Recipes by JAY MORGAN
In honor of the 30 high-school seniors in our cover story, we asked Madison resident Jay Morgan if we could print three teen-friendly recipes from his Friday Night Porch Party website. Even the pickiest young person should find something here to enjoy!
The Best Alfredo Sauce
This recipe has been a staple in our home since the children were small, and all four of them still love it. We serve it over pasta, and sometimes we add chicken or shrimp. I’ve served it with fried chicken. I’ve even mixed in some marinara sauce for a little something different.
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup half and half
- 1cup sour cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 regular package of your favorite pasta (we prefer angel hair)
Combine butter, half and half, sour cream and Parmesan in a medium boiler on medium heat. Stir often to keep from burning. Cook pasta according to package directions in a separate pot. Drain pasta. Pour Alfredo sauce over pasta and serve. Chicken or shrimp can be added if you’d like a protein.
Jack’s Cheddar Chex Mix
Our son Jack’s favorite snack mixes are Cheez-It Snack Mix and Cheddar Chex Mix. They were out of both at Walmart one Friday, so I sent Jack a text asking what his favorite things were in both mixes. I bought the ingredients and came home and created this masterpiece of a snack. Feel free to add pretzels if you like them, but we only included our favorites. These are perfect to take along on a road trip or to put out on the bar at your next Friday Night Porch Party.
- 4 cups Wheat Chex cereal
- 4 cups Corn Chex cereal
- 4 cups Rice Chex cereal
- 1 12-ounce box Cheez-Its
- 1 6-ounce box Better Cheddars crackers
- 1 14-ounce bag Gardetto’s rye chips
- 2 cups Orville Redenbacher’s Popping & Topping buttery flavored oil
- 1/2 cup Kernel Season’s Nacho Cheddar Popcorn Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine all seasonings with oil and mix well. Fold in all cereals and crackers, tossing until everything is coated well. Transfer to 2 or 3 large baking sheets. Sprinkle some more cheddar popcorn seasoning on top after you have spread the mixture on the baking sheets. Bake about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool, then transfer to airtight containers. I use zip-lock bags.
Homemade Krystal Burgers
From the freezer, pop these into the microwave for about 35-40 seconds. You’ll never drive to Krystal for a late-night snack again.
- 2 pounds ground beef (not in patties)
- 1 envelope onion soup mix
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 24 slider buns or Hawaiian rolls
- Dill pickle slices
- Mustard
Cook ground beef in a skillet with onion soup mix. Salt and pepper to taste. While still hot, combine with mayonnaise and cheddar cheese. Make individual sandwiches using a generous scoop of the meat mixture and adding a little mustard and a pickle. Wrap in some type of sandwich wrapper. I keep a box of wrappers on hand that I buy from Sam’s.
Jay Morgan and his wife, Lou Anne, have been hosting Friday Night Porch Parties for 25 years, including at their current home in Madison since 2004. Jay invites whomever God puts on his heart during the week, and cooks like a crazy person! Follow them on Instagram @fridaynightporchparty and check out the recipes at FridayNightPorchParty.com. (Headshot by Kyle Hancock Photography.)
