The Recipe For Tailgating Fun (NAPSA)—During football season, while the games are cause for excitement, tailgating is a big part of the appeal. In fact, a recent national survey shows that 55 percent of people actually find tailgating at homeorat the stadium to be more fun. To help fans throughout the season, Ragii and John Madden have teamed up to offer tailgating tips, advice and easy recipes guaranteed to score a touchdown. “The football teams that win are the ones that have a game plan, and that goes for tailgating as well,” says Madden. “You need to have a winning attitude, and be prepared to tackle all aspects of tailgating, whetherit’s preparing the right food or bringing the right mix of people.” Madden, a champion tailgater himself, offers these tips for the perfect tailgate: Plan, Pack and Party: With any good party, success is in the details. But, when it comesto tail- gating, 48 percent of people don’t plan in advance, according to the tailgating survey. Madden recommends putting together a guest list and dividing responsibilities among you and yourfriends. Write down all the essentials, including food, bever- ages, coolers, trash bags and bottle openers and pack them in your vehicle the night before. Be sure to plan for unexpected weather conditions with rain or cold weathergear. Share and Share Alike: Bring more than enough food to feed the crew. Nothing ruins a good tailgating party like running out of grub. And, there’s no better way to make newfriends than to share your food with fellow tailgaters. For fun, swap recipes and leftovers with your tailgating neighborsafter the game. Have No Fear, the Foodis Here: Make your party an offthe-field hit this season with food that’s easy to prepare, creative and hearty, such as Ragi’s Sloppy oil over medium-high heat and cook red pepper, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in Meat Sauce andbasil. Bringto a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or until heated through. Serve on rolls, sprinkle with cheese. Taste Tested Recipe from The Ragu Kitchens John Madden serves up one of his favorite Rich and Meatytail- gating dishes. Joes and Calzones. These fast and easy meals made with Ragu Rich & Meaty Meat Sauce can be prepared right before you head to the stadium and allow you to skip the steps of thawing and browning meat, which means less time preparing food and more time for pre-game partying. Rich & Meaty’ Sloppy Joes Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 10 min. Servings: 12 Ingredients: 1 Thsp.olive oil 2 cups choppedredbell pepper 2 jars Ragt’ Rich & Meaty’ Mama’s Meat Sauce % cup finely chopped fresh basil leavesor 2 tsp. dried basil leaves, crushed. (optional) 12 soft Italian rolls or (6-in.) hero rolls, toasted 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 8 oz.) Directions In 4-qt. saucepan, heat olive Rich & Meaty’ Calzones Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 15 min. Servings: 6 Ingredients: % cup ricotta cheese 1 package refrigerated pizza crust 1 cup Ragw’ Rich & Meaty’ Sausage, Peppers and Onions Meat Sauce Directions Preheat oven to 400F. On greased bakingsheet, unroll dough; cut in half lengthwise. Spread 4 cup ricotta cheese over each half leaving a *4-inch edge. Top each half with % cup Ragt Meat Sauce. Fold dough over and seal by pressing edges with fork. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Taste Tested Recipe from The Ragu’ Kitchens All of John’s advice, plus official rules and details for a sweepstakes where fans can vote for their favorite tailgate recipe and enter for a chance to win a trip to Pro Foot- ball’s All-Star game in Hawaii in February, is available at www.eat.com. Or, call 1-877-RAGU- WINfor sweepstakesdetails.
