Breakfast burritos are the answer to an early kickoff: sausage, eggs, potatoes and cheese, made weeks ahead, frozen in foil, and heated on the grill while the coffee goes around. The frozen ones double as ice on the drive in.
At the lot: The foil-wrapped burritos go straight from the cooler onto the grill with the lid down. Homegating: Heat them in the oven from the fridge or freezer and hand them out at the morning pregame show.
Home gear: a large skillet (or a sheet pan for the potatoes) and a gallon zip-top bag or two if freezing
45 MIN
At home, up to a month ahead
20 MIN
At the lot
12
Serves
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 bag (about 28 oz) frozen diced potatoes
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb bulk breakfast sausage
- 12 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheddar
Wrap
- 12 large (10-inch) flour tortillas
- Heavy-duty foil
Serve
- Salsa and hot sauce
Steps
At home
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high and cook the potatoes, stirring now and then, until browned and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. (Or roast them on a sheet pan at 425°F for about 25 minutes.) Season with half the salt and pepper and spread them on a sheet pan to cool.
- Brown the sausage in the same skillet, breaking it up, until it reaches 160°F and no pink is left. Drain it and add it to the sheet pan.
- Whisk the eggs, milk and the rest of the salt and pepper. Scramble them over medium-low until just set with no liquid left. Spread them on the sheet pan too.
- Let the fillings cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Warm fillings steam inside the tortilla and make it soggy.
- Warm the tortillas for a few seconds so they roll without cracking. Divide the potatoes, sausage, eggs and cheese among them, fold in the sides and roll each one up tight.
- Wrap each burrito in foil. Refrigerate for up to 3 days, or bag them and freeze for up to 1 month. Move frozen burritos to the fridge the night before the game if you can.
At the lot
- Heat the grill to medium, about 350°F, and set it up with a cooler side. On charcoal, bank the coals on one side. On propane, turn one side down to low.
- Set the foil-wrapped burritos on the cooler side and close the lid. Turn them every 5 minutes. Thawed burritos take about 15 to 20 minutes, and frozen ones take about 30 to 40.
- Push the thermometer through the foil into the center of the biggest one. When it reads 165°F, they're ready. Unwrap and give each one 1 minute a side over the fire if you want a crisp tortilla, then serve with salsa and hot sauce.
Pack for the lot
Lot notes
- Thaw first if you can: frozen burritos take twice as long on the grill, and the outside can scorch before the middle is hot. A night in the fridge, or a few hours in the cooler on the drive, fixes it.
Can you make breakfast burritos ahead and freeze them?
Yes. Wrap them in foil and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat them to 165°F in the center, on the grill or in the oven.
How do you keep breakfast burritos hot at a tailgate?
Leave them wrapped in foil on the cool side of the grill with the lid closed; foil on a closed grill keeps them hot without burning the outside. For a short wait, a towel-lined empty cooler holds them. The holding rules are in how to keep food hot at a tailgate.
How many breakfast burritos do you need for 20 people?
Make 20, one each: 20 eggs, a scant ½ cup of milk, about 1⅔ lb of sausage, about 3 lb of frozen diced potatoes, 3⅓ cups of cheddar and 20 tortillas. Bigger eaters will want a second, so 24 is a safe number.
How long do you heat a foil-wrapped burrito on the grill?
About 15 to 20 minutes from the fridge and 30 to 40 minutes from frozen, on a medium grill with the lid down, turning every 5 minutes. It's done when the center reads 165°F.
Gear for this cook
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