Stepdad Alfredo
I called my stepdad and said, “My blog ladies want your fettuccini recipe.”
He’d already read my tribute to him, where I acknowledged his culinary savvy, especially during the early years when we (just another trendy 1980’s stepfamily) were trying to figure out how to live under one blended roof. Let alone, sit down every night to a family dinner.
He laughed. And not because he was embarrassed by the extra attention. He laughed at me.
“What do you mean? He said. You know I just used the recipe on the back of the fettuccini package.”
Really?
“What did you think…that I’m some kind of cook? I just know how to read, Izzy.”
Impossible! I’d been conned. Who is this man who masquerades around in an apron?
“Well, what am I going to tell my hungry public? They’re expecting brilliance.”
After some resistance and grumbling, he offered the following instructions:
Ladies, I give you Stepdad Alfredo (in his own words)
“Butter. Pepper. And Half and Half. Very goddamn fattening. And Parmesan cheese.
We usually did a double recipe.
Very easy. Very fast. Boil the noodles. Heat the butter. Stir it up. Pile the cheese. Feed the critters, all of whom will eat anything that has noodles in it.”
Yumalicious. He’s right. I sure do miss the heavy carb days. My mother reminded me that this celebrated dish was later renamed “heart attack on a plate.”
I hope this satisfies. For further clarification, consult your nearest noodle bag at the corner market. Bon appetit!
What are your favorite stepmom dishes? You know, what you make (or your stepparents made) in a pinch on those days when you just want to get it done, appease the troops, gulp it down and announce, “OK kids, you’re on dish duty. Clean it up!”… so you can escape to another room for a measly fifteen minutes of luscious solitude. Before you’re needed for the next thing.
hehe - you’re such a funny storyteller, Izzy. I’m glad your stepdad shared the box recipe with us! I’m definitely going to give it a try - how could one resist a recipe called, “heart attack on a plate”?
Here is a quick and easy version of lasgna that I make for my kids. They like it - and Greg (who is a meat eater) even called it delicious! (I didn’t have the heart to tell him that it wasn’t real meat.
Quick Lasgna
1 package of Lipton Sidekicks Creamy Parmesan Noodles
1 package of Yves Veggie Ground Round (or 1lb of ground beef)
1 1/2 cup of Ragu
1/2 Tablespoon Basil
1/2 Tablespoon Oregano
1 cup Mozzarella
Prepare the noodles as intructed (reduce the water to 3/4 cup).
Cook the meat, and add the Ragu sauce
Pour half of meat into 8 inch pan
Sprinkle with half the cheese
Top with the noodles, then add remaining meatsauce and cheese.
Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.
Voila! Easy, not-so-nutricious, BUT QUICK….Lasgna!
I make a lot of lasagna, tacos, sloppy joes, hamburger helper (as bad as that is and as hard as it is to admit)
I’mall about quick and easy.
My recipe repertoire is not very large.
My stepsister wrote this…the youngest of the pack of us three…you can call her sissyteach.
“Well, for me the fettuccini memories are bittersweet. You see, some of us had stronger stomaches. We were more able to enjoy the cheesey, buttery goodness, but then we got stuck with more than our share of dishes, while the more sensitive types enjoyed the Cosby Show on the couch.”
I think she’s bitter?
IR
Izzy, Your step-dad fared better in the kitchen than mine, but the love was there. On a morning where my mom was out of town, step dad was in charge of breakfast and getting me dressed for first grade. I had a soft boiled egg with shells in it and highly assymetrical pony tails. In my first grade huff, I declared to my mom later that I don’t like shells in my eggs. But looking back on it kills me, picturing him (new to the family) trying to please- or at least get it sort of correct.
Funny how half-and-half plays a role in perfecting the step-parent. When I used to try and win the affection of my stepdaughters, I would make tomato-basil soup from the La Madeleine recipe. Without searching for the recipe, I know it’s a stick of butter, quart of cream (no half-and-half, the real stuff), tomatoes, basil and pepper. Always made them happy…during the moment it took to consume the soup.
P.S. Found an interesting story from Step Mother Lindsay Ferrier and author of Suburban Turmoil - http://community.parents.com/dgroups/persona.jsp?userId=c3e4f3100d632bf98d849ba36532e9b1&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3ac3e4f3100d632bf98d849ba36532e9b1Post%3ab7d7b4af-8f83-4066-8fc6-b730e4d94979
Thanks for all the recipes. I’m finding that you just can’t go wrong with pasta and butter. And you can’t get much simpler than that!
IR
as a mom of 3 biokids and 2 stepkids all living under one roof, everyone complains at meal time! they all like my lasagna, but, i find buttered noodles and a bag of chicken nuggets calms the savages! and gives us a quiet, whine free meal time. now…the problem is…what to feed my husband?!
Just stumbled across this web site while trying to find the expiration date of a box of Lipton Alfredo Family Meal Pack.
I LOVE the easy suggestions here. My 6′ 2″ 16 year old refuses to eat any fruits or veggies (french fries and ketchup don’t count, do they?) but he loves Alfredo sauce. I Love the Stepdad recipe!
For others who have veggie protesters, I will share a secret I use: I grate carrots, onions and any other fresh veggie into marinara sauce before baking lasagne or making spaghetti sauce. Cooks to nothing and the red sauce masks the color and flavor of the veggie. He doesn’t know or care that he’s eating vegetables, and it makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something good for my child.