Husker Tailgate: Week 9 road trip to Camp Randall

Buckle up for the Husker road trip to Wisconsin.

It’s a night game. It’s going to be loud. It’s going to be the biggest test so far for Big Red and fans and critics are going to know a lot more about this team after the game is over.

Badgers. Ugh…I really don’t like those pesky Badgers. Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of good friends from Wisconsin — but not this week. What you need to know is our ground game will be up against an “in your face” tough opponent. Some good news for the Huskers is that Wisconsin’s best linebacker (60 tackles), Jack Cincy, will be on the sidelines with a torn chest muscle. Their nose tackle will also be out which may mean more for the Huskers in the “long run”. (see what I did there?)

All three phases of the game will have to be complete for our red team to come out on top. Hopefully, De’Mornay Pierson-El’s long run for a touchdown last week is a sign he’s going to have one of his best games so far this season. Cornhusker Blackshirts will also need to be gritty and focused. And hey, that Westerkamp guy is back, hmmmm…. yeah, I like the sound of that too. Regardless, when the clock winds down, I’m hoping Big Red has put the fire out at Camp Randall.

But on to things we can control. It’s a night game so that leaves lots of time to cook up some good stuff. When I think of Wisconsin of course I think of brats and cheese. The Gunderson family recently brought a bunch of great cheeses to a Husker home game, THANKS gang! Their daughter, Paris (and one of our writers) attends UNL. If you don’t have a northern connection, feel free to visit the store and make a cheese tray out of what you do find. Hy-Vee has a horseradish cheese that is amazing. If you need some specifics, catch up on how to do it in  my article on charcuterie displays here.

Wisconsin makes me think of brats and sausages. One of my favorite recipes for homegating is Smoked Bourbon Sausages. It’s a crock pot thing and takes very little time to make which is a bonus. You have your choice on the smoked sausages. The recipe calls for 1 pound, but I would recommend you double or triple it depending on your number of houseguests. As for the sauce, you can tweak that too. I’ve made changes to the original recipe and been very pleased. The entire house will end up smelling like bourbon.

Smoked Bourbon Sausages

1 lb smoked sausage, cut into pieces

1 bottle of chili sauce or 12 oz. of your favorite hot BBQ sauce

1/3 cup of bourbon (Jack Daniels is my preference)

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons grated onion (I use Vidalia)

Heat sausage in a skillet over medium heat until the sides are browned. Drain on a paper towel. Spray a 3 quart crock pot with cooking spray. Mix other ingredients and toss over the sausage. Put in the crock pot, turn it to low and leave for at least 3 hours or until sauce is thickened. Serve with toothpicks.

Since you will have had to crack open a bottle of Jack Daniels for your Husker appetizer, why not try it in a drink called the Tailgate Sipper? Place 4 cups of cubed fresh pineapple in a food processor for 30 seconds or so until smooth. You may need to scrape the sides down so nice and even. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to release the juice. Stir in 1 cup of bourbon, 1 cup chilled lemon sparkling water, 1/2 cup Southern Comfort, 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Serve immediately over ice.

Some good things are lining up for the BIG RED on Saturday. Joe Tessitore and Todd Blackledge will be on the call for ABC. You may not remember, but Joe was in Wisconsin and probably one of the last people to see Sam Foltz. He choked up delivering the news of his passing that Sunday. And Wisconsin’s kicker, Rafael Gaglianone, was wearing the number #27 this season in memory of his good friend. I’m taking these all as signs from above that things are going to go our way.

Get your leaves raked, the food prepped, the beverages chilled, and then settle in for a heck of a football game Saturday night. It will be a game of inches in the trenches and hopefully no turnovers from the air.

Next: Nebraska Football: Keith Williams' Trial Pushed

Injuries could play a part but the biggest thing will be for the Huskers to capitalize on scoring in the RED zone. It’s another away game next week so if you have a favorite recipe to share, hit me up on twitter @Kelian_NE. In the meantime, as always, GO BIG RED!