FORT WORTH, Texas - When chef Jon Bonnell, on a trip to Napa Valley, was invited to a tailgate in San Francisco for a 49ers game last year, he started to rethink the typical tailgating menu.

"They asked if I could cook," recalls Bonnell, chef/owner of Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine in Fort Worth, Texas. "Of course, these were wine aficionados, and I couldn't just grill some burgers for these guys, so I decided to make a menu for gourmets that could be easily executed on another man's grill. It certainly changes things when you aren't cooking on your home turf."

The "gourmet tailgating" menu Bonnell developed featured mini-sandwiches of grilled beef tenderloin and boursin cheese, along with jalapeno pickled shrimp and a cheese platter with assorted crackers and flatbreads.

"Since then, I've been in charge of several tailgates at TCU and at Texas Stadium for Cowboys games, and I've found that I'm not alone in doing upscale tailgating these days," Bonnell says. He even invested in a gas-powered blender so he could whip up frozen peach margaritas in the stadium parking lot.

With Texas Christian University's Hhomecoming last weekend and Family Weekend coming up for the Frogs, tailgating season is at its peak in Fort Worth. Bonnell says you don't have to be a chef to elevate your tailgate spread out of the ordinary. and He offers some tips for the aspiring gourmet tailgater.

Bonnell's grilled tenderloin mini-sandwiches

Bonnell says you can count on each person eating 2 to 3 sandwiches, depending on the appetite of your crowd. He suggests shopping at Costco or Sam's Club for the mini-rolls.

Yields 36 sandwiches

1 whole tenderloin (4 to 5 pounds)

Nonstick cooking spray

36 mini-rolls

3 (5-ounce) packages Garlic & Fine Herbs Boursin Cheese

4 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into thin strips

2 bunches arugula

Creole seasoning blend, to taste

1. Slice the tenderloin into small medallions, about 2 ounces each, and season on both sides with Creole seasoning blend. Spray seasoned medallions lightly with nonstick olive oil.

2. Cut each roll in half and spread with boursin.

3. Place beef medallions on a hot grill and cook to medium-rare, about 1 minute per side.

4. Place a few leaves of arugula, a few strips of roasted pepper and a hot slice or two of tenderloin in each roll and serve immediately.

Nutritional analysis per sandwich: 184 calories, 10 grams fat, 11 grams carbohydrates, 13 grams protein, 40 milligrams cholesterol, 202 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 48 percent of calories from fat.

Tailgate tips

Grill space is always limited, so pick items that can grill quickly and don't take up an entire grill. Tenderloin medallions can be easily cooked to order in just a few minutes if they are cut thinly for mini-sandwiches.

Plan dishes that can be prepped ahead of time so you can enjoy the party. You don't want to be working the entire time.

Don't try to do too much. A few really well-prepared items work much better than an elaborate spread. "The average truck tailgate is only so wide," Bonnell says. "This ain't Sunday brunch, after all, it's football."

Think finger foods: "Nobody wants to have to use a knife and fork in the parking lot."

There are plenty of wines that work well with grilled foods, Bonnell says, but "if wine is your thing, bring some stemware. Wine always tastes better in a nice glass." When you buy a case of wine, save the cardboard box to use as a carrier for wineglasses, Bonnell suggests.