As this is a “potluck” issue, we thought it would be a good idea to share some recipes. Whether you’re cooking for yourself, your family, or a larger crowd, there’s bound to be a recipe to tempt your taste buds here. Most of these recipes came from participants in a community call. Thanks to Sheila Young for allowing us to reprint the recipes shared on the May 18th call.
Blueberry Muffins (without having to clean muffin cups)
2 eggs
½ to ¾ cup white sugar, depending on your taste
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 stick of butter
2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup water
At least one cup blueberries
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Use an 8-inch baking pan.
Place ¼ of the stick of butter in pan and place in the oven to melt.
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with fork until smooth. Add sugar and mix until blended.
Add baking powder, vanilla and salt, mixing well.
Melt the rest of the butter in microwave.
Add 1 cup of flour to the ingredients in the bowl and stir until blended. Add melted butter and mix well. Then add the rest of the flour and stir until combined.
Add water and mix well. Fold in the blueberries and stir until just blended. Pour into baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Anna’s Chicken for a Crowd
You’ll need:
Cooking spray
9 x 13-inch baking dish
4 cans of cream of anything soup (you can use 1 can of cheddar cheese soup)
2 14-oz. cans chicken broth
2 lbs. of rice
2 packages of onion soup mix
12 to 16 chicken thighs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of baking dish. Pour in soups, adding chicken broth after each can.
Add rice and stir.
Place chicken on top, seasoning with salt, garlic, etc.
Sprinkle one of the onion soup mix on top, turn chicken over and sprinkle with the other soup mix.
Cover with foil and bake for 1 ½ hours. Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes.
Beer Hot Dogs
Place hot dogs in pan, cover with beer. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.
Jeannie’s Ideal Baked Beans
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a square, round or oval casserole dish with cooking spray.
Drain one 63-oz. can or two 31-oz. cans pork and beans. Place beans in prepared casserole dish.
Add and mix all together well:
1 cup ketchup
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon mustard
If desired, put a single layer of bacon over top.
Bake 45 to 60 minutes, until desired consistency is reached.
Recipe may be halved, doubled or increased by half, equally increasing or decreasing ingredient quantities, according to how many people you want to feed.
Spinach & Cheese Spirals
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 bag of fresh baby spinach
Kosher salt to taste
½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Hidden Valley original ranch dressing
1 8-oz. can refrigerated crescent rolls
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large skillet heat oil, and saute spinach until wilted, about four minutes. Season to taste and remove, placing on a cutting board and chop, then let cool.
In a bowl, mix cheeses, dressing and spinach until well combined.
Unroll crescent rolls into four rectangles and spread spinach mixture on top. Roll crescent rolls up and seal.
Bake for 15 minutes and serve.
BLT Macaroni Salad
2 cups cooked elbow macaroni
9 strips of cooked bacon
3 tomatoes
Onion, diced small
Shredded lettuce
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup mayonnaise or Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
Mix all together and chill. Can add cheddar cheese if desired.
Broccoli Salad
1 cup mayonnaise, reduced-fat mayonnaise, or salad dressing
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (1 small)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
7 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets
8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled
In a large bowl combine mayonnaise, raisins, onion, sugar, and vinegar. Add broccoli and stir to coat. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
Before serving, stir in bacon. Makes 12 to 16 side-dish servings.
Cherry Jell-O Salad
1 large pkg. (6 ounces) cherry Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
Mix all together and refrigerate several hours to let it set. Cut into squares.
Corn Salad
2 cans of corn, drained
1 or 2 cups of mayonnaise
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
Green pepper, diced small
Red pepper, diced small
Red onion, diced small
2 cups of barbecue or honey barbecue Fritos, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix together and refrigerate. Add crushed Fritos before serving. Serve with club crackers.
Chickpea Salad
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 green/red/yellow pepper chopped (or a mix of the three)
1 tbsp. white vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 can (16 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1/3 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (I use a small can of diced tomatoes instead, drained, any flavor)
2-3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or tarragon
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Bring a small sauce pan of water to a boil. Add the onion, and cook 30 seconds. Drain, and toss with white wine vinegar.
Mix together the red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper and gradually whisk in the oil.
Toss the chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, and onion with the dressing and let marinade 1 hour.
Add the chopped parsley or tarragon and lemon juice, toss to mix, and serve at room temperature.
Fruit Salad
1 can mandarin oranges
1 can sliced peaches
Blueberries
Strawberries
Bananas
1 or 2 containers of Cool Whip
Toasted pecans
Marshmallows, if desired
Mix all ingredients together and chill in fridge.
Salad
1 cup salad
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup drained, crushed pineapple
1 cup drained mandarin oranges
Mix all ingredients together. You can add additional cups for a larger crowd.
Vegetable Salad
This recipe could be cut in half if you are serving a smaller group of people.
5 cups chopped broccoli florets
5 cups chopped cauliflower florets
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup raisins or cranberries
2/3 cup minced onion
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or raspberry vinegar (Amazon sells these types)
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled, or 1/2 cup bacon bits
1/4 cup shelled, toasted sunflower seeds
Chop broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, add vegetables, cheese, raisins, minced onions and mix well. In another bowl, combine sugar, vinegar and mayonnaise.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until all vegetables are coated well. Sprinkle the bacon and sunflower seeds over the top.
Tip: This salad can be made ahead; add the bacon and sunflower seeds just before serving
Goldrush Brownies
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 (6-oz.) package chocolate chips
1/2 cups chopped pecans
Mix all ingredients together. Place mixture in square pan, or double ingredients for 9 by 13-inch pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Cut into 24 squares.
Grandmother Paul’s Sour Cream Pound Cake
2 sticks butter
3 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream (8 ounces)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Then add the sour cream and mix well.
Sift the baking soda and flour together. Add the sifted flour to the creamed mixture, alternating with eggs, beating each egg one at a time.
Add the vanilla and pour the mixture into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.
Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.
Patriotic Parfait
1 large package blue or purple Jell-O
1 large package red Jell-O, any flavor
4 cups water, boiling
2 cups water, cold
8 ounces Cool Whip topping, thawed
4 cups angel food cake, cubed
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup blueberries
Dissolve berry blue Jell-O in 2 cups of boiling water. In a separate bowl, dissolve the cherry Jell-O. Stir 1 cup of cold water into each bowl. Pour into separate 9 x 13-inch pans. Refrigerate at least 3 hours until firm.
Cut into 1/2" cubes. Place blue Jell-O cubes in bottom of clear glass trifle bowl.
Top with 1/3 of the Cool Whip.
Add cake cubes, then sliced strawberries.
Top with another 1/3 Cool Whip.
Add the red Jell-O cubes and then the remaining Cool Whip.
Sprinkle blueberries over top.
Patriotic M&M Cookie Bars (Large Batch)
Reprinted from https://onmykidsplate.com/mm-cookie-bars/.
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar – light brown or dark brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3 cups flour– all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt – if using salted butter, leave out the salt here
- 2 cups M&Ms - Red, white and blue mix, or other colorful mix
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet (11” x 17”) fully with parchment paper. It can help to line the pan from top to bottom the long way rather than the short direction to ensure the entire pan is lined fully. Some people also like to butter the parchment paper, but it’s not necessary.
In a large bowl add softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Cream together the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Crack and lightly beat the eggs to break the yolks. Add eggs and vanilla to the butter and sugar mixture and fully mix into the wet ingredients.
In a separate medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients together.
Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time until fully mixed.
Fold in the chocolate chips and one cup of the M&M’s until mixed evenly into the cookie dough. The dough is thick, so if you’re using a hand mixer, this step is best done with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.
Spread the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Take a few extra minutes to press the dough evenly into the pan.
Baker’s Tip – This recipe makes a thick dough, and is best mixed in the bowl of a standing mixer, because they have a stronger motor. I recommend either mixing with a stand mixer or by hand (with butter that has softened properly)! Mixing with a hand mixer may cause the motor to break, because the dough is on the thicker side. These thick and chewy cookie bars are worth the effort!