Nebraska football tailgate: Week 5 road trip to Illinois

The Nebraska football program may go through some changes in the near future, but for now focus needs to be on the task at hand – beating the Fighting Illini.

I’m thrilled to say we got a Nebraska football win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights last Saturday! And that punt return by De’Mornay Pierson-El, you KNOW I was loving that!

The topper was the defense being more aggressive and Devine Ozigbo absolutely lived up to his name, if you ask me.  Now fast forward to a short week and pack your bags for a road trip to Champaign, Illinois.

I’ll admit that when I think of Illinois my mind thinks Chicago, rather than Champaign. But a road trip is the perfect time to let your mind wander so just go with me for a bit because I’m trying to plan the homegate on short notice.

When I think of Chicago, I think of pizza and mobsters. (Yeah, I’m a little strange but this isn’t news)  You’re probably now asking “what does this have to do with Husker football?” Well I’m thinking that there’s not a lot of time after work to get somewhere for the game Friday night at 8 pm ET, on  FS1, so what can we make fast and easy for entertaining that isn’t criminal?

My answer is PIZZA! And if all goes well we rob another Big Ten opponent of a victory.

Here’s the plan. Have plenty of toppings and pizza shells (Boboli works great) on hand and let people make their own. Feel free to have big or little size shells. The must have meat toppings are pepperoni and sausage.

Then there are toppings for the healthy crowd like mushrooms, artichoke bits, red onions, Roma tomatoes, spinach, broccoli and even pineapple. Mix it up with sauces too: traditional tomato based sauce (Chef-boy-ardee is my fav actually), or a BBQ sauce, or a creamy garlic sauce, or even an Alfredo sauce works.

Don’t skimp on on cheese. That would be criminal. Mozzarella is the base but add in some Parmesan, Monterey Jack, maybe some Provolone and even toss in some cheddar. Since the majority of the ingredients are already cooked, no need to keep it in the oven long. Just make sure the cheese melts.

Now what to drink? Back to the mobsters. One of the most famous mobsters, Alphonse Gabriel “Al” Capone, gained his reputation in Chicago. He was a big fan of whiskey. It was his most popular bootleg item…ahem…allegedly. So I let the whiskey inspire me.

Hopefully the bootleg will inspire the Huskers too. (see what I did there?) If you have time to mix up another munchie try this Kentucky Bourbon chex mix recipe. Trust me and double it.

Keeping with that whiskey/bourbon theme, I was inspired by the Lynchberg Lemonade. Dissolve a box of lemon jello with a cup of lemonade warmed up in the microwave. Mix in 1/2 cup of bourbon and 1/4 cup triple sec, pour into shot cups and chill. Not gonna lie, these jello shots can be as dangerous as a mobster. Or as dangerous as Husker linebacker Luke Gifford stealing into the A gap.

Another quick appetizer idea is warm up a bunch of pre-made meatballs with some spaghetti sauce in a little crockpot. Serve them up with toothpicks for individual munching, or have some buns handy for meatball subs! Grab some Parmesan or Provolone from the pizza bar to top it off. Enjoy the Big Red goodness!

I’m not going to complain about 9 Husker players still being on the injury list. I’m not going to complain about no tailgate or football game on Saturday. I’m not even going to complain about the pick 6 bug that Tanner Lee has lately.

I AM going to focus on the positives. The defense is being more aggressive and making strides. Tight ends are starting to provide extra protection for Lee. And DPE is back on track and keeping Big Red in the game!

Try and leave work a little early. Get home and get your homegate spread put out and then sit back and enjoy the game. Don’t forget to offer to help clean up if you’re a guest, and bring a dessert for your hostess. Travel safely and GO BIG RED!