Every Party is a Tailgate

So, the dips we made last week were yummy - and a big hit at the happy hour!  

This week I've been working on making a dinner for some families in need who will be spending the next 2 weeks at our church.  

After I signed up, I was a little stymied at what to prepare.  And then a light bulb went on - What do we make for tailgates?  Quickly it was confirmed that one tailgate "theme" that is always a success is:  The Fiesta Tailgate -

So I'm preparing a "make your own taco bar" for about 20 people.

So far I've pre-cooked (approx) 6 lbs (yield) mojo (a mildly spicy/citrus marinade) chicken and probably 7 lbs of ground beef.  As I would when preparing for a tailgate, I've frozen the cooked meats "plain" and will re-heat/defrost them with (their respective) seasonings.  I made a concentrated mojo "broth" for the chicken and I'll use taco seasoning for the ground beef.  Although, I will, most likely, also reserve some beef without seasonings (see below).

The chicken has a subtle mojo flavor and the "broth" is wonderful.  I made it from the cooking "juices" and "extras" left after picking the chicken.  I didn't add any water (as I usually would when making stock) and I just let it simmer for a couple hours.  After removing the "pieces" I poured the broth through a micro strainer (mostly to remove the gritty spices from the mojo sauce) - when it chilled - NOW I know that most people find this to be completely disgusting and would rather not know, but - it made the most amazing gelatin - not jelly (like you'll get when you make stock) but, actual chicken "jello" - it was so gross and great at the same time.  After chilling, I skimmed off the fat and strained the broth one more time - into a freezable container - and there (in the freezer) it will sit until it's time to re-heat the chicken.

I'll also make black beans, rice, and something chocolate/cinnamon for dessert.  I may make salsa, and I may make guacamole - we'll see.

With the tacos I'll provide - flour tortillas, corn chips, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, refried beans, sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, peppers, and salad dressing.

Wah?  salad dressing?  As a kid, I didn't eat tacos - so when my parents would have them for dinner, I would get a hamburger and a salad for dinner.  The majority of the guests are children - and I understand that they don't all want a spicy taco.

My 5 year old super friend, Kate, is going to help me "host" the dinner - it should be a good time.