ party is one of them. For a successful bash, haul out your Steelers gear and show your colors. Need more? The Strip District stores have tons of hats, jackets and tchotchkes to wear. But for a grand choice of all NFL party and kitchen and wine baubles, go to www.nflshop.com/​Homegating.

I recently scored a platform-spike-high-heel-Steeler-logo-shoe wine bottle holder ($36). (If only it was a wearable!) And a fleece “throw” that does double duty as a tablecloth ($20) or a cozy wrap for watching the game on the couch.

Our job is done here. We’re ready. Go Steelers.

Marlene Parrish can be reached at marleneparrish@icloud.com or 412-481-1620.

Recipe Tater Tot Quiche

¾ pound bacon, preferably thick-sliced

3 cups frozen tater tots, preferably Ore-Ida brand, thawed

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

¾ teaspoon salt, divided

½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

4 large eggs

1½ cups crème fraîche or light cream

½ cup chopped fresh chives or thinly sliced scallions

½ cup grated cheddar cheese

Cook bacon: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fit a rack into a large baking pan with sides and lay bacon on the rack. Bake until bacon is brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to cool. Cut into ½-inch pieces and set aside. Reserve fat in pan for later use.

Make tater tot crust: Raise oven heat to 425 degrees. Brush ½ teaspoon reserved bacon fat inside a 9½-inch pie dish to grease. In a large bowl, use your hands to mix tater tots, ½ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ cup grated sharp cheddar until combined, breaking up the tots as you. Stir in 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat until incorporated. Mixture should hold together when pressed in your palms. Transfer tot mash to pie dish, pressing bottom and sides to form a crust. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to gently press and even out the crust.

Place pie dish in oven and par-bake until crust is set, cheese melts and edges begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Again, gently press the hot crust with the bottom of a measuring cup to even up the sides, then let cool completely.

Make filling: In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until well combined. Whisk in creme fraiche or light cream and remaining ½ teaspoon salt until incorporated and smooth. Pour filling through a fine-mesh strainer into cooled tater-tot crust. (Should you pour a bit too much liquid into pie pan, don’t worry; the crust will absorb it in oven.) Grind remaining pepper over filling and gently stir in. Sprinkle chives evenly over filling, followed by bacon. Top with ½ cup grated cheddar.

Bake until center of quiche is just set and the cheesy crust crown is brown and puffy, about 50 minutes to an hour. Remove from oven and let sit on a rack about 20 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 slices.

— Adapted from Charlotte Druckman, Wall Street Journal

First Published: January 14, 2017, 5:00 a.m.