As a college football fan and a fan of country music concerts (I know, who knew?), tailgating is part of my DNA. I love the camaraderie of fans sharing food and drink outside of a stadium. What I don’t love is that to most people, tailgating means hotdogs, hamburgers, and a few bags of chips. While there is nothing wrong with that, I love the idea of shaking things up a bit.Elevating it just a tad- and surprising your fellow tailgaters with something delicious and unexpected. 

My recipe for “Spicy Watermelon & Shrimp Ceviche Street Tacos” is just the ticket! It is the perfect contrast of sweet and refreshing watermelon combined with fresh steamed shrimp, the spicy kick of chilis, and the tanginess of fresh citrus all tucked into mini flour or corn tortillas (they sell them at major grocery stores now!) and topped with creamy bits of avocado, a super easy cilantro aioli and dusted with Tajin! I know, genius! You’re welcome ;-). You can also serve this with store bought blue corn tortilla chips and pair it with my watermelon rose sangria or your favorite ice cold beer.

OR… have you ever tried pickled watermelon rind https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/watermelon-rind-pickles with chilled tequila… Try it!

Tailgating will never be the same again…
Happy tailgating ya’ll!!

#watermelon #watermeloneveryday #Nationalwatermelonboard #tailgating #ad

What you'll need:

For the Ceviche:

• 1 lb. large peeled & deveined shrimp either lightly steamed, blanched for 30 seconds in boiling water or lightly grilled
• 1/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/3 c. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 4 c. diced watermelon about 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
• 3/4 c. diced sweet onion like Vidalia
• 2 T. minced jalapeno pepper 
• 1 T. minced red chili pepper
• 1 t. sea salt plus more to taste
• 1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 fresh cilantro leaves chopped
• 1 ripe Hass avocado diced and sprinkled with lime juice and salt
• Tajin seasoning to taste
• 12-14 corn or flour street taco shells or large bag of lightly salted blue corn tortilla chips

For the Aioli:

• 2 T. prepared mayo (I like Hellmans)
• 1 T. sour cream
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 1 T. finely minced cilantro leaves
• 1/2 t. Tajin

What you'll do:

1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the aioli, stir well, cover and refrigerate.
2. Cut shrimp into 1/2 inch pieces and set aside. In a large bowl, fold together watermelon, red onion, jalapeño and red chili pepper, pepper, orange and lime juices. Add the shrimp and cilantro, sprinkle with salt and pepper and fold gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Add the avocado and lightly mix.
3. Serve on lightly grilled street taco tortillas, top with a small dollop of aioli and sprinkle with Tajin. 

 In partnership with the Watermelon Board