Our 2011 Favorite Family Recipe Contest Winning Entries
Proudly supported by Quail Ridge Press
And The Prairie Harvest Mercantile, Inc
The results are in for our 2011 Favorite Family Recipe Contest. Just like last time around, in 2008, contestants were asked to submit one recipe along with
a short explanation of why it is of special importance to their family. We asked:
What dish or recipe is an intregal staple at your family get-togethers?
Yes, we were on the hunt for interesting and great tasting recipes. But, also, this contest was just as much a celebration of the important role food plays in our family history and family get-togethers as it is a search for great food.
Here are the 2011 Winning entries - followed by several of our other favorite entries.
1st Place Best Peanut Brittle
Our Grand prize goes to Angie Easterby of Meadow, South Dakota for her "Best Peanut Brittle". Angie wins a gift package from The Prairie Harvest Mercantile
In November of 1963 a recipe for peanut brittle was published in the Tacoma News Tribune, Tacoma, WA. I clipped the coupon and made the first batch which was sampled by my father-in-law. He loved peanut brittle but, he was a denture wearer and was unable to eat most brittles because they were too hard or too sticky. He was so impressed with this light, easy to chew peanut brittle, it soon became a favorite.
I began making this recipe for Christmas gifts for friends and family and decided to keep the recipe a "secret". I continued this tradition for more than 50 years, never sharing the recipe. I usually made 50-75 pounds each year.
When our kids married, early each holiday season the requests began to come in, "Mom, when are you going to make peanut brittle?". Finally, as their families grew and they became so spread out, it was no longer feasible to send to each family, so I gave them the recipe! Their comments were: but Mom, yours is the best we can't make it like you do." It's time to learn! :) Occassionally I still make it for them when we have an opportunity to spend Christmas together.
Best Peanut Brittle
3 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
3 cups salted peanuts ( I use cups)
2 teaspoons baking soda
In a heavy sauce pan stir together the sugar, syryp and water. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Continue cookin without stirring until temperature reaches 280 degrees on a candy thermometer. Stir in peanuts gradually so mixture continues to boil. Book, stirring often and watch closely to 300 degrees.
Remove from heat and stir in soda gently but quickly. Pour at once onto (2) buttered cookie sheets. DO NOT SPREAD WITH A TOOL! Let spread by itself. When cool break into pieces and stor in an air tight container. If you us a tool to spread it loses it' light airyness and becomes tough. Yield 2 1/2 pounds.
2nd Place Dad's Crockpot Dressing
Our 2nd Place prize goes to Diane King of Oregon, Ohio for her "Dad's Crockpot Dressing". Diane wins a cook-book from Quail Ridge Press
Whether you call this dressing or stuffing, it becomes a favorite of all who taste it! We call it Dad's recipe, as he is the one who shares it with us now -even at age 86! It is so simple, yet fills the home with an aroma so warm and inviting!
DAD'S CROCKPOT DRESSING
1 cup butter
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 4-oz. cans sliced mushrooms
12 to 13 cups slightly dried bread cubes
1 t. poultry seasoning
1 1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. dried sage
1 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. dried marjoram
1/2 t. pepper
2 to 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 eggs, beaten
Melt butter in skillet and saute onion, celery, parsley, and mushrooms. Pour over bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl. Add all seasonings and toss together well. Pour in enough broth to moisten. Add beaten eggs and mix together well. Pack lightly into medium crockpot. Cover and cook on high 45 minutes, then reduce to low for 4 - 6 hrs.
3rd Place Uncle Greggis Green Chili Cheeseburger Enchiladas
Our 3rd Place prize goes to Amy Angelo of Pennsville, NJ for her "Uncle Greggis Green Chili Cheeseburger Enchiladas". Amy wins a cook-book from Quail Ridge Press
I grew up in a small suburban town in Pennsylvania. I had the best parents and an adorable little sister. I was blessed with many things, a great home, great friends and all the love I could ask for. But, nothing could compare with the summers we spent with Uncle Gregg and Aunt Linda in Texas. Every year, as soon as school let out, our family would take the trip to Uncle Gregg’s house. We packed up the minivan and off we went! Uncle Gregg was a funny looking man; he stood what seemed to be 10 feet tall, with a very large nose and always wearing a fishing hat. He was as eccentric as could be, and always greeted us with big bear hugs and LUNCH. I don’t ever remember a trip to Uncle Gregg’s house where he didn’t have the grill smoking upon our arrival. Green Chili Burgers were his specialty, and we couldn’t run fast enough to the back yard picnic tables. We would eat until we were stuffed and then crash in the back yard hammocks. He always made more burgers then we could possibly eat, and we knew what that meant!!!! Green Chili Enchiladas for lunch tomorrow! Aunt Linda would make the most fabulous enchiladas out of the left over burgers and fresh salsa created right from their enormous garden. I was always sad to leave Uncle Gregg’s house, but now and then my mom would attempt to make Aunt Linda’s Green Chili Enchiladas for a Sunday night dinner treat. The comfort that the dish brought was priceless. That dish took me right back to Uncle Gregg’s backyard, and the smoky smell of summer in Texas.
My children never had the opportunity to meet my Uncle Gregg, but every Sunday, I bring the Green Chili Cheeseburger Enchiladas to the table and we laugh about a silly man in a fishing hat and summers spent daydreaming with overstuffed bellies and memories to last a lifetime.
Uncle Gregg’s Green Chili Cheeseburger Enchiladas
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs of ground beef (80/20)
2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
2 tomatillos (chopped)
1 large onion (chopped)
1 cup cilantro (chopped)
1 can diced tomatoes
4 cups Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups mild chunky salsa
15-20 corn tortillas (white or yellow corn)
1 can or 1 bag (frozen) corn
2 cans green enchilada sauce
Sour cream for topping
Directions:
In a large sauté pan on medium heat, add ground beef. Cook for about 5 minutes, breaking up beef and turning to ensure even browning. Add garlic, chopped tomatillos, onion, and cilantro. Sauté for 6-8 minutes or until the beef has browned and the onions have softened. Remove from heat; fold in the tomatoes and 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour chunky salsa into the bottom of a casserole dish or lasagna pan.
Fill each corn tortilla with about 3 tablespoons of the beef mixture. Wrap the tortilla around the filling and place (seam side down) into the dish. Continue filling tortillas until the pan is full. Cover the enchiladas with a layer or corn and then the green enchilada sauce. Top with the remaining Monterey Jack cheese.
Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Serve with sour cream or your favorite toppings.
4th Place Grandma's Runzasi
Our 4th Place prize goes to Lauri Jardin of Santee, CA for her "Grandma's Runzasi". Lauri wins a cook-book from Quail Ridge Press
I grew up in San Diego California but every summer we would visit grandma in Lincoln Nebraska where my mom grew up. Grandma worked at the University of Lincoln in the cafeteria most of her working life “Go Big Red”. Each year we would visit usually summer time when we had a break from school and sometimes I would stay for weeks alone with grandma.
My favorite memories are grandma in her kitchen and her garden. I loved her Runza’s and my second favorite recipe would be her “Carmel Corn”. So every time I visited she would make dozens of Runzas enough to feed a small army, she was not one to make just a few of anything. Grandma worked in the cafeteria feeding thousands of college kids.
So we would eat Runzas all week long. They were so good I didn’t complain.
My grandma passed 10 years back and to this day I continue to make her Runza’s. My recipe is a bit different from hers she made hers with ground beef and I make mine with ground turkey. Also her recipe was for single servings; mine over the years has turned into a roll. The reason being it’s a lot less time consuming to make, but still tastes great.
I believe grandma would be proud of my version of her recipe and I bet she would of made the roll too but she’s thinking single servings having worked in a cafeteria most of her career. So in honor of my wonderful grandma here’s my version of her “Runzas”.
Runza Loaf
1 pound ground turkey
1 large onion, diced
1 small head of cabbage or 1/2 a large head, chopped in thin ribbons
6 cloves garlic, diced fine or pressed
1 medium Jalapeno (optional)
Swiss cheese slices (I use the processed Swiss as it melts better) about 3 slices
1 loaf frozen bread (it's in the frozen section, it comes in a 3 pack)
1 egg, beaten
Defrost 1 loaf of bread and let rise for a few hours. Brown turkey, onion and jalapeno in large pan with olive oil. Add garlic and cabbage, sauté just enough to get the cabbage a little soft and remove from heat to cool. Roll your bread on a floured board like making a pizza but in a rectangle. You might want to put a piece of foil on the board with flour so you can move it to the cookie sheet easier; sometimes it sticks. Fill turkey mixture on half of the bread and top with cheese and fold. I make a U shape out of it to fit on cookie sheet. Brush egg mixture on the edge and press to close. Put on cookie sheet and brush entire Runza with egg mixture.
Bake at 350º for about 20 minutes until brown. Let cool about 1 hour before eating because it will ooze out. It's even better the next day.
Honorable Mentions
Recipe contest submission by
Jennie Vee McFadden
CHICKEN/GROUND BEEF STEW
1 cut up chicken (mom would buy one whole,and cut it up herself, it was cheaper.)
1 lb of ground beef
2 cups of rice
1 onion diced
1 pkg of mixed vegetables
1 cans of chicken broth
salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp flour
Cooking instructions:
Place chicken in a large pot cover with water. Bring to a boil and add onions salt and pepper to taste. Boil chicken for 25-30 minutes or until tender. In the mean time take the ground beef and season with salt & pepper and 2 tbsp of the Worcestershire sauce and mix together. Form into 1/2 in size balls and brown in a skillet. Drain put in the pot with the chicken. Brown the flour in a skillet with 2 tsp of cooking oil. Cook rice according to package directions. Combine all ingredients and simmer until done about 8 minutes and enjoy with some of mom's homemade biscuits. Yummy!
This is my favorite family recipe because I come from a family of 16 children, 8 boys and 8 girls. My mother didn't have a job outside of the house because there was too much to do in the home with all of us running around. We were a happy family, even though we didn't have much, we had each other. My mother could take just about anything an make enough food to feed all of us and then some.
We would invite our friends over and they could eat also.
Recipe contest submission by
Jackie Tingler
Spanish Rice
by Tingler
Source: Tex-Mex
Love my mama's food. This Tex-Mex (Spanish) rice goes with everything Mexican. Another simple and easy dish to make and economical.
Servings: 4 to 6
Prep time: 10 to 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 to 35 minutes
Ingredients:
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 4 cups chicken broth or water
• 1 small can of tomato sauce
• 2 cups long grain rice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
1. To prepare the Spanish rice, heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onions, garlic and rice and cook for approximately 6 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly.
2. Add the cumin, chicken stock or (the water) and the one can of tomato sauce to the pot and stir gently.
3. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes with the lid firmly on the pot. Season with salt and pepper.
I love my mom's Tex-Mex Rice. Instead of white rice,(didn't have white rice till I was 20 years old) or potatoes we had her rice as a side dish and we all loved it. With seven kids and a husband it was very economical and delicious....I am getting to almost to the perfection of my mamas' rice....yummmmm
Recipe contest submission by
Dr. Vaishali Agte
Sweet corn and fenugreek leaf layered grilled sandwich
We, in western India, make one traditional recipe using fenugreek leaves wherein we add previously soaked and coarsely ground chick peas to cut leaves of fenugreek and shallow fry with spices, salt and sugar to a semi dry texture.
Inspired by this, I tried a new Indian-Western fusion recipe using sweet corn. There it goes:
Take about one cup of sweet corns and coarsely grind them along with green chilies and cumin seeds as per your taste. Finely cut the fresh fenugreek leaves (You can fetch them in Indian or Chinese food shops). Now, add some olive oil into a cooking pan and let it heat to the temperature for mustard seeds to crack. Add cumin seeds, turmeric powder and then the ground mixture of corn. Stir fry for 2 minutes or till it becomes a semidry homogenous mass. Add salt, lemon juice and sugar (optional).
Take two slices of whole wheat bread. On one, layer the sweet corn-fenugreek mixture followed by Mozzarella shredded cheese. On the other slice, apply butter to both sides.
Make the sandwich in grilled sandwich toaster.
It made a fantastic combination. In case fenugrrek leaves are not available spinach or cilantro leaves could be used.
This recipe is good for diabetics, obese individuals as well as health conscious people.
Recipe contest submission by
michaela
my favorite family recipe is my "Chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies" . this is a very interesting recipe because you dont have to use the oven. it is a very easy and simple desert to make. my mom taught me how to make this recipe and i plan to pass it down for many generations. This amazing cookie tastes the best when youu store it in the frezer to let them ferm up and then take them out before you serve them. But for easy convenence you can store them in the refrigerator. they will taste just as good.
Recipe contest submission by
Hidemi Walsh
In Japan, it is common to eat Christmas Cake on Christmas eve or Christmas. When I was a kid, my mother bought a Christmas cake and we enjoyed a lot. But since I moved out of my parents'house, I bought or made a Christmas cake for my parents. This is the one of the cake I made which was my father's favorite. He said,"taste is like HEAVEN" so I named Heaven Christmas Cake. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed as a perkinson disease 10 years ago and has been hospitalized. I had to give up on making Christmas cake. I had not made any cake for a long time but after I married, I started to make some desert for my husband who is diabetec. I moved to the US 2 years ago so don't have much family history yet but this recipe means a lot to me because my husband took over my father to eat Heaven Christmas Cake. (I make sugar-free cake using splenda, sugar free whipped cream, sugar-free chocolate and so on when I make this for my husband).
I would like to share my original recipe for this contest, not sugar-free since this cake has more history and lots of memories. Very easy to prepare but taste is just like HEAVEN.
Ingredients:
4 oz Toasteds Crackers
4 tablespoons Butter, melted
8 oz Whipped Cream, such as Cool whip (thawed)
2 tablespoons Sugar
1/4 cup Crushed Almond
3 oz Chocolate Bar
5 Oreo Cookies, crushed
Directions:
1.In a Ziploc crush crackers and add melted butter. Mix well. Transfer to the 9 inch pie pan and with hand, press mixture firmly on the bottom of the pan. Let it stand.
2.Chop chocolate bar into uniform pieces and put them into a bowl. Heat 1 cup of hot water in a saucepan over low heat, place the chocolate bowl over the hot water. When chocolate starts to be melted, turn off the heat and stir frequently. When chocolate is almost melted, remove the chocolate bowl from the saucepan and stir until smooth and completely melted.
3.In a bowl, combine whipped cream, sugar, crushed almond (leave 1 tablespoon for topping) and chocolate. Mix well. Then pour into the pie pan.
4.Sprinkle crushed Oreo Cookies and the reserved almond on top. Freeze for 2-3 hours or until sets.
Recipe contest submission by
Perry Hurst
Firehouse Baked Ham
15 lb Shaved Ham
100 small hamburger buns
2 lb dark brown sugar
2 tbl dark cocoa - unsweetened
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 c water
In med sauce pan combine water, sugar, cocoa and cinnamon.
bring to a boil. Stir constantly until sugar is melted.
In large roaster pan place ham and pour above liquid over ham.
cook covered in a 350 deg oven. Bake for 4-5 hours (mixture will be dark)
NOTE: Stir ham mixture every hour to prevent ham pieces from drying out..
Place 2 buns open faced on plate. Using tongs apply ham.
Serve with dill pickle slice and chips. Garnish with yellow mustard if so desired.
NOTE: This may be served hot or cold
Serves 50 people
I made this while i was with fire dept and have served it mny times there and at family dinners. The leftovers (if any) may be referigerated for up to 1 week. The mixture may be frozen for up to 6 months.
Liset Veliz
My families favorite is my flan. I learned it from my grandmother on my step mother's side of the family. Everyone in my family including guests asked for me to make them this desert at family gatherings. My boyfriend tried it from the store and he loved it and moved with me to Miami, Fl for six months. We ran out of money and had to live there for more than we bargained to stay there.
8 eggs (4 egg yolks only)
1 can evaporated milk
1 can whole milk
1 can condensed milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowel. In a sauce pan cook some sugar until it is melted and line it in an oven proof casserole dish. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the dish and bake in an oven 350* for approximatley 1 hour or until cooked. When ready, turn over to the other side when cooled to show the caramel sugar on top. Serve cold.
Recipe contest submission by
Liset Veliz
Hashbrown Casserole with bacon and cheese
1 container Hungry Jack Hashbrowns
1 lb. ground beef cooked
1 lb. bacon cooked
diced potatoes
diced ham optional
1 pint sour cream
1 lb. scallions
In a casserole dish line the hashbrowns layering diced potatoes, beef, bacon and chedder cheese. Garnish with scallions, green onions, bacon and sour cream. Ham can be used also.
Bake in an oven at 350* until cheese melts.
Recipe contest submission by
karen naihe
Growing up in hawaii was a real treat. The Asian influence was found in everything we are. These wings were a favorite around our house while growing up and my children all make them them for their families.
Sticky Wings
3 lbs. chicken wings
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 TBS. garlic powder
1/2 cup soy sauce
Place chicken in large ziploc bag. Add sugars, garlic powder and soy sauce. Soak wings for 2-3 days in the refrigerator turning bag over and mixing 4 times a day. Drain wings. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, drain liquid, stir and continue cooking for 30-40 minutes until cooked through, hot and sticky.
Recipe contest submission by
karen naihe
This jam reminds me of my grandparents. My nana and papa would always grow their own papaya's and we would always have fresh papaya's to eat as well as this jam on toast when my sister and I would spend the weekend with them.
Papaya Pineapple Jam
3 cups chopped, ripe papaya's
2 cups chopped pineapple
5 TBS. fresh lemon juice
5 TBS. fresh orange juice
1 teas. lemon zest
1 teas. orange zest
1 teas. finely minced ginger
sugar
Combine everything except sugar in saucepan. Cook over med-high heat 30 minutes, stirring constantly. Add an equal amount of sugar as you have fruit mixture. Cook 30 minutes or more untill thickened. Pour into hot jars. Seal.
Makes about 3 cups
Recipe contest submission by
Shelia Fullbright
Pineapple cream cheese stuffed peppers. 10 jalapeño peppers seeded. 8 oz pineapple cream cheese. 1 pound maple bacon. Stuff peppers with cream cheese and wrap bacon around each pepper then secure with toothpick. Grill for 30min or until bacon brown and peppers tender. My whole family went nuts over the peppers. It's the only way we will fix stuffed peppers from now on. A must try
Recipe contest submission by
Sherry Day
It was tough to choose just one recipe from my mom's battered and stained recipe box, but I have chosen a delicious recipe that the entire family used to enjoy, and is still just as yummy today!
Bubble Bread
2 loaves frozen bread dough
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 small pkg. butterscotch pudding (not instant)
1 stick butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Slice bread dough into 12 slices each. Place in a greased Bundt pan. Mix white sugar and cinnamon; pour over bread. Mix brown sugar and pudding mix; sprinkle over bread. Melt the butter and pour evenly over bread. Top bread with the nuts and let rise approximately one inch above pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Delicious!
Recipe contest submission by
Alex Vernon
Ingredients - 1 1/4 cups cornmeal 2 1/2 cups water 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions - Mix together cornmeal, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Pour mixture into a loaf pan and chill completely. Remove from pan, cut into slices, and fry in a small amount of oil over medium-high heat until browned on both sides. Serve with maple syrup.
This recipe is very important to me because my this was a staple in my dad's childhood and he passed it along to me. My Grandma Dee made this all of the time. This recipe makes me think about Grandma Dee, even though I never got to meet her. I know that she would be very proud to see my dad and I passing along the tradition!
Recipe contest submission by
Subasree Venkatesan
Achara Masala Okra:
Slice whole okras in the middle. Fry these okras in olive oil till brown and well cooked and keep them aside. Grind roasted fenugreek and cumin seeds together. Add a little of this to olive oil, add sliced tomatoes, pepper powder,salt, turmeric and a cup of curd. Let tomatoes and curd mix together and come to a boil. The oil will seperate out and at this point add the okras, cook for a minute or so and remove from the stove.
Serve this with Indian bread(Chapathis) or with rice.
I accidently tried this one day and my 7 year old called this kulka. "Pulka" is dry Chapathis and the dish to eat with she named it as "Kulka". This has become her favourite and from then on, everyone in my family loves whenever I prepare this dish.
YOu can prepare it with other veggies also, its yummy.
Recipe contest submission by
Sherri Williams
I dedicate these biscuits to my Grandma Sally Ann Logan. Country ham always reminds me of going out to my grandma's house when I was a young girl. I remember waking up on cold mornings to the smell of country ham, bacon, fried potatoes, eggs, and homemade bisuits. It was incredible! She created some of the most spectacular food I have ever eaten in my life, out of her small kitchen. It was there where my love and passion for cooking, started. These mini breakfast biscuits with the extra kick of habanera pepper will jump start your morning and remind you of home. They are quick, easy and delicious!
Habanera Honey Country Ham Biscuits
Ingredients:
12 mini/tea frozen biscuits
6 oz country ham, thinly sliced
2 lg eggs
1/2 md habanera pepper, finely chopped
4 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp italian seasoning
1 tsp paprika, sweet mild
3 Tbsp butter, unsalted
3 pinch salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place biscuits on lightly greased cookie sheet. Have sides touching each other. Cook for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. One minute before cooking is complete, melt 1 tbsp butter, add paprika and italian season. Brush the tops of biscuits with the butter mixture, continue to cook the biscuits for one more minute. Remove biscuits from oven and place on a cooling rack.
2. Meanwhile, in a heated large skillet, add ham slices and enough water to cover ham slices. Cook at medium heat until liquid has reduced in half. This should take about 4-5 minutes. Flip ham slices half way through. After liquid had reduced, remove ham and set or warming plate.
3. Add chopped habanera pepper, mustard and honey to the pan sauce. Simmer on low heat for about 2 mintes. Set aside
4. Whisk eggs, pepper and salt. In a medium size frying pan, add 2 tbsp of butter. Let melt, then add eggs. Cook eggs about 1 minute and flip and cook for an additional minute. Remove and cut into 12 equal pieces
5. Slice biscuits in half. Layer equal parts of egg, honey mustard mixture, ham, honey mustard mixture and tops of biscuits. Serve with fresh fruit and veggies.
Recipe contest submission by
Peggy Calhoun
Pink Lemonade Bars With Ginger Crust
Created in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (coming up in October). O.K Ladies, next month everyone needs to get in for their yearly checkup, a cause I am truly passionate about. Most everyone I know has been affected by breast cancer in some form...either a lump scare, a biopsy, a mastectomy or a death. Early detection does save lives! When life deals you lemons...make Pink Lemonade! Enjoy this recipe as a tribute. My family and friends request this simple delightful treat at family get together s and family functions. Serve year round and see the change you can make by a simple reminder with sharing your dessert dish. This is my favorite family recipe!
Crust
3/4 cup gingersnap cookies (about 15) in food processor
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks
3 Tbsp ice cold water
Filling
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup cool whip
1/2 cup frozen pink lemonade juice concentrate
1 pkg vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
4 drops red food color
1 piece pink candy ribbon cut into 1" thin strips, to shape into the form of a pink ribbon on top each square for garnish
To make crust; Place cookies in food processor. Process on high about 20 seconds, pulse 3-4 times until finely crumbled. Add flour and salt. Pulse. Add butter and continue pulsing until combined. Add water and pulse until ball forms. Remove and press evenly into a 9"x13" baking pan. Prick with fork to vent. Place in preheated oven and bake 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven.
Meanwhile, with crust baking make your filling. In food processor combine cream cheese, milk, coolwhip, pink lemonade, pudding mix and food color. Pulse several times, then process until all ingredients are incorporated and smooth. Remove from processor with spatula and scrape into prepared cooked crust. Spread top evenly with spatula. Refrigerate 1 hour until set. Cut into 12 squares. Top each square in corner with pink ribbon loop shape breast cancer symbol. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy and share!!!
Recipe contest submission by
Cherry Comp
Scalloped Corn
24 saltine cracker squares (crushed)
3 cans cream style corn
2 cans oysters (drained)
6 eggs beaten
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
As a child growing up I remember my great aunt Anne bringing scalloped corn to holiday dinners. You never had to ask great aunt Anne what she was bringing because you always knew her scalloped corn would be there.
Later when I married I found out that my husband's family also shared this dish at family holidays. What a surprise. Now I am always the one to bring scalloped corn whether it be on my side of the family or my husband's.
This recipe has been on both sides of our families for many, many years and I couldn't begin to tell you what a disappointment it would be if I didn't bring scalloped corn to the holiday dinners. It's like bringing a little bit of great aunt Anne home again who passed on many years ago.
Recipe contest submission by
Sherri Bruinsma
Cheesy Meatballs
Make any meatball recipe that is your favorite and cook them all the way done. You can even use pre-made/frozen meatballs but cook them completely. THEN......
On the stove top put 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, 1 can of milk (after you take the soup out), and 1/2 cube of velveeta cheese in a pan. Melt these together, stirring frequently. Once the cheese is all melted pour over the meatball and place in the oven on 350 degrees until the mixture is bubbling. I serve it with mashed potatoes and we use the cheese sauce on our potatoes as well.
I started to make this years ago before we had children. It has become a favorite of my husband and children's. I make if for Sunday dinner and on birthday's when we have company. The children LOVE the cheesy sauce on their mashed potatoes. You can even double the cheese sauce if you are doing a large batch of meatballs.
Recipe contest submission by
Angela Evans
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilaa
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Topping:
1/2 stick melted butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
Combine all ingredients except topping. Mix thorougly and pour into baking dish. Combine topping ingredients and spread over top. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
This recipe was my Great Great Great Grandmother's. Family history tells us she lived near Afton, Virginia which is near Charlottesville. It has been passed down for many, many years and no family get together is complete without it. I have tasted many sweet potato dishes and none have ever compared. The spiced, creamy filling and the caramel like topping is so much better than the marshmellow kind!
Recipe contest submission by
Paul Pease
HAMBURGER VANILLA DELIGHT
You won't need a lot of ingredients and don't let the hamburger, vanilla combination fool you, this is good.
What you'll need:
4lbs. Ground Beef or Chuck
2 Single packs of Hi-Ho crackers
11-12 Slices 1/8-1/4" thick Velveeta Cheese
1 1/2 Cans White or original Mushroom Soup
1/2 A onion Diced or 1 Tsp. onion powder
1 Tbs. Mrs. Dash Original
1 Tbs Vanilla
Hungry yet!!
Put beef in large bowl add crackers crushed up fine mix with beef
Put diced onion or onion powder and mix well.
Mix in 1 can of mushroom soup,vanilla,and 6 slices of Velveeta mix well.
put in baking dish 1" deep 10" long
Put in oven bake at 300 Degrees until top starts to brown.
When brown take out and put remaining mushroom soup over the top spread. out evenly. Put back in oven till Mushroom soup begins to heat 1-2 min.
Take out and cover top with remaining Velveeta slices.
Put back in oven and let cheese melt.
Take out of oven and ENJOY!!
Serves 7-8 I have a large Family and great for entertaining guests. They will love it.
Recipe contest submission by
michael compean
STORY BEHIND THE RECIPE:
My family abolutely loves tacos! Our heritage is from Santa Fe New Mexico. We visited there 6 years ago to see my Grandmother who is a great cook by the way, at a family reunion. She made these tacos for our family and everyone just loved em! I begged her for the recipe so here it is. Enjoy!
SANTA FE VEGETARIAN SOFT TACOS
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE AVOCADO-CORN SALSA:
1 tbsp. red bell pepper, diced
½ tsp. spanish onions, diced
½ avocado, diced
Juice of ½ lime
1/8 tsp.Old bay seasoning
Pinch kosher salt
2 tsp.cilantro, chopped
1 ½ tbsp. chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp. canned corn kernals
1/8 tsp. cumin powder
1 ½ tbsp.canned black olives, sliced
FOR THE SPICY AIOLI
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. Siracha chili sauce
1/8 tsp. sesame oil
FOR THE BURGERS:
2 tsp.olive oil
2 Vegetarian burger patties (such as “garden burger”)
4 – (4”) flour tortillas
2/3 cup white cabbage, shredded
2 tbsp. cotija cheese, shaved
¼ cheddar cheese, shredded
DIRECTIONS:
1: Heat a gas grill to medium-high heat
2: Combine the first 11 ingredients well in a small bowl. Set aside. Mix together the mayonnaise, Siracha and sesame oil and set aside.
3: rub the vegetarian burger patties with the olive oil. Place on the grill and cook for 4 minutes on each side . Cut each patty into 4 sections and set aside. Place the tortillas on the grill and heat for approximately 45 seconds on each side. Place each tortilla on a plate. Spread 2 tsp. of the spicy aioli on each tortilla, followed by 2 tbsp. of the avocado salsa, 2 pieces of the vegetarian patties. Divide the cabbage mixture, cotija cheese and cheddar cheese among each taco. Fold each taco upright. Repeat to make 4 tacos. Serve 1 taco per guest and enjoy.
Recipe contest submission by
PATRICIA NESS
When I was younger, I spent a lot of time with my Great Aunt who was German. She taught me so many things about cooking from homemade. She always make this Sauerkraut dinner but would never show me how. When she became ill she the last thing she did was teach me this recipe. I have kept it close to my heart and make it at every family gathering as she us to. It makes us feel like she is there watching over us sharing her favorite meal.
Aunt Elsie's sauerkraut pleaser
3 slices bacon, diced
2 small potatoes, cubed
2 small apples,cubed
2 lbs Brats, pieces
3 teaspoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
54 ounces sauerkraut
1/2 cup water
Fry bacon and brats sausage until crisp;drain. Add flour to drippings and blend well.Stir in sauerkraut; mix well. Place sauerkraut mixture, bacon and sausage pieces in crock pot. or dutch oven. Add all other ingredients; stir together thoroughly.
Cover and cook on Low 7 to 9 hours. (High: 3 to 4 hours).
Recipe contest submission by
Mellissa Clark
White Chocolate Banana Pudding
3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 ounces white chocolate chips
26 vanilla wafers
3 over ripe bananas, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white chocolate shavings
Scald 1 1/2 cups milk for 4-5 minutes in a saucepan on medium low. Add sugar and white chocolate to dissolve. In a small bowl whisk cornstarch and remaining milk. Combine both milk mixtures and cook in a double boiler at medium heat for 5 minutes or until thickened. Set aside to cool. Layer 13 vanilla wafers in a 2-quart baking dish. Top with half the banana slices and then cover with half of the white chocolate pudding.Top with 13 more cookies, bananas and remaining white chocolate pudding. Cover and refrigerate until pudding is set. When ready to serve top with white chocolate shavings.
When I was a little girl, my grandma would make banana pudding every Sunday for family dinner. The best part is when I got to help her make it. I would literally lick the bowl.I couldn't wait until church was over to go over grandma's and devour this pudding.
Recipe contest submission by
Mukti Banerjee
Rabindranath Tagore and a Lamb Curry Recipe: One Man's Story of Coming to America
This year is the 150th anniversary of birth of the great Bengali-Indian poet, fiction writer, and songwriter Rabindranath Tagore. My husband Partha Banerjee, a writer and singer, shared this story with me and my friends at Mukti's Kitchen, so that people got more interested about the cultural and spiritual values of Indian cooking.
Partha told me what Tagore meant to him, and how he learned to cook more than twenty-five years ago, and shared a lip-smacking lamb curry recipe. I am quoting him here. Needless to say, I deeply, personally relate to his story.
“Mira Nair’s 2006 movie, “The Namesake,” showed a first-generation Bengali-Indian immigrant family starting life from scratch in America. But it missed some important elements: food, music, literature, film and art -- things Bengali immigrants need to survive. I know, because, in the mid-eighties, in my life as a new Bengali-Indian immigrant from Calcutta (now Kolkata), I almost died for them: not spiritually, but rather physically; actually, for the lack of them.
I came to America without knowing what America was all about; I never had a relative, extended family, or even a close friend here. The very first plane ride in my life brought me straight from Kolkata to Chicago via London, and overnight, I found myself in an unknown land, with unknown people, unknown food, and an unknown lifestyle. I felt like Neil Armstrong landing on the moon. I did not speak English (never had to: Bengali was more than sufficient), and I did not know how to cook. Worst, in my hurried last-minute preparation to leave India, I did not bring a single Bengali book, CD, or film tape.
And I left my wife Mukti behind. Only one word can describe my first few months in America: miserable – with a capital M.
The hundreds of Bengali songs that I carried in my mind since I was a child helped me to survive. A large number of those songs were of course Tagore songs: written by our poet of all poets Rabindranath Tagore. In my extreme isolation, Tagore’s songs were my only oasis.
He answered my prayers. In my alienation from the loved ones, I was able to understand him more than ever before. Soon after, I got his books from my graduate school libraries, and started translating his prose and poetry.
Okay. That's all fine and dandy! But philosophical, cultural and spiritual pursuits didn't go very far on an empty stomach. I was hungry. My stomach was growling. Indian men normally don’t know how to cook, and I was no exception. As a result, I lived on rice, butter, and potato chips for weeks. Did I say I was miserable? Very quickly, I also became sick.
A friend of a friend, who lived in Chicago, rescued me. He gave me a few little tips to cook some basic Indian dishes, and after my first, miserable semester was over, took me over to spend a few days with his family.
There, I got my first hands-on training in Indian cooking. I came back from the short vacation, and threw a small party for my university friends, and they were all impressed. The next few months, until my wife Mukti joined me and relieved me of my terrible isolation, I developed and refined my culinary skills – skills that grew with me as I grew older in America.
Over the next few years, when our daughter was growing up, I was really the man in the kitchen. Mukti was swamped with her new career as a biologist. Eventually, she left her job and decided to refine her God-gifted skills as a cook and teacher; then she floated her own little business, Mukti's Kitchen. Now that she is a pro, she spends more time in the kitchen than I do. In fact, she has made quite a reputation for her cooking and teaching already!
Here is my lamb curry recipe. Mukti refined it a great deal since she started Mukti's Kitchen in 2010."
Now, wasn't that a good story, or what?
Here's the recipé. I taught it to a number of my students, and they loved it.
LAMB CURRY WITH POTATO
* 2 potatoes – cut in four or more pieces
* 2 pounds lamb, cubed
* 1/2 cup yogurt
* 2 small ginger pieces, grated or minced
* 8-10 cloves
* 2" piece of cinnamon, whole or broken into smaller pieces (or ground for a very intense experience)
* 5-6 cardamom pods – grains only
* 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
* 4 tablespoons of vegetable cooking oil
* 2 medium-sized onions, chopped fine
* 1 cup water
* Cilantro – a quarter of a bunch
* Salt and sugar to taste
Sauté the potato pieces on medium flame until they turn brownish, remove from pan and set aside.
In a bowl, mix the lamb and yogurt and set aside. This will tenderize the lamb.
Heat the oil in a separate deep pan and on low flame. Add the whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ground ginger, turmeric powder). Fry until they turn slightly darker. (Note: high flame will burn the spices). This is your masala.
Add the onions to the empty potato pan and sauté till they turn light golden.
Add the masala to the onions, and sauté for a minute or so -- cook until the oil separates from the masala.
Add the meat and yogurt mix to the masala, and cook through; small cubes of good quality lamb could be done in as little as fifteen minutes. (Note: water will come out of the meat and then it will slowly dry out – this is the end point of your meat-cooking: in Bengali or Hindi, this process is called Kasha).
Add the potato pieces and cook with Kasha about five minutes.
Add the water and salt and sugar to taste. Cook till the gravy is reduced (too much water will make it bland; too little water will make it too spicy and strong). Stir often. The gravy should be thick when done.
Throw in your cilantro pieces. Turn off stove, cover, and let sit for about ten minutes.
Serve with rice, roti or naan.
Serves six to eight.
[Bon Appétit.]
Our 2008 Contest winners
Here are the winning and honorable mention recipes for our 2008 Family Recipe Contest. Congratulations to all of you!
1st Place Scandinavien flatbread
Our Grand prize goes to Barbara Myhre of Huron South Dakota for her "Scandinavien Flatbread". Barbara wins a $60 gift certificate from Baskets Unlimited Aberdeen South Dakota.
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter just wouldn t be the same at our Myhre holiday celebrations without Flatbread. Flatbread? Yes, that Scandinavian treat my Grandma Myhre passed down to me. Flatbread is just what it says it is flat bread, but more like crackers or baked chips.
Grandma only made flatbread once or twice a year. I first became aware of the work behind this treat when I was in elementary school. I remember the winter day was very cold. Grandma invited me to her house to help make flatbread. When I arrived, she had the dough all stirred up and resting . The house was warm from the wood fire in the basement cook stove.
Grandma had a corner of the basement set up as an old fashioned kitchen a small table, a couple of chairs, a pantry, a cook stove, and a light bulb hanging from a cord.
We descended the steep wooden stairs with supplies in hand. Once she had everything in place and checked the fire, she pinched off a small piece of dough and began working in some flour shaping it into a most perfect sphere. Only when this sphere was to her satisfaction did she start to flatten it, and begin rolling with her grooved rolling pin (still working the dough to keep its circular shape). She used the long, wooden lefsa stick Grandpa had made her to flip the dough over. She rolled and flipped until the dough was paper thin. Then she cut the dough into pieces.
Now it was my turn. Grandma showed me how to place the pieces of flatbread on the cook stove without burning my fingers. The dough contracted and sizzled when it touched the hot surface. I continued to add more pieces until the cook top was full. After a couple minutes, it was time to turn each piece. We considered them done when they were lightly browned and crisp. Often we left a piece off to the side that needed more time to brown or crisp up. One also needed to be aware of the hot spots. We didn t want any to burn. Then the flatbread pieces were gently stacked inside a large, white metal dishpan.
Grandma always took care of the fire . She lifted the round lid with a special tool and stirred up the embers as she added more sticks of wood. It still amazes me how she regulated the temperature.
Grandma continued to roll and I took care of the baking for the next 2 hours. By the time we were done, our faces were flushed red from the warm wood fire and we were tired. I used a common table knife to turn the flatbread pieces, so my fingers were quite sore too.
There were a few dished to do, but I didn t have to stay to help with them. Instead, she found a brown paper grocery bag. She placed a paper towel in the bottom then gently and generously added flatbread for me to carry home.
We had fresh flatbread for supper! But actually, quite a few pieces disappeared before supper. I think my mom hid that brown paper bag so we would have some for later .
Many years have passed since then. Now I am carrying on the family tradition of flatbread. I have searched many recipe books on my quest for Grandma Myhre s recipe. She didn t share hers, so I ve had to rely on my taste memory. I ve settled on this one. It s pretty close; however, the methods are vastly different. I mix this recipe in a bread machine. A longer metal spatula works for flipping while rolling. By placing the flatbread on a cookie sheet, it browns and crisps nicely in about 10 minutes in a 325 degree oven. A grooved rolling pin is needed and a good hiding place is a must! Otherwise, flatbread has a way of disappearing and the holidays may be without our family tradition. You can t eat just one!
Flatbread
From the Kitchen of Barbara Myhre, Huron, SD
½ cup Oil ½ cup Sugar
1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Soda Mix Oil, Sugar, Salt, Soda, Cornmeal
¼ cup Cornmeal
2 cups Buttermilk
2 ½ cups Graham Flour Alternate adding buttermilk and flours.
2-2½ cups White Flour
Add more or less flour until thick enough to handle. Shape into 20 balls. Let rest.
Roll out each ball with a grooved rolling pin on a floured surface. Roll out paper thin. Cut into pieces. Transfer to cookie sheet.
Bake 325 degrees for about 10 minutes until lightly browned and crisp.
Eat plain or with butter.
view 1st place | view 3rd place | view honorable mentions
2nd Place Drop Donuts (Dough Boys)
Our 2nd place prize goes to Rochelle Shmidt for her "Six Generations of Dough Boys" Donut recipe. Rochelle wins a case of barbeque sauces from Grill'n Time of Mina South Dakota.
Great Grandma Thyen remembers Great Great Great Grandma Kranz being famous for her donuts. She remembers going to her house and playing cards and eating fresh donuts. These Drop Donuts (Dough Boys) have been passed down for at least six generations and maybe even farther back. Our family tradition is to make Dough Boys during snow storms. During the recent spring blizzards, our family has been reminiscing and researching this family tradition.
Drop Donuts (Dough Boys)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cup buttermilk (or milk with 1 tsp vinegar)
2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
Drop teaspoonful in hot oil.
Over the years, the recipe has been altered to:
Thaw frozen bread dough. Cut into chunks and fry in hot oil in deep fat fryer. Dip in sugar or cinnamon sugar and enjoy.
view 1st place | view 2nd place | view honorable mentions
3rd Place "Summer-is-here" Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches
Our 3rd place prize goes to Linda DeTurk for her "Summer-is-here Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches". She wins a 25 dollar value gift from Char's Kitchen. Turton, SD.
We have 4 daughters who have always liked to help me in the kitchen. It has been our tradition for years that the first week after school is out, we make Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches. It is just a way of celebrating "Summer is Here!". It makes a nice big batch so we enjoy them slowly over time (or share some with the nieghbors!). I started with a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe and made them more "cake like" by adding the milk, so they do not crumble when frozen and bitten into.
Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches
2 c. margarine
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 c. brown sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. salt
7 1/4 to 7 1/2 c. flour
12 oz. package mini chocolate chips
1 gallon vanilla ice cream
Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs, and then milk. Stir in dry ingredients and then chocoate chips. Place rounded taspoons full on cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Flatten cookies out with fingers dipped in flour so they are only as thick as the chocolate chips. Bake at 375 degrees until just barely done. (About 10 min.)
When cool, make into ice cream sandwiches by putting 1-2 scoops of softened vanilla ice cream between 2 cookies and flatten gently. Wrap them in foil and freeze. Makes about 3 dozen ice cream sandwiches.
Tip-when ready to make the cookies into ice cream sandwiches we start by matching up similar size and shape cookies into pairs, and we have all the tin foil squares already cut. Then when you actually start putting them together, it goes faster. This is when family teamwork works great!
Honorable Mentions
Pot Pie - Cherry Comp ( Cherry wins our bonus prize - A 30 dollar value gift-certificate from The CO-OP Natural Foods. Sioux Falls, SD
4 cups flour
1/2 cup lard or shortening
1 tsp. salt
milk
4 potatoes
chicken, pork, beef, tame or wild rabbit (your preference)
Put meat in kettle and bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 3 hours, or until tender. Peel and cut potatoes and add to broth.
Mix flour, lard, salt and enough milk to make a soft dough. Roll out onto floured board 1/4 inch thick. Cut into squares and drop into the broth about 15 minutes until done.
My most favorite thing that mom used to make when I was growing up is pot pie. Not like a pastry with filling, it was a soup. My mother acquired the recipe from her mother-in-law, Grandma Green. It was considered a depression dish back in those days made with rabbit, beef, pork, whatever was handy. I love it and to this day it’s still my favorite.
