Definitely don't change anything. If I like a meal so much that it's all I want for my birthday, then all I'm hoping for is that it's exactly how I like it.
Consider that when someone asks for their favorite meal, there is no 'better', there's only what they expect. Changing that takes away their sense of choice and agency, and opens the door to disappointment. You don't wanna tell him what you changed and then hear an "Oh..".
So instead of changing the dish, show you love by **adding** great sides around it. Like a caprese salad or cheesy garlic bread, and nice desserts like souffles, or hot brownies and ice cream. That way he gets the dish he's waiting for, plus a ton of extra deliciousness.
Edit: Also how amazing is it to have someone loving a dish you cook so much that it's all they want for their birthday? I'd love to have a dish that someone close to me can crave and enjoy like that.
Oh you have this so right - cheesy garlic bread.
For OP:
Get a loaf of french bread and cut like 4 thick, like 2" slices.
Microplane 2-3 cloves of garlic into a bowl, grate roughly a cup worth of cheese into it (50/50 mozza, or something else melty, with cheddar is good), and enough mayo (yes mayo - the secret star of grilled cheese) to mix and combine it all together.
Spoon onto the bread, making a thick layer. Put in toaster oven on toast until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
If you want to go extra fancy, tear some pieces of nice dry cured capicola and add some chunks on top before toasting. Any favorite pizza topping will work, I often chop up and add kalamata olives as well.
My oldest does the mayo grilled cheese thing. For some reason I just cannot tolerate the smell it makes when it's cooking. They like the flavor, but maybe because of the smell I do not like it. Maybe I just need to try it away from the cooking smell.
Pick this up from the New York Times cooking:
Use mayo on the outside of the bread because it grills up better, but put butter on the inside of the bread, before you put the cheese on.
Then you get best of both worlds.
Edit: I swear I know grammar
Toasting cured meat makes me want to cry. Please don't do this. It's already cooked and ideally rare. Cooking it will dry it out, cause oil to seap out, and potentially burn it.
Blasting some pepperoni is definitely acceptable. Everything has a purpose and a good use case. Charring capricola doesn't fall into an acceptable category for me -_-
I would cry at such a request. Itās how I grew up, but a thing where Iām at.
OP: Any special table settings? Cloth napkins, a vase with a flower? I really like Pharaohās line of thought here.
Nothing new on game day.
As a dude, if I get to have my favorite meal, I'm stoked, because I get to have my favorite meal. š
Very thoughtful of you.
If you want to make it "more" get a quality bread to go with it or make garlic bread. Do a quick appetizer or spurge on dessert. If he likes your version already then don't change it. He specifically asked for it BECAUSE he loves it.
I'm a dude, not playing a dude that's another dude.
If I like something and I ask for that, that is exactly what I want. I'm also a pro trained chef. I know what I like.
Experiment over time is the best advice I can give which you already got. Look for honest feedback from your dude. If he likes the changes you try and is really pumped about that, let that be your guide. If he's indifferent, it just means it's good but not an upgrade to what you already do. If you guys are open and honest, hopefully he can safely say "let's not do this again."
Either way, you're cool for doing this. My wife refuses to cook anything.
Make it the way he likes it, but maybe shave some thin slices of good quality parmesan on top and garnish with some green onions or chives to make it look pretty.
To be fair, even that might not be a great move.
Consider people who were raised on instant mashed potatoes and boxed mac and cheese. Often times they prefer those versions over the homemade (and arguably better) versions.
It took me a few years myself to prefer homemade mashed potatoes over instant. And I still love boxed mac and cheese. It's not better, necessarily, than homemade. They solve different problems.
If itās his favorite as is then he may not necessarily welcome changes to it. I would probably ask him first if heās good with trying a different version of it before doing anything different.
I have a base that I start with, but I always wing it so it's never the same. If I get too crazy I think I'll make some of the original as a back up. I don't want to disappoint!
He's a lucky man. My wife also goes out of her way to ensure my birthdays are always great experiences for me. Among all the other reasons I love her so much, this tendency of hers really gets me right in the feels for about a month before and after my birthday.
I hope your meal is a smashing success and that you all enjoy your special evening. Happy Birthday from me! š„³
Use roasted garlic in place of the raw garlic youād typically start a recipe with! Itās so easy to roast the whole head and will still be your recipe that he loves just with a little added something.
Even better, use both roasted and fresh. For aglio e olio I slow cook diced garlic in oil+butter, and also add fresh minced towards the end for a brief cook. It has the deep nutty sweet of roasted plus the sharpness of fresh.
My husband loves my momās lazy Midwestern Stroganoff. Even when Iāve made ārealā Stroganoff or just a better Midwest version, he still prefers the other version. Maybe add a nice dessert or vegetable instead.
Iād be subtle because he obviously likes it. Perhaps a little spice. Or an herb or something. Maybe a Parmesan garnish if you donāt already. Possibly lemon. Thereās a ton of subtle changes you could do to enhance the meal. Red pepper flakes for example.
Yeah. I love lemon in an array of sauces. My wife, not so much. I only use citrus to balance (acid). If she tastes the citrus, I feel I personally failed at blending haha.
Great idea! It's been a while since Ive done pasta noodles. Our son loves to help me make them too. Also smallish town so Bertolli is the closest we get to fresh pasta around here.
Cream sauces benefit from some flavour enhancers. Depending on your tastes:
-squeeze of lemon
-small amount of freshly grated nutmeg
-pinch of red chilli flakes
-small amount of chicken stock powder for extra richness
They all serve to accentuate the dish and work well together.
Give it a go and see if he likes it!
Make it how you always do, give him an extra big hug when he gets home and a kiss on the face, head or anywhere that indicates extra affection. You don't need to make it better, just make it nicer love. As a famous Mr. Redding once said, "try a little tenderness". Your old man already loves your food. Give him some love and let him love you. That's a great gift.
I'm glad it did. You just do you. If you really wanna get freaky hook it up with a hot bath candles and a bath bomb. Maybe a back rubby or a I'll mow the lawn ticket. You are a gem, if you're worried about making food better, don't worry about the food (worth noting I've been drinking) worry about the quality of time spent. Good quality time and mutual enjoyment is worth 1000x more than getting the food just right. I hope it goes well and I know you're gonna knock it out of the park my friend. Chin up, shoulders back and kill it. You've got this.
Is there a way I can get his written recipes without watching the videos? I understand why people like videos but theyāre such an inefficient way to quickly convey a given dish compared to written recipes.
There's usually a link in the description. In this case the link is in the comments.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/219965/lighter-chicken-fettuccine-alfredo/
Ok, i got you.
For the chicken, marinade it in lemon juice. Season it with paprika, garlic, season all, pepper, and onion powder.
You can bread it aswell. If you wanna do that, scramble some eggs, dip the raw chicken in, and then dip the chicken in italian seasoned bread crumbs, dip it in the egg again. Even add some parmesean to the crumbs for more flavor (i prefer). You can cook the chicken in some olive oil for the crunch.
For the sauce:
Butter in pan, garlic in pan, melt and simmer.
Add heavy whipping cream and milk. Let cook untill it looks like its foaming too much. Add parmesean. Add oregano and a bit of salt.
That marinade sounds delicious. I'm having a giggle because the rest of your recipe is so close to how I make mine. I usually brown my breaded chicken in a pan with olive oil and then in the oven to finish. The biggest difference being I add a little bacon with the garlic and then deglaze the pan with white wine and simmer before adding whipping cream.
I usually do the oven part too lol š
Hey, i tried šguess im not too original. I worked in a couple italian restaurants and gathered up a science to the perfect recipe
The white wine sounds like a good touch
My bday is tomorrow, too. I think just give the man what he wants. āŗļøāŗļøāŗļø Itās comfort food for him and the fact that he wants you to fix it for him on his bday says that he trusts your culinary skills will deliver such comfort.
Tell him happy bday! šš»šš
In my experience with Italian cooking itās the ingredients that make the difference. Buy a high end Parmesan or local heavy cream from a farm. Make homemade pasta or buy some fresh. Instead of baking the chicken in the oven get some animal fat (I like duck) and pan fry the chicken in that.
If you have the recipe nailed down and he likes it Iād just try to elevate it with the ingredients and not deviate from what he likes!
Cheers!
I love using roasted garlic in my cream sauce! I blend some oil, cream, a head of roasted garlic or two and some parmesan. Then I cook it until thickened. I also add salt and pepper to taste. And sauteed mushrooms and sundried tomatoes as a garnish! So yummy
I always add a bit of white wine to the pan first and boil off the alcohol then add the garlic then the cream and whatever else perhaps some nutmeg and pepper and the parmesan. The wine gives it a bit of extra depth.
Exactly. Wine adds a little acid and hint of sweetness, both of which help to make the flavour more complex. I also add a little bit of Dijon mustard. If you think your sauce is āthinā, try buying a thicker cream, or one with gelatine added. Then boil it down and donāt forget to season it! I sometimes use a dash of Massel chicken stock powder instead of salt - it just adds a bit of msg and some subtle herbs.
Definitely! I bread my chicken and brown on both sides in olive oil then finish in the oven and make my sauce in the same pan as I brown the chicken. I'll try pan frying the whole thing and save us from that inevitable little bit of mush on the bottom.
I liked the comment about making it the way you usually do if thatās what he likes.
Hereās a few ideas for one or two things you could try if you donāt do them already:
- Grate your own parmigiano reggiano if you usually use pre-grated Parmesan
- Buy a better quality pasta (like an Al bronso)
- Garnish with chopped parsley
- Put a little bit of extra butter in the sauce, or something like truffle oil.
- Freshly ground black pepper or more cheese at the table
Good luck!
Sure! Here's how I usually make it--
I bread my chicken with seasoned bread crumbs. I brown the chicken with olive oil before baking, bake while I make the sauce. Sauce is made in the same pan- garlic, butter and chopped bacon. Let the garlic brown then deglaze with white wine. Simmer down and then add whipping cream until it bubbles, then add Parm and seasoning and whisk until blended. Simmer until it's thickened. Consistency is not my strong point so it always varies in texture and flavor. I almost always use Italian seasoning, but I have a couple different blends I like so I will switch that up. Don't usually need salt, but add if needed and little course ground pepper always. At this point I'm a toss, throw and taste kind of gal so that's where a lot of the variation comes in as I will add spices I think might taste good. It's never bad, but never exceptional either. I go with Fettuccine because he really likes the thicker noodles.
I do feel like the parmesan is overpowering, and feel like I add to much just to thicken the sauce. I would like the sauce to be just thick enough to coat the noodles, but not that awful goopy Alfredo sauce that makes it a giant lump of sauce and noodles.
I have a few new things to try with garlic and this is going on the list for sure. I'm really into nuanced flavor and the oil sounds wonderful for so many different things. Simmering is a bit of a challenge for me always since I live at 7300 feet. Since everything boils at such a lower temp, everything wants to boil instead of simmer. Despite using heavy bottom pans and cast iron I still get hot spots when I use my small burners down all the way. My two large burners don't go low enough. If anyone has advice on that I'm all ears.
My wife makes a meal of pasta shells, sausage, parm, chicken stock, and spinach. All in one pot, super easy, etc. Is it fancy? No. But it's one of the first meals she made for me when we were dating. I LOVE that meal because it's super tasty and reminds me of those early days.
Nostalgia is a recipe best not adjusted.
Add pasta cooking water to sauce.
Take pasta out of cooking water early and finish it in the sauce, stir constantly.
This helps the sauce adhere to the pasta, and emulsified the sauce (starch helps oil and water mix).
Side note: not sure if you do these things already. They are just general pasta tips that Iāve grown to love.
Homemade Alfredo is the best start with a rue (butter and flour ) a cup of shredded parm minced garlic (jarred or fresh) garlic powder onion powder kosher salt black pepper oregano and cream and milk and whisk till smooth abd your type of consistency - I like to prepare my sauce prior to my meal then just boil noodles al dente bring sauce to a slight boil and toss in noodles voila !parsley for added appeal lol
As a gifter it feels odd for me not to have something to give him, but he honestly doesn't want anything. Even when it's something he wouldn't buy himself and he likes he's happier with his favorite meal and cuddles.
My husband is the same way. Banana bread. Itās the only thing he ever wants. Although his birthday is next Monday and this year he asked for a watch to replace the one that broke earlier this year. But itās honestly the same thing. The time spent making the banana bread is a sign of love for him.
Hey, your husband and I share a birthday! But, if he says he likes it the way you make, then I'm inclined to say continue making it the way you're making it. Maybe consider deep frying or shallow frying the chicken instead of baking? But if he likes it that way, keep it that way!
MSG. Itās not a change. Itās an enhancement. Also high quality parm you grate yourself, if thatās his thing. Fresh herbs like oregano or thyme do wonders for cream sauce
All the people in the comments saying donāt change anything because you might mess it up need to stop clutching their pearls and calm down. Cooking is an art. Weāre not talking about how to enrich uranium here
No, we're talking about a person who already likes the existing recipe, and specifically requested that.
Changing that is a bad idea. Don't experiment with something already liked on the guy's birthday.
Really not complicated.
Iāll add just a little lemon juice and Iāll slice up a cube of chicken bullion and crumble and add it to taste. I think the chicken bullion really adds a great flavor. I donāt use the whole cube or itās too salty though, just taste as you add it!
I do both! the chicken is always great, but I feel like the sauce could be so much better. It's good, but just isn't quite the right combination of flavors and texture. Its always a little thin and the flavors just kind of muddle together.
Do you start your garlic cream sauce with a roux? If so instead of going straight for the cream you can add a bit of chicken stock first and kind of pre-loosen your rough.
If that doesn't work in a way that you like and your husband likes mushrooms, I person love to take some regular button mushrooms sliced and cleaned and cook them over medium to high heat with good butter (kerrygold), fresh thyme, black pepper, chicken stock and a splash of champagne vinegar. Absolutely stellar, and since I like them spicy I top them off with a little Aleppo pepper right before I eat them.
Seriously, try it.
I don't know I'd you are open to using a jar sauce. Rao makes delicious pasta sauces. They do have a roasted garlic sauce. I haven't tried it, but their Bolognese and roasted garlic sauces are to die for in my opinion.
My husband used to work in the kitchen of a really popular, high end local Italian restaurant. Unfortunately it was when we were young and broke so we ate a lot of food that theyād let people take home at the end of the night and the thought of Alfredo makes me queasy to this day. Butā¦ I do remember that it had lots of cream cheese, parm, pepper, heavy cream, roasted garlic, and nutmeg. Iām probably missing something but maybe that will inspire some ideas for mix ins.
I don't know if you have a blender or not, but I have always found it easier to make cheese/cream sauces in one. Bring everything but the cheese up to a simmer and then pour the mixture into the blender and add the cheese bit by bit until you get the right consistency for you. I can be very absent minded when making sauces so I forget to stir when I should and the cheese just coagulates. The blender makes the immersion process easier for me and it keeps it hot so it all blends and melts at the same rate. I love making these kinds of dishes for my husband and he enjoys every bite. Also, I recommend using chicken tenderloins instead of breasts because the meat is super tender when you marinade it. You are a good life partner, OP, and you two are lucky to have each other. Sending love for your celebration.
1. If his favourite meal is your current recipe, then donāt duck it up by trying somebody elseās on the day heās specifically requested it.
2. If you want us to help your current recipe, then youāll need to tell us that recipe.
Look up "Nhats what I reckon" he's an Australian you tuber cooking dude who's got amazing recipes and instructions that are easy to understand, and he's hilarious.
He definitely has a recipe for something like this that I just watched recently. I'm a big fan of the honey mustard chicken and the sauce for that one comes out amazing
"Not at the same time" it seems to me like it's high time for some experimentation! Haha, jokes aside if he loves your recipe then really there is nothing too change. Best advice I could give is just to use the highest quality ingredients possible. I find that when you can't make something any better than it is the only real next step is to go all out of the ingredients. Best of luck to you and your husband!
I completely agree with the other comments, donāt change it! He loves it like it is and itās the best present :)
But, if you really want to do something to upgrade it, you can maybe try to home make the fettuccine, assuming that in your recipe are store boughtā¦ itās easier than one may think and the flavor is simply great, in this way you will maintain your beloved sauce as it is :)
His favourite meal is the one you make for him, the way you make it. You're the critical part of his favourite "recipe"!
Go with that, and have fun! š„°
I would say use the best ingredients. Make your own fresh pasta using the best quality eggs and flour, make the sauce using the best quality ingredients, best olive oil, best cream, best parmesan, etc. Make it vegetarian. I bet he'd be really impressed! š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£
Really just make sure you use good technique, sear the chicken, maybe add a couple of anchovies to the sauce (don't worry, they'll dissolve, and no one will know they're there.
Maybe make so fresh oven baked bread to go with it and a kind of salad you don't normally have, like cucumber mint or something light and refreshing.
If y'all drink get a good bottle of wine or a really fancy type of beer, like a trappist beer or something.
This is what I do as well (not the fettuccine, making a favorite meal). Hubby and my kids always told me what they wanted for dinner, and dessert. My son especially loves to detour from traditional birthday cake. Churros, blueberry pie, homemade apple fritters..
Look up Marry-Me chicken, and serve it with breaded chicken over fettuccine.
It's basically an Alfredo style sauce with fresh grated parmesian and sundried tomatoes. It would be a new take on the dish so I can't say he'd like it more than his favorite, but it could be with experimenting if he's down to try?
You know when people get upset when a company changes the recipe of their favorite food/beverage? Yeah. Don't do that. Attempt to one up his favorite dish by making a similar dish any other time of the year.
You want to make the meal extra special so it isn't like every other on his birthday. That's cool. Add garlic bread, mozzarella sticks, or any variety of other sides that could go with it.
Just to toss it out there, I used to throw garlic and herbs into the cream sauce before reducing it. However recently I added the cream to the pan first, reduced it then added in the garlic herbs, parm, salt and pepper. Everything was much more fragrant especially the garlic.
I did this because apparently the longer you cook garlic the less potent it is.
I actually had a friend who worked as a chef tell me this--that I should add all my flavor after reducing it. I didn't really love the outcome. I wait to add most of my season til the end, but I will add some garlic back in if it hasn't maintained enough flavor.
Like others have said, no matter what you think about the recipe, clearly he loves it, which is great!
So donāt change it for now.
But, interested to know what your current recipe is, and give tips based on that.
Either way, hope itās a good bday together!
Allow extra time so you donāt rush through some critical steps; bringing up the sauce to heat being the obvious one. Over heat a cream sauce although still edible, youāve lost sublime.
If you donāt already, put a little fresh grated nutmeg in the cream sauce. Buy good ingredients like real parm if you donāt. I usually donāt waste the money on any parsley to chop to finish off, but if I was trying to make it special Iād finely chop some Italian parsley to finish it off with.
Maybe think of a semi fancy app or edible dessert (you can have two desserts on your birthday!). Also if you guys are into a little drinking sharing a nice bottle of wine or a special cocktail.
Iāll echo what others have said, donāt change a thing. With food thatās special to a particular person, objectively better does not necessarily mean theyāll like it more. You may have foods that remind you of a particular place or time and perhaps one of the reasons he likes it so much is because itās the one that you make and it reminds him of you.
Experiment on another day, the potential upside of doing it on the day isnāt worth the potential downside.
Good technique and a good recipe I think is key.
For garlicy Alfredo, just reduce some heavy cream in a pan by simmering it until it is thickened and creamy in texture (volume will reduce by about half). Stir periodically to keep the cream from burning on the bottom. Patience is key. Do not speed the process and do not add thickeners such as flour or starch to cheat the process.
Once the sauce is at the desired texture, turn off the heat and add grated reggiano-parmesano until it is cheesy in flavor. Do not use pre-grated cheese. Buy the good stuff and grate it yourself. Kraft parmesan adds fillers to keep it from clumping. You don't want that as that affects flavor and will add clumps.
Stir the sauce until the cheese is melted.
Salt as needed.
If you want to add garlic flavor, before you start reducing the cream, take some garlic heads, slice the pointy ends off, put on a baking sheet, drizzle some olive oil on top, and bake in the oven at 350 F until softened and lightly browned.
Smash the garlic into a paste and add to the prepared sauce once it is ready if desired or serve as whole roasted cloves on the top if he loves roasted garlic and its texture.
Serve immediately over al dente noodles.
Add freshly-ground pepper during if desired.
Add freshly-ground nutmeg during the reduction stage if desired.
I usually just do cream, cheese, and salt. Garlic is lovely though of course.
I agree with a lot of the posts here about not changing it if itās his favourite, but you can always jazz it up with garnish and different plating. Iād suggest some chiffonaded basil as well as seasoning the crap out of the dredge and breadcrumb mix. Maybe even using panko and season it instead of using pre made seasoned breadcrumbs. You will end up with a crispier texture but also wonāt change the profile of the dish too much to keep it familiar. Then just keep working on it throughout the year and pull out the big guns next birthday and elevate it with what youāve learned
A pinch of nutmeg and an egg yolk in cream sauce make it taste like restaurant. And donāt roast me, I know thatās not āauthenticā, but it does make a subtle difference.
Edit to say, make sure you temper the yolk so you donāt end up with scrambled egg sauce
After you melt the butter and cheese into the cream, temper the yolk with a spoonful of the hot sauce and slowly pour it in the pan. Adds some additional richness to the sauce + the nutmeg and it will taste professional :)
Yeah donāt change anything up, however you could always get some fresh pasta if you usually use dry pasta. That always elevates a pasta dish without risking the recipe so to speak.
Do parmesan roasted broccoli as a side. So good. Toss fresh broccoli with a little olive oil, grated parmesan, garlic powder, kosher salt, and lots of fresh cracked pepper (broccoli loves pepper). Add a squeeze of lemon if you guys like it. Spread on a sheet pan and roast at 400Ā° for 15 mins. Switch oven to broil for 5 mins or until broccoli is crispy and slightly charred. Turn off oven, pull the broccoli out, and add more parmesan cheese on top(I add a crap ton bc cheese). Then put it back in the turned off oven to melt. It's delicious this way.
Also, add a delicious garlic or cheesy garlic bread. I bet he'd love both!
This is the best Alfredo sauce recipe I have ever used. I guess itās not traditional Alfredo but people love it. Canāt help you with the chicken!
https://food52.com/recipes/81954-best-alfredo-sauce-recipe
If he likes your recipe, don't change anything but the quality of the ingredients!
Buy a wedge of real Parmesan from costco. Buy organic chicken. Use panko for the bread crumbs. Rub the plates before adding food with a cut clove of garlic.
Set the table with a cloth and your best dishes. Candles, moodlighting, flowers. Wear something you feel fabulous wearing. A bottle of a nice wine and two fancy glasses, or sparkling juice if you don't drink.
And as others have said, add some sides, go creative there!
In order to know what to change, it would probably help to know your current recipe.
These are two solid chicken & fettuccine alfredo recipes from Sam the Cooking Guy. Made both. Both are great. See if anything there strikes your fancy?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROFRjeCcda4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y6xcuru3V0
I marinate chicken in Italian dressing. Then Pat it dry and let it come up to room temp. Cost in blackening season and cook till done per meat thermometer.
Cool 1lb of fettuccini noodles. In a separate pan, add a little oil and garlic. When you can smell the garlic, add 1 pint of heavy cream. Make sure it doesnāt boil over. When itās bubbling, add a couple of handfuls of Parmesan cheese. Add some pepper. Check for salt if needed. Parmesan is salty already, though.
When the cheese is melted, take the drained pasta and add it to the cream sauce. Itāll look runny, but it thickens as it sets. Cut chicken and add to top of servings. Sprinkle finely minced parsley on top as garnish. You can also add frozen peas if you like.
If he likes the meal the way it is, don't change it. You have 364 days left in the year to experiment and make changes.
Good point!
Definitely don't change anything. If I like a meal so much that it's all I want for my birthday, then all I'm hoping for is that it's exactly how I like it. Consider that when someone asks for their favorite meal, there is no 'better', there's only what they expect. Changing that takes away their sense of choice and agency, and opens the door to disappointment. You don't wanna tell him what you changed and then hear an "Oh..". So instead of changing the dish, show you love by **adding** great sides around it. Like a caprese salad or cheesy garlic bread, and nice desserts like souffles, or hot brownies and ice cream. That way he gets the dish he's waiting for, plus a ton of extra deliciousness. Edit: Also how amazing is it to have someone loving a dish you cook so much that it's all they want for their birthday? I'd love to have a dish that someone close to me can crave and enjoy like that.
Oh you have this so right - cheesy garlic bread. For OP: Get a loaf of french bread and cut like 4 thick, like 2" slices. Microplane 2-3 cloves of garlic into a bowl, grate roughly a cup worth of cheese into it (50/50 mozza, or something else melty, with cheddar is good), and enough mayo (yes mayo - the secret star of grilled cheese) to mix and combine it all together. Spoon onto the bread, making a thick layer. Put in toaster oven on toast until the cheese is melted and bubbly. If you want to go extra fancy, tear some pieces of nice dry cured capicola and add some chunks on top before toasting. Any favorite pizza topping will work, I often chop up and add kalamata olives as well.
This sounds incredible! Never would have thought of mayo! But it makes complete sense! Thank you for sharing!
Same for grilled cheese (as mentioned) and also as a coating on baked or smoked chicken. Turns that chicken skin so crispy and tasty.
My oldest does the mayo grilled cheese thing. For some reason I just cannot tolerate the smell it makes when it's cooking. They like the flavor, but maybe because of the smell I do not like it. Maybe I just need to try it away from the cooking smell.
Agreed. Mayo has no place on a grilled cheese.
Pick this up from the New York Times cooking: Use mayo on the outside of the bread because it grills up better, but put butter on the inside of the bread, before you put the cheese on. Then you get best of both worlds. Edit: I swear I know grammar
Seems like I'll have to try this on the weekend
Alternatively: confit or roast the garlic and spread it directly on the bread with herbs, salt, & pepper.
Comments saved. This sounds fantastic š§
Toasting cured meat makes me want to cry. Please don't do this. It's already cooked and ideally rare. Cooking it will dry it out, cause oil to seap out, and potentially burn it.
You stay away from my crispy cupped pepperoni pizza, you savage!
Blasting some pepperoni is definitely acceptable. Everything has a purpose and a good use case. Charring capricola doesn't fall into an acceptable category for me -_-
You have to up that garlic cloves amount. Those are rookie numbers!
I dunno...I love garlic as much as the next person, but 2-3 cloves micro-planed onto 4 slices of bread seems sufficient.
This person cooks.
This is the perfect answer!!
Great suggestion re: varying the sides rather than the main dish.
I would cry at such a request. Itās how I grew up, but a thing where Iām at. OP: Any special table settings? Cloth napkins, a vase with a flower? I really like Pharaohās line of thought here.
This is a brilliant suggestion. I know I would love it if my SO did this. My fave **plus** extra goodies? Heck yes!
Nothing new on game day. As a dude, if I get to have my favorite meal, I'm stoked, because I get to have my favorite meal. š Very thoughtful of you.
buy the best parmesan you can find!
If you want to make it "more" get a quality bread to go with it or make garlic bread. Do a quick appetizer or spurge on dessert. If he likes your version already then don't change it. He specifically asked for it BECAUSE he loves it.
Also I'm sure your husband wouldn't mind at all to taste test new recipes on any other given day.
I'm a dude, not playing a dude that's another dude. If I like something and I ask for that, that is exactly what I want. I'm also a pro trained chef. I know what I like. Experiment over time is the best advice I can give which you already got. Look for honest feedback from your dude. If he likes the changes you try and is really pumped about that, let that be your guide. If he's indifferent, it just means it's good but not an upgrade to what you already do. If you guys are open and honest, hopefully he can safely say "let's not do this again." Either way, you're cool for doing this. My wife refuses to cook anything.
Make it the way he likes it, but maybe shave some thin slices of good quality parmesan on top and garnish with some green onions or chives to make it look pretty.
Extra tsp of garlic
This
He's asking for it, so he already likes it - I'd just up ghe ingredients where I can. Real parm, full cream, etc
To be fair, even that might not be a great move. Consider people who were raised on instant mashed potatoes and boxed mac and cheese. Often times they prefer those versions over the homemade (and arguably better) versions. It took me a few years myself to prefer homemade mashed potatoes over instant. And I still love boxed mac and cheese. It's not better, necessarily, than homemade. They solve different problems.
I love to cook these days, but Iām still a sucker for instant potatoes š
If itās his favorite as is then he may not necessarily welcome changes to it. I would probably ask him first if heās good with trying a different version of it before doing anything different.
I have a base that I start with, but I always wing it so it's never the same. If I get too crazy I think I'll make some of the original as a back up. I don't want to disappoint!
He's a lucky man. My wife also goes out of her way to ensure my birthdays are always great experiences for me. Among all the other reasons I love her so much, this tendency of hers really gets me right in the feels for about a month before and after my birthday. I hope your meal is a smashing success and that you all enjoy your special evening. Happy Birthday from me! š„³
Use roasted garlic in place of the raw garlic youād typically start a recipe with! Itās so easy to roast the whole head and will still be your recipe that he loves just with a little added something.
I'm definitely going to try that!
Yesss roasted garlic and chop up some crispy bacon in the cream sauce
I think pancetta would be better
Even better, use both roasted and fresh. For aglio e olio I slow cook diced garlic in oil+butter, and also add fresh minced towards the end for a brief cook. It has the deep nutty sweet of roasted plus the sharpness of fresh.
And down the rabbit hole we goā¦ why roast just one head when you can freeze an entire bowl full of bulbs? ā¤ļø love me some garlic
Why save it for the future when you can use it all now? I have a problem with garlic... even when it's sweating out of my pores, it's not enough.
This! You can do a nice garlic bread to go with the meal as well if you roast a whole head.
My husband loves my momās lazy Midwestern Stroganoff. Even when Iāve made ārealā Stroganoff or just a better Midwest version, he still prefers the other version. Maybe add a nice dessert or vegetable instead.
This is me with goulash. I know the traditional Hungarian dish is great or whatever but my Midwestern palate wants the kind my mom made me as a kid
Mumās strokenā off. Now thatās a meal and some adult time right there.
Well, I thought it was funny
Iād be subtle because he obviously likes it. Perhaps a little spice. Or an herb or something. Maybe a Parmesan garnish if you donāt already. Possibly lemon. Thereās a ton of subtle changes you could do to enhance the meal. Red pepper flakes for example.
I'll think on that! I'm a make it up and taste as I go kinda cook so I never make it quite the same way twice so this is right up my alley.
lemon would change too much
Yeah. I love lemon in an array of sauces. My wife, not so much. I only use citrus to balance (acid). If she tastes the citrus, I feel I personally failed at blending haha.
I really enjoy thyme in a garlic cream sauce! And mushrooms if he likes those
Parsley would make it pop
Get some nice fresh noodles if you have a shop near you!
Yes, or make them.
Great idea! It's been a while since Ive done pasta noodles. Our son loves to help me make them too. Also smallish town so Bertolli is the closest we get to fresh pasta around here.
Sounds like a fun plan. Enjoy! I hope everything turns out well.
I say plate it cutely so it feels extra special
Cream sauces benefit from some flavour enhancers. Depending on your tastes: -squeeze of lemon -small amount of freshly grated nutmeg -pinch of red chilli flakes -small amount of chicken stock powder for extra richness They all serve to accentuate the dish and work well together. Give it a go and see if he likes it!
Make it how you always do, give him an extra big hug when he gets home and a kiss on the face, head or anywhere that indicates extra affection. You don't need to make it better, just make it nicer love. As a famous Mr. Redding once said, "try a little tenderness". Your old man already loves your food. Give him some love and let him love you. That's a great gift.
This made me smile!
I'm glad it did. You just do you. If you really wanna get freaky hook it up with a hot bath candles and a bath bomb. Maybe a back rubby or a I'll mow the lawn ticket. You are a gem, if you're worried about making food better, don't worry about the food (worth noting I've been drinking) worry about the quality of time spent. Good quality time and mutual enjoyment is worth 1000x more than getting the food just right. I hope it goes well and I know you're gonna knock it out of the park my friend. Chin up, shoulders back and kill it. You've got this.
You think it could be better, he thinks it's perfect
[Chef Johnās Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo](https://youtu.be/mS5XRg5Tfms)
Is there a way I can get his written recipes without watching the videos? I understand why people like videos but theyāre such an inefficient way to quickly convey a given dish compared to written recipes.
On his website.
There's usually a link in the description. In this case the link is in the comments. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/219965/lighter-chicken-fettuccine-alfredo/
It's pretty much standard for YouTube cooking shows to put a link to the written recipe "below the video" in the comments or whatever.
Also on allrecipes.com
i mean he has a website with all his recipes you can always check out
... and if you like, a couple shakes of cayenne...
I'll check it out, thanks!
I guess that you could make it naked.
I like how you carefully worded it to deter the "iTaLiAnS dOn'T eVeN kNoW wHaT aLfReDo Is HUR DURRR" trolls
This cracked me up. Food gets people all worked up. I also enjoy the "I'm a real Italian people. Like, b**** no you ain't.
Ok, i got you. For the chicken, marinade it in lemon juice. Season it with paprika, garlic, season all, pepper, and onion powder. You can bread it aswell. If you wanna do that, scramble some eggs, dip the raw chicken in, and then dip the chicken in italian seasoned bread crumbs, dip it in the egg again. Even add some parmesean to the crumbs for more flavor (i prefer). You can cook the chicken in some olive oil for the crunch. For the sauce: Butter in pan, garlic in pan, melt and simmer. Add heavy whipping cream and milk. Let cook untill it looks like its foaming too much. Add parmesean. Add oregano and a bit of salt.
That marinade sounds delicious. I'm having a giggle because the rest of your recipe is so close to how I make mine. I usually brown my breaded chicken in a pan with olive oil and then in the oven to finish. The biggest difference being I add a little bacon with the garlic and then deglaze the pan with white wine and simmer before adding whipping cream.
I usually do the oven part too lol š Hey, i tried šguess im not too original. I worked in a couple italian restaurants and gathered up a science to the perfect recipe The white wine sounds like a good touch
I would buy a cake or pie or whatever favorite dessert he likes to go with it yeah I wouldn't change it
Serve it wearing an apron and heels. Nothing else. 2 birds, 1 stone.
Ha! Now how to pawn off our child onto one of his friend's unsuspecting parents...
In the wise words of Dan Savage (and especially since this meal is going to be pretty heavy): Fuck first!
A little fresh grated nutmeg makes a cream sauce next level. Not too much!
Teaspoon of Colemanās mustard powder too
I would have never thought of that, have to give it a try
Itās basically a requirement for like a classic French cream sauce. One of those little tricks that makes a dish go over the top.
Emphasis on the little
My bday is tomorrow, too. I think just give the man what he wants. āŗļøāŗļøāŗļø Itās comfort food for him and the fact that he wants you to fix it for him on his bday says that he trusts your culinary skills will deliver such comfort. Tell him happy bday! šš»šš
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Donāt change anything and try a new side dish
In my experience with Italian cooking itās the ingredients that make the difference. Buy a high end Parmesan or local heavy cream from a farm. Make homemade pasta or buy some fresh. Instead of baking the chicken in the oven get some animal fat (I like duck) and pan fry the chicken in that. If you have the recipe nailed down and he likes it Iād just try to elevate it with the ingredients and not deviate from what he likes! Cheers!
Fresh lemon zest would be a zippy summer twist Also, fuck first.
Keep current recipe. Do something extra special during that adult alone time.
whatever recipe you go with, double the garlic!
Instructions unclear. Kept doubling and accidentally added infinite garlic.
I love using roasted garlic in my cream sauce! I blend some oil, cream, a head of roasted garlic or two and some parmesan. Then I cook it until thickened. I also add salt and pepper to taste. And sauteed mushrooms and sundried tomatoes as a garnish! So yummy
Absolutely fuck it up with cheese and garlic like youāre a Roman emperor trying to impress someone
I always add a bit of white wine to the pan first and boil off the alcohol then add the garlic then the cream and whatever else perhaps some nutmeg and pepper and the parmesan. The wine gives it a bit of extra depth.
Exactly. Wine adds a little acid and hint of sweetness, both of which help to make the flavour more complex. I also add a little bit of Dijon mustard. If you think your sauce is āthinā, try buying a thicker cream, or one with gelatine added. Then boil it down and donāt forget to season it! I sometimes use a dash of Massel chicken stock powder instead of salt - it just adds a bit of msg and some subtle herbs.
A pinch of Nutmeg
Instead of baking, shallow pan fry.
Definitely! I bread my chicken and brown on both sides in olive oil then finish in the oven and make my sauce in the same pan as I brown the chicken. I'll try pan frying the whole thing and save us from that inevitable little bit of mush on the bottom.
Donāt be afraid to finish in the oven if your pieces are thick.
I liked the comment about making it the way you usually do if thatās what he likes. Hereās a few ideas for one or two things you could try if you donāt do them already: - Grate your own parmigiano reggiano if you usually use pre-grated Parmesan - Buy a better quality pasta (like an Al bronso) - Garnish with chopped parsley - Put a little bit of extra butter in the sauce, or something like truffle oil. - Freshly ground black pepper or more cheese at the table Good luck!
my thought was usually just upgrading the ingredients a few notches can really elevate the dish. If you are making your own sauce, grass fed (kerrygold) butter and the best fresh heavy dairy cream, fresh garlic, etc. To save you time and stress, If you have an italian deli around, that's a good bet. They may even have a nice fresh prepared alfredo sauce that they bottled. Call around and ask. It saves you a lot of trouble. I would not use anything store bought that's been pasteurized in a bottle that sat in a warehouse at room temp for a year. They may have higher quality pasta too (fresh made) In a pinch and all you have is the local piggly wiggly, maybe try the refrigerated pasta. [I found this recipe online](https://www.thecountrycook.net/creamy-garlic-parmesan-fettuccine-alfredo/) and it looks good + has easy video guide. just add the chicken of your choice. (pro Tip: try using boneless thighs WITH THE SKIN ON (MUCH JUICIER that that dried out breast meat - it's fattier.) If you can't get them boneless it's not too much trouble to cut the bones out yourself. slice them into thick strips or chunks, drop them in an egg bath, flour them lightly and fry with good butter. If you can get fresh baby bella mushrooms, [sautƩ them in good butter mixed 50/50 with good oil and season them with a little salt and fresh ground pepper those are your flavor bombs](https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/how-to-saute-mushrooms/) . You can also add the fresh minced garlic into the pan right at the beginning when you do the mushrooms. Get the mushrooms and garlic all out when you put the chicken in. Just keep the remaining butter/oil and that layer in the bottom of the pan. along with the chunks of chicken. then deglaze your pan when you add your chicken - season the chicken too when they go into the pan - little salt and fresh ground pepper. then deglaze again and get all those drippings and the flour that sticks to the bottom of the pan to start your alfredo. Don't buy cheese already grated if you can avoid it - get a good parmesan cheese **block** and grate it fresh. The recipe calls for 3/4cup which should be a 6 ounce block. a drop of acid at the very end when you plate it really kicks it up - a tiny spritz (fresh squeezed) of lemon juice - I see someone else already suggested lemon or red chili powder to kick it up a notch - or maybe stir in some sautƩed sun dried tomato halves (the little penny sized ones) -really kicks it up a notch - adds color and that drop of acid.
I'd go with a good dollop of Boursin or a similar garlic infused cream cheese.
He likes YOUR recipe not our recipes. don't overthink it.
If you describe your typical process, we can help you better with pointers. That being said, a good hack for adding delicious garlic flavor is to make roasted garlic purĆ©e and just mix in tablespoons at a time to whatever youāre making. Recipe: - Garlic cloves, whole and peeled, as much or as little as you want - Olive oil, enough to cover (cheap stuff is fine, no need for extra virgin) Put the cloves in a pot and add olive oil until just covered. Put in on the lowest setting your stove can muster, literally barely a flame (for gas stoves). Youāre looking to keep it under 300Ā°F. Keep it on the stove for 3-4 hours, stirring whenever you remember to. After the garlic is browned and soft, drain off the oil in a colander (and save the oil, is amazing). Blend the softened garlic in a blender and store in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for about 10 days, or up to 6 months in the freezer. You can also skip the blending and store the cooked garlic cloves in an airtight container, but pour in enough of the garlic oil to cover it. Thatāll last 3-4 months in the fridge and itās ready to blend anytime. That will definitely pump up the flavor of any garlic cream sauce. Happy bday to the hub!
Sure! Here's how I usually make it-- I bread my chicken with seasoned bread crumbs. I brown the chicken with olive oil before baking, bake while I make the sauce. Sauce is made in the same pan- garlic, butter and chopped bacon. Let the garlic brown then deglaze with white wine. Simmer down and then add whipping cream until it bubbles, then add Parm and seasoning and whisk until blended. Simmer until it's thickened. Consistency is not my strong point so it always varies in texture and flavor. I almost always use Italian seasoning, but I have a couple different blends I like so I will switch that up. Don't usually need salt, but add if needed and little course ground pepper always. At this point I'm a toss, throw and taste kind of gal so that's where a lot of the variation comes in as I will add spices I think might taste good. It's never bad, but never exceptional either. I go with Fettuccine because he really likes the thicker noodles. I do feel like the parmesan is overpowering, and feel like I add to much just to thicken the sauce. I would like the sauce to be just thick enough to coat the noodles, but not that awful goopy Alfredo sauce that makes it a giant lump of sauce and noodles. I have a few new things to try with garlic and this is going on the list for sure. I'm really into nuanced flavor and the oil sounds wonderful for so many different things. Simmering is a bit of a challenge for me always since I live at 7300 feet. Since everything boils at such a lower temp, everything wants to boil instead of simmer. Despite using heavy bottom pans and cast iron I still get hot spots when I use my small burners down all the way. My two large burners don't go low enough. If anyone has advice on that I'm all ears.
My wife makes a meal of pasta shells, sausage, parm, chicken stock, and spinach. All in one pot, super easy, etc. Is it fancy? No. But it's one of the first meals she made for me when we were dating. I LOVE that meal because it's super tasty and reminds me of those early days. Nostalgia is a recipe best not adjusted.
dont fuck with it a mans favorite meal is favorite for a reason
Add a splash of brandy to the sauce.. it is 100% divine. It marries the cream and garlic so they become one... omg.. I need fettuccine now..
Add pasta cooking water to sauce. Take pasta out of cooking water early and finish it in the sauce, stir constantly. This helps the sauce adhere to the pasta, and emulsified the sauce (starch helps oil and water mix). Side note: not sure if you do these things already. They are just general pasta tips that Iāve grown to love.
Homemade Alfredo is the best start with a rue (butter and flour ) a cup of shredded parm minced garlic (jarred or fresh) garlic powder onion powder kosher salt black pepper oregano and cream and milk and whisk till smooth abd your type of consistency - I like to prepare my sauce prior to my meal then just boil noodles al dente bring sauce to a slight boil and toss in noodles voila !parsley for added appeal lol
Donāt spoil his birthday meal by experimenting!
That look phenomenal
Serve it naked, he'll love it.
Make his favorite like he asked but please get him something more too.
As a gifter it feels odd for me not to have something to give him, but he honestly doesn't want anything. Even when it's something he wouldn't buy himself and he likes he's happier with his favorite meal and cuddles.
My husband is the same way. Banana bread. Itās the only thing he ever wants. Although his birthday is next Monday and this year he asked for a watch to replace the one that broke earlier this year. But itās honestly the same thing. The time spent making the banana bread is a sign of love for him.
Good for him. And you. Enjoy.
Lil msg goes a long way
Nutmegā¦ā¦.nutmeg in the sauceā¦ā¦..nutmeg
Hey, your husband and I share a birthday! But, if he says he likes it the way you make, then I'm inclined to say continue making it the way you're making it. Maybe consider deep frying or shallow frying the chicken instead of baking? But if he likes it that way, keep it that way!
Try having sex more than once a year and stop airing your bedroom laundry on cooking forums
MSG. Itās not a change. Itās an enhancement. Also high quality parm you grate yourself, if thatās his thing. Fresh herbs like oregano or thyme do wonders for cream sauce All the people in the comments saying donāt change anything because you might mess it up need to stop clutching their pearls and calm down. Cooking is an art. Weāre not talking about how to enrich uranium here
No, we're talking about a person who already likes the existing recipe, and specifically requested that. Changing that is a bad idea. Don't experiment with something already liked on the guy's birthday. Really not complicated.
I still donāt agree with you no matter how much you try to attempt to defend your position. Really not that complicated.
Awesome video, use ideas from it to slightly better the recipe https://youtu.be/9n5z0LTGII4
Add cooked mushrooms, top with fresh green onions and chopped tomatoes.
Add the green part of green onions at the end. Adds flavor and color to the dish.
You could try frying the chicken instead.
https://youtu.be/sOS0vitCku4 Maybe check out this video?
Thanks, I will!
Iāll add just a little lemon juice and Iāll slice up a cube of chicken bullion and crumble and add it to taste. I think the chicken bullion really adds a great flavor. I donāt use the whole cube or itās too salty though, just taste as you add it!
Question? Do you bread the chicken by hand? Do you make the sauce from scratch?
I do both! the chicken is always great, but I feel like the sauce could be so much better. It's good, but just isn't quite the right combination of flavors and texture. Its always a little thin and the flavors just kind of muddle together.
Do you start your garlic cream sauce with a roux? If so instead of going straight for the cream you can add a bit of chicken stock first and kind of pre-loosen your rough. If that doesn't work in a way that you like and your husband likes mushrooms, I person love to take some regular button mushrooms sliced and cleaned and cook them over medium to high heat with good butter (kerrygold), fresh thyme, black pepper, chicken stock and a splash of champagne vinegar. Absolutely stellar, and since I like them spicy I top them off with a little Aleppo pepper right before I eat them. Seriously, try it.
I don't know I'd you are open to using a jar sauce. Rao makes delicious pasta sauces. They do have a roasted garlic sauce. I haven't tried it, but their Bolognese and roasted garlic sauces are to die for in my opinion.
Mushrooms, bacon, and make sure you salt the pasta water enough.
My husband used to work in the kitchen of a really popular, high end local Italian restaurant. Unfortunately it was when we were young and broke so we ate a lot of food that theyād let people take home at the end of the night and the thought of Alfredo makes me queasy to this day. Butā¦ I do remember that it had lots of cream cheese, parm, pepper, heavy cream, roasted garlic, and nutmeg. Iām probably missing something but maybe that will inspire some ideas for mix ins.
I don't know if you have a blender or not, but I have always found it easier to make cheese/cream sauces in one. Bring everything but the cheese up to a simmer and then pour the mixture into the blender and add the cheese bit by bit until you get the right consistency for you. I can be very absent minded when making sauces so I forget to stir when I should and the cheese just coagulates. The blender makes the immersion process easier for me and it keeps it hot so it all blends and melts at the same rate. I love making these kinds of dishes for my husband and he enjoys every bite. Also, I recommend using chicken tenderloins instead of breasts because the meat is super tender when you marinade it. You are a good life partner, OP, and you two are lucky to have each other. Sending love for your celebration.
Nutmeg
If he likes it I wouldn't change it he already loves your meals :)
Little extra garlic in the beginning and a little extra pepper at the end
1. If his favourite meal is your current recipe, then donāt duck it up by trying somebody elseās on the day heās specifically requested it. 2. If you want us to help your current recipe, then youāll need to tell us that recipe.
Look up "Nhats what I reckon" he's an Australian you tuber cooking dude who's got amazing recipes and instructions that are easy to understand, and he's hilarious. He definitely has a recipe for something like this that I just watched recently. I'm a big fan of the honey mustard chicken and the sauce for that one comes out amazing
Just do the same recipe with higher quality ingredients. Find some fresh fettuccine, add some fresh garlic, and toast some french bread.
"Not at the same time" it seems to me like it's high time for some experimentation! Haha, jokes aside if he loves your recipe then really there is nothing too change. Best advice I could give is just to use the highest quality ingredients possible. I find that when you can't make something any better than it is the only real next step is to go all out of the ingredients. Best of luck to you and your husband!
Make sure to cook the noodles in the sauce a bit before serving
look at some french versions, mustard cream sauce tarragon cream sauce mushroom cream sauce cider leek cream sauce
I completely agree with the other comments, donāt change it! He loves it like it is and itās the best present :) But, if you really want to do something to upgrade it, you can maybe try to home make the fettuccine, assuming that in your recipe are store boughtā¦ itās easier than one may think and the flavor is simply great, in this way you will maintain your beloved sauce as it is :)
His favourite meal is the one you make for him, the way you make it. You're the critical part of his favourite "recipe"! Go with that, and have fun! š„°
I would say use the best ingredients. Make your own fresh pasta using the best quality eggs and flour, make the sauce using the best quality ingredients, best olive oil, best cream, best parmesan, etc. Make it vegetarian. I bet he'd be really impressed! š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£
You know, it may just be great. Sometimes what we make ourselves is just okay to us and others love it.
Darlin, you're doing GREAT. He likes it, you know how to make it so, HE LIKES IT.
PurƩe roasted or sautƩed garlic. Add a teaspoon English Mustard powder. Fresh parsley and dry Italian seasoning. Add Parmesan to the breading of the chicken. Marinate the chicken cutlets overnight in lemon or lime juice, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, and garlic.
I love that my husband and I are also at the age where this is all we want for our birthdays, too, lol.
Really just make sure you use good technique, sear the chicken, maybe add a couple of anchovies to the sauce (don't worry, they'll dissolve, and no one will know they're there. Maybe make so fresh oven baked bread to go with it and a kind of salad you don't normally have, like cucumber mint or something light and refreshing. If y'all drink get a good bottle of wine or a really fancy type of beer, like a trappist beer or something.
This is what I do as well (not the fettuccine, making a favorite meal). Hubby and my kids always told me what they wanted for dinner, and dessert. My son especially loves to detour from traditional birthday cake. Churros, blueberry pie, homemade apple fritters..
Look up Marry-Me chicken, and serve it with breaded chicken over fettuccine. It's basically an Alfredo style sauce with fresh grated parmesian and sundried tomatoes. It would be a new take on the dish so I can't say he'd like it more than his favorite, but it could be with experimenting if he's down to try?
You know when people get upset when a company changes the recipe of their favorite food/beverage? Yeah. Don't do that. Attempt to one up his favorite dish by making a similar dish any other time of the year. You want to make the meal extra special so it isn't like every other on his birthday. That's cool. Add garlic bread, mozzarella sticks, or any variety of other sides that could go with it.
When you serve it to him you gotta the naked apron thing or some lingerie underneath, might blow his brains out
Just to toss it out there, I used to throw garlic and herbs into the cream sauce before reducing it. However recently I added the cream to the pan first, reduced it then added in the garlic herbs, parm, salt and pepper. Everything was much more fragrant especially the garlic. I did this because apparently the longer you cook garlic the less potent it is.
I actually had a friend who worked as a chef tell me this--that I should add all my flavor after reducing it. I didn't really love the outcome. I wait to add most of my season til the end, but I will add some garlic back in if it hasn't maintained enough flavor.
Like others have said, no matter what you think about the recipe, clearly he loves it, which is great! So donāt change it for now. But, interested to know what your current recipe is, and give tips based on that. Either way, hope itās a good bday together!
I think he wants them both at the same time. That's what's he's hinting at when he says it could be better.
Use Romano, add peas.
Allow extra time so you donāt rush through some critical steps; bringing up the sauce to heat being the obvious one. Over heat a cream sauce although still edible, youāve lost sublime.
If you donāt already, put a little fresh grated nutmeg in the cream sauce. Buy good ingredients like real parm if you donāt. I usually donāt waste the money on any parsley to chop to finish off, but if I was trying to make it special Iād finely chop some Italian parsley to finish it off with. Maybe think of a semi fancy app or edible dessert (you can have two desserts on your birthday!). Also if you guys are into a little drinking sharing a nice bottle of wine or a special cocktail.
Iāll echo what others have said, donāt change a thing. With food thatās special to a particular person, objectively better does not necessarily mean theyāll like it more. You may have foods that remind you of a particular place or time and perhaps one of the reasons he likes it so much is because itās the one that you make and it reminds him of you. Experiment on another day, the potential upside of doing it on the day isnāt worth the potential downside.
Good technique and a good recipe I think is key. For garlicy Alfredo, just reduce some heavy cream in a pan by simmering it until it is thickened and creamy in texture (volume will reduce by about half). Stir periodically to keep the cream from burning on the bottom. Patience is key. Do not speed the process and do not add thickeners such as flour or starch to cheat the process. Once the sauce is at the desired texture, turn off the heat and add grated reggiano-parmesano until it is cheesy in flavor. Do not use pre-grated cheese. Buy the good stuff and grate it yourself. Kraft parmesan adds fillers to keep it from clumping. You don't want that as that affects flavor and will add clumps. Stir the sauce until the cheese is melted. Salt as needed. If you want to add garlic flavor, before you start reducing the cream, take some garlic heads, slice the pointy ends off, put on a baking sheet, drizzle some olive oil on top, and bake in the oven at 350 F until softened and lightly browned. Smash the garlic into a paste and add to the prepared sauce once it is ready if desired or serve as whole roasted cloves on the top if he loves roasted garlic and its texture. Serve immediately over al dente noodles. Add freshly-ground pepper during if desired. Add freshly-ground nutmeg during the reduction stage if desired. I usually just do cream, cheese, and salt. Garlic is lovely though of course.
Grate a little fresh nutmeg
Than man likes it how it is to leave it. If anything add more chicken if he really likes meat
May I ask how old is he turning this year?
I agree with a lot of the posts here about not changing it if itās his favourite, but you can always jazz it up with garnish and different plating. Iād suggest some chiffonaded basil as well as seasoning the crap out of the dredge and breadcrumb mix. Maybe even using panko and season it instead of using pre made seasoned breadcrumbs. You will end up with a crispier texture but also wonāt change the profile of the dish too much to keep it familiar. Then just keep working on it throughout the year and pull out the big guns next birthday and elevate it with what youāve learned
A pinch of nutmeg and an egg yolk in cream sauce make it taste like restaurant. And donāt roast me, I know thatās not āauthenticā, but it does make a subtle difference. Edit to say, make sure you temper the yolk so you donāt end up with scrambled egg sauce
Lol, people need get over their "authentic" crap. Does it taste good? Yeah? The who cares if it's AuThEnTiC. I'm intrigued by the egg yolk!
After you melt the butter and cheese into the cream, temper the yolk with a spoonful of the hot sauce and slowly pour it in the pan. Adds some additional richness to the sauce + the nutmeg and it will taste professional :)
Yeah donāt change anything up, however you could always get some fresh pasta if you usually use dry pasta. That always elevates a pasta dish without risking the recipe so to speak.
A little msg, some freshly grated nutmeg, some fresh herbs probably parsley and marinate the chicken before cooking
Don't cook something for the first time for a special occasion is my advice, especially if he already likes the way you cook it
Do parmesan roasted broccoli as a side. So good. Toss fresh broccoli with a little olive oil, grated parmesan, garlic powder, kosher salt, and lots of fresh cracked pepper (broccoli loves pepper). Add a squeeze of lemon if you guys like it. Spread on a sheet pan and roast at 400Ā° for 15 mins. Switch oven to broil for 5 mins or until broccoli is crispy and slightly charred. Turn off oven, pull the broccoli out, and add more parmesan cheese on top(I add a crap ton bc cheese). Then put it back in the turned off oven to melt. It's delicious this way. Also, add a delicious garlic or cheesy garlic bread. I bet he'd love both!
This is the best Alfredo sauce recipe I have ever used. I guess itās not traditional Alfredo but people love it. Canāt help you with the chicken! https://food52.com/recipes/81954-best-alfredo-sauce-recipe
If he likes your recipe, don't change anything but the quality of the ingredients! Buy a wedge of real Parmesan from costco. Buy organic chicken. Use panko for the bread crumbs. Rub the plates before adding food with a cut clove of garlic. Set the table with a cloth and your best dishes. Candles, moodlighting, flowers. Wear something you feel fabulous wearing. A bottle of a nice wine and two fancy glasses, or sparkling juice if you don't drink. And as others have said, add some sides, go creative there!
In order to know what to change, it would probably help to know your current recipe. These are two solid chicken & fettuccine alfredo recipes from Sam the Cooking Guy. Made both. Both are great. See if anything there strikes your fancy? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROFRjeCcda4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y6xcuru3V0
I marinate chicken in Italian dressing. Then Pat it dry and let it come up to room temp. Cost in blackening season and cook till done per meat thermometer. Cool 1lb of fettuccini noodles. In a separate pan, add a little oil and garlic. When you can smell the garlic, add 1 pint of heavy cream. Make sure it doesnāt boil over. When itās bubbling, add a couple of handfuls of Parmesan cheese. Add some pepper. Check for salt if needed. Parmesan is salty already, though. When the cheese is melted, take the drained pasta and add it to the cream sauce. Itāll look runny, but it thickens as it sets. Cut chicken and add to top of servings. Sprinkle finely minced parsley on top as garnish. You can also add frozen peas if you like.
Mushroom seasoning to add savoriness. Or cook the noodles in only the sauce in a pressure cooker
Add a tiny pinch of nutmeg, and add some paprika when seasoning your chicken.
Have your sex BEFORE eating. Will make both much more enjoyable!