Living in Knoxville, Tennessee in the heart of Big Orange Country, Tailgating is a way of life!  In fact, one of my first cookbooks (coming soon) will be some of my favorite tailgate treats!  This past weekend the Tennessee Volunteers Football Team played (and lost) to one of our biggest nemesis..the Florida Gators.  It was a beautiful, crisp fall morning and the stadium was stunning as the fans painted a checkerboard of Orange and White!

While it was an absolutely spirited and gorgeous day, even with the eventual outcome, the kick-off time at noon was not ideal for having to create one of the biggest tailgates of the season since we had to leave by 8:00 am to get the best spot for our feast!  So, considering we were having overnight guests as well, my portion of the menu needed to be made ahead as much as possible with little heating required.  Since it was such a large tailgate and everyone was bringing various treats, I decided on a Breakfast Queso with Tortilla Chips that I could heat in the Crock Pot, Fried Gator that my hubby put in the deep fryer just before leaving, and BLT Roll-ups, which can be easily made the day before!

I have had many requests for the recipes for the Queso and Roll-ups and even planned to share BOTH with you on today’s blog.  However, the Queso met its demise on the way to the game in Larry Schumacher’s truck so I have no pictures of my finished product!  That means since we smelled it and didn’t get to eat it, I will be making it again very soon so stay tuned!

My BLT Roll-ups are the easiest thing in the world to make especially if you like BACON!…This recipe has a lot of it!  It is the perfect snack for tailgates, brunch, or even in your child’s lunchbox.  But, what I like most about it is that it can be made ahead which was exactly what I needed for this particular game.  Here is how you do it…..

 Ingredients

• 8 oz. cream cheese (I prefer onion and chive flavored)
• 1/2 cup of Mayonnaise
• 6 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 lbs. bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese
• 1 pckg. shredded romaine lettuce
• 1 large package of Jumbo Flour Tortillas

Directions

Bottom Line:  You will be the hit of your tailgate if you bring these scrumptious Mini BLT Roll-Ups!  Guests love that they can just swing by the table and have a delicious bite!  Add a little hot sauce to spice it up a bit if you like or cut into larger wedges for more of main dish at breakfast with some fruit.  You can’t go wrong with this recipe…it works everytime!  Let me know what you think and “Keep on Tailgating…!”