One of the underutilized recipes at most tailgates is pasta. Dead easy to make before hand, pasta is always an easy way to feed a large group of folks right before a game. You can even fancy things up by passing the wine around. In this spirit I decided to showcase a Chicken Alfredo recipe from a good family friend.
If you want to make this for a tailgate I recommend cooking the sauce the night before and the pasta right before heading out to tailgate. When you get everything set up you can reheat the sauce and pasta and get right to eating. if peperjack and parmesean cheese aren't your thing, feel free to substitute in your own cheeses. The only key is to make sure the cheese will melt properly, otherwise you end up with a pretty nasty concoction.
The other way to experiment is with the chicken. I kept things pretty basic this time around, but you can do pretty much anything you want to flavor the chicken. I'd recommend throwing it on the grill with a few spices to provide a nice texture change to the pasta and alfredo sauce.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Butter
2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Monterrey Cheese
1 1/2 cup Pepperjack Cheese
1 tbl Red Pepper
14-15 ounces Pasta
2 lbs boneless Chicken Breast
Instructions:
1. Cook chicken to taste and set aside
2. Melt butter in a pot. mix in cream and bring to a slight boil.
3. Mix in red pepper once the mixture begins boiling. Add the Parmesan cheese slowly, mixing it until it is completely melted.
4. Mix in the rest of the cheese. I'd recommend adding cheese in 1/4 cup amounts and making sure it is completely melted before adding more cheese. Turn burner to warm, but make sure the sauce does not boil.
5. Cook the pasta to taste. Once done, plate by putting the chicken on top of the pasta and covering with Alfredo sauce.
This is always a favorite of mine when it comes to pasta. Minus the basic concept of butter, cheese. and cream, Alfredo sauces come in a wide variety of flavors, feel free to make this one your own by experimenting.