We finally had a couple straight days of decent weather here in Wisconsin so I decided to spend them the same way any sane Wisconsinite who has been cooped up for a month and a half under our current “Safer at Home” order would — on my patio drinking beer and grilling as much meat as possible!
At the same time though I was also in the mood for tacos, so I decided to combine my love for grilling and my love for tacos into this completely over-the-top creation that I’m now referring to as Tailgate Tacos!
So what exactly are Tailgate Tacos? Well, the nice weather also got me thinking about how due to COVID-19 there probably won’t be any Milwaukee Brewers games to attend this year, and as anyone from around the Milwaukee area can attest to a huge part of going to games is all the tailgating that happens before — and in many cases during — the game.
Technically though Tailgate Tacos can be anything you want! What do you normally eat when you’re grilling or tailgating? For me it’s usually brats, burgers, chips and dip, so that’s pretty much what went into my tacos.
So, I started off by throwing some brats and some burgers on the grill. Then I took corn tortillas — two at a time — and spread spinach dip between them. I then packed each spinach dip filled pair of tortillas with a bratwurst, caramelized onions, a chopped up burger patty, beer cheese sauce and diced green onion and tomato.
I’m including the full recipe for my specific Tailgate Tacos below, but feel free to make them your own and add whatever you want. I would recommend topping them with the same beer cheese that I topped mine with though because it’s pretty damn good!
Tailgate Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 brats or any other type of sausage you prefer
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 12 corn tortillas
- 3 cups spinach dip
Caramelized Onions
- 3 small onions
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons light beer
Beer Cheese Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup light beer
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
Caramelized Onions
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Slice onions 1/4" thick.
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In a large skillet over medium heat melt butter and add brown sugar and onions.
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Add beer and stir for a few minutes.
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Reduce heat to low and cook onions for 45 minutes
Brats
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Grill brats over medium-low heat — turning frequently — for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
Burgers
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Separate ground beef into 6 equal-sized patties and season with freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt.
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Grill burgers for 5 minutes per side over medium heat or until they reach your desired level of doneness.
Beer Cheese Sauce
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Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
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Add 2 tablespoons flour and whisk until golden in color.
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Add 1/4 cup beer and 3/4 cup milk and reduce heat to low.
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Slowly add in 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese and continue stirring until the sauce is smooth. If you’d like a thicker sauce add more flour (1 tablespoon at a time) and if you’d like a thinner sauce add more milk (1 tablespoon at a time).
Tailgate Taco Assembly
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Take your corn tortillas — 2 at a time — and spread spinach dip between them.
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Assemble your Tailgate Tacos by taking each spinach dip filled pair of tortillas, adding a bratwurst and topping it with caramelized onions, a chopped up burger patty, beer cheese sauce and diced green onions and tomatoes.