Are you ready for some tailgating?

By Christina Hall | The Natchez Democrat

Published Tuesday, August 25, 2009

School has started back and families are settling in to their regular school-year routines. As much as I love the summer time, I do love the routine of the school year.

But what I really, really love about this time of the year is when my son calls me up and says “Are you ready for some football?”

That means it’s time for one of the most hectic and enjoyable times of my life. The weekend starts with Emily cheering for the Green Wave on Friday night, driving to Oxford after the game, getting up early, setting up our tailgating site in the Grove and enjoying the rest of the afternoon with friends in the Grove.

Every year I try to come up with something new to take for my bunch to eat and it can sometimes be a challenge.

I need to be able to make the dish on Thursday, pack it in an ice chest on Friday, reheat it on Saturday or serve at room temperature. It also has to be something that can sit out on the table for a little while — not long since all the boys vacuum up the food pretty quickly.

I found this recipe this summer and started playing with it, and I think it is going to be a hit with my group, and I bet with yours as well. I made the recipe with the dough recipe below. You could save yourself a little time by using frozen bread dough.

Naturally I named the recipe after my favorite Saturday football players but you can call it by whatever team you like.

Rebel roll bread dough

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 cup lukewarm water

3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1 cup unsifted whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the lukewarm water. Combine the flours and salt. Add to the yeast mixture, stirring well. Sprinkle a little flour on your counter top or on a smooth cutting board and knead the dough until it is no longer sticky. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, brush top of dough with a little oil also. Cover and let rise for an hour. While dough is rising prepare the filling.

Filling

1/2 pound ground pork sausage

1/2 pound lean ground beef or venison

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

2 cloves garlic, minced finely

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 cup grated Romano cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the two ground meats with the onion in a large skillet. Drain off any fat. Place the thawed spinach in a colander and press out as much moisture as you can. If the spinach has moisture left in it your roll will be soggy.

I like to put the spinach in a clean towel or several paper towels and twist to wring out the moisture.

Add the spinach to the sausage mixture and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well and allow to cool. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Divide the dough into four equal parts. On a floured surface, pat one part of the dough into a rectangular shape. Spread 1/4 of the cooled filling evenly over the dough. Roll up loosely like a jelly roll. Repeat with each remaining part of dough, and the rest of the sausage mixture .

Place the rolls, seam side down, on a cookie sheet that has been greased and sprinkled with cornmeal. Allow to rise for 15 minutes. Place in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or cold.

Christina Hall writes a weekly column for The Democrat. She can be reached at christina.hall@natchezdemocrat.com