The Ribbon in My Journal – Phyllis Hoffman DePiano

The Perfect Morning Tailgate Menu

Is anyone else on board with “tailgating from home?” With early kickoff times, many fellow football fans are opting set up a tailgate spread in the comfort of their own kitchen, and of course, inviting their friends and family to join! Don’t get me wrong, traditional tailgating is wonderful. But sometimes, the comfort of gathering in a home is a nice change of pace. I love for people to find ease and coziness in my home, so any chance I have to provide that is one I’ll take!

The best thing about this whole situation is that it takes place in the morning—and that means breakfast! Football, autumn, friends and family, and now the most important meal of the day? Be still my heart!

Breakfast is easy; it feeds a crowd, and there are endless options to choose from. When ordering breakfast at a restaurant, the sweet and savory debate is a great one. Pancakes or an omelet? French toast or eggs Benedict? Well, the debate stops here, because now, I’m setting my own perfect tailgate breakfast menu.

I marvel at the inventive twists that our talented test kitchen puts on my favorite classic recipes. So, while I do enjoy sticking with my breakfast go-to recipes, this time I want to change things up. Football food should be fun, flavorful, and easy to serve. So that’s exactly what I was going for with this menu.

Click the title or the picture to go straight to the recipe! 

Smoked Sausage and Egg Pizza

I know this mashup may sound crazy at first. But pizza is a quintessential tailgate food. And I just love how unique a breakfast pizza sounds! It’s really everything that a good breakfast should be all in one bite—eggs, sausage, cheese, bread, and a little punch from sun-dried tomatoes.

Orange Pecan Monkey Bread

Oh, my goodness, anyone who has ever had monkey bread knows what a delightful treat this is. It’s sticky, sweet, and uses one of the best ingredients ever created—canned biscuits! The twist on this classic is a nice crunch from the addition of pecans and an unexpected brightness from the orange juice. Top with fresh whipped cream, and, voila! 

Cheesy Maple-Pork Breakfast Casserole

A hearty breakfast casserole is something that everyone needs in their recipe arsenal. I have mine, and it is one that I go back to over and over again. But today I want to share one that offers just a little something different. Maple pork sausage in this recipe pairs wonderfully with the cheese, and every bite is absolutely fabulous.  

If you give any of these recipes a try, please let me know how they turned out for you or if you changed them up at all. One of the many things I love about cooking is the ability to put a personal touch on any dish. Just that little something extra that makes it yours.

Happy tailgating, everyone!