My shade of orange (Tennessee) will be prevalent in The Swamp in Gator Country this weekend.  After showing off the checkerboard orange and white in Knoxville for last year’s big game, the Gators are chomping at the bit to wear blue…all blue!

(Last year Neyland Stadium was orange and white checkerboard all over thanks to fans wearing orange or white based on their seat locations.  Such coordination!)

 Florida decided to make fun of the idea and posted the following on Gatorzone.com:

 “The Florida Gators are encouraging fans that attend this Saturday’s Florida-Tennessee game (3:30 p.m. kickoff on CBS) to wear the color assigned on the stadium map below.”

The gators think they are funny! Make sure to watch the game and see The Swamp filled with blue! (And the orange corner of Tennessee Fans!)

Passions in our family will be heating up as we head into the weekend.

As I began planning our tailgate main course, I decided to use an old standby.  Sante Fe Soup.  I originally discovered this recipe in High Hampton Hospitality cookbook and it quickly became a favorite in our Tennessee/Florida family.  It is lighter than chili and packs lots of flavor.  I adapted it to include black beans, pinto beans and Great Northern white beans.

Sante Fe Soup with Tennessee Spirit

Serving Size: 12

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 (1.0–ounce) package ranch style dressing
• 1/2 cup taco seasoning mix
• 1 (16-ounce) can black beans, undrained
• 1 (16-ounce) can white northern beans, undrained
• 1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, undrained
• 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
• 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 (16 ounce) cans white shoepeg corn, undrained
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 bunch chopped green onions
• 1 cup sliced black olives

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot, cook meat and onions together until meat is brown. Drain well.
2. Add ranch dressing mix and taco seasoning mix to meat mixture, mixing well.
3. Add remaining canned ingredients.
4. Add water, Mix and simmer 2 hours or longer.
5. Garnish each serving with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped onions and sliced black olives.

By KathyMillerTime
Adapted from More High Hampton Hospitality

Recipe Printed from www.kathymillertime.com

 A little sip of Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey adds the Tennessee spirit!

 At a tailgate I serve it in insulated cups.  Before a summer night hike in the NC mountains I serve it in mugs nestled on a plate with a great salad.

After all the exciting football games last weekend, I was so impressed with LSU that I decided to make this soup with a Jambalaya twist.  I served it over hot rice.

Watch for upcoming stories from my tailgating travels.  I welcome your comments, recipes and any inside information on your favorite tailgating spots.

Come celebrate with me.  I’ll save you a seat at the table.