March 17, 2025 | Posted in:

Pastitsio II (Baked Macaroni with Meat)


Submitted by: The Ladies Philoptochos Society of Saint Sophia
Recipe origin: Greece

“The Ladies Philoptochos Society of Saint Sophia would like to share with you our Pastitsio II (Baked Macaroni with Meat) recipe that appears on page 117 of our cookbook. The recipe was introduced by renowned Greek Chef Nicholas Tselementes in the mid-1930’s who converted a very old recipe of a pasta and meat pie wrapped in phylo into a hearty, delicious casserole of layers of pasta, meat, cheeses and bechamel sauce. This is a version of his recipe. Since it’s publication, pastitsio has graced countless family dinners, party buffets, Greek festival and restaurant menus. You will enjoy making this tasty yet simple to make dish.”

Meat Mixture:
2 lb ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 stick (½ cup) butter
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp allspice
Salt and pepper to taste
Macaroni:
1 lb (No. 4) macaroni
1 stick (½ cup) melted butter
¾ lb grated Romano cheese
Crema Sauce:
5 cups milk
5 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk, mixed with 5 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp butter

Prepare the Meat Mixture:
In a pan, sauté the onion in 1 stick of butter until softened.
Add the ground beef and brown well.
Stir in the tomato paste, allspice, salt, and pepper.
Simmer for about 20 minutes until thickened. Set aside.

Prepare the Crema Sauce:
In a saucepan, bring 5 cups of milk to a simmer, stirring constantly.
Before it reaches a boil, slowly stir in the milk-cornstarch mixture.
As the sauce thickens, gradually add the beaten eggs while stirring continuously.
Once thickened, remove from heat and set aside.

Cook the Macaroni:
Boil the macaroni according to package directions, making sure not to overcook. Drain.
Mix the drained macaroni with ½ pound of grated cheese, 1 stick of melted butter, and 1 cup of the prepared Crema Sauce.

Assemble the Pastitsio:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Butter a 10″ x 15″ baking dish.
Spread half of the macaroni mixture in the dish and sprinkle with cheese.
Evenly distribute the meat mixture over the first macaroni layer, then sprinkle with more cheese.
Add the remaining macaroni mixture and sprinkle with more cheese.
Pour the remaining Crema Sauce over the top.

Bake:
Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool slightly, cut into portions, and serve.
Enjoy! 🍽️

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March 14, 2025 | Posted in:

Bobbie’s Sweet Potato Pie – A Classic Recipe for Pi Day


Submitted by: Regina T.
Recipe origin: Southern Cuisine

Pi Day (March 14th) is a celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi), but let’s be honest – it’s also the perfect excuse to indulge in a delicious slice of pie! What better way to mark the occasion than with a comforting homemade recipe that has been passed down through generations?

This Sweet Potato Pie is a true classic, rich with warm spices and a buttery, smooth texture that makes every bite a taste of home. Whether you’re celebrating Pi Day or just craving something comforting and delicious, this recipe is sure to become a favorite!

1 pound sweet potatoes (baked)
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 (9-inch) deep dish pie shell

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prick the pie shell with a fork several times to prevent air pockets from forming. In a mixing bowl, mash the baked sweet potatoes until smooth. Add the butter and mix well. Stir in the sugar, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and evaporated milk. Mix until fully combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell. Bake for 1 hour, or until the pie is golden brown and set in the center. Let cool before serving. Enjoy!
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March 13, 2025 | Posted in:

David’s Seafood Gumbo


Submitted by: David J.
Recipe origin: Louisiana / West Virginia

In Louisiana, we often say “There are as many recipes for gumbo as cooks that make it.” There are many recipes for gumbo that mix seafood and meat (e.g. shrimp and andouille). I would never tell someone else that they were doing it wrong, but I strongly believe that meats overpower the delicate flavors of seafood and am adamant that the best gumbos are pure seafood.

1 pound (35-count) shrimp, peeled
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
2 dozen shucked oysters, reserve liquid
4 jumbo crabs
3 quarts shrimp or crab stock
1 stick of butter
1 cup flour
4 cups frozen okra
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup diced garlic
2 cups sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped parsley
salt and cayenne pepper
Crystal Hot Sauce

In an 8-quart Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in
flour and, using a wire whisk or roux spoon, stir constantly until brown Creole
roux is achieved. Do not allow roux to scorch. When golden brown, reduce
heat to simmer and sauté okra approximately fifteen minutes. Add onions,
celery, bell pepper and garlic and sauté approximately 3-5 minutes until
vegetables are wilted. Add claw crabmeat and stir into roux. Slowly add
shellfish stock, a little at a time, stirring constantly until it is incorporated. Add
the gumbo crabs and bring to a low boil, reduce to simmer, and cook
approximately 30-45 minutes to cook the vegetables. Add additional stock if
necessary to retain volume. Add green onions and parsley. Season to taste
using salt, pepper and Crystal. Fold shrimp, lump crabmeat, oysters and
reserved oyster liquid into soup. Return to a low boil and cook approximately 5
minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve with cooked rice.
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March 12, 2025 | Posted in:

A large pot of chicken and sausage gumbo.

David’s Chicken & Sausage Gumbo


Submitted by: David J.
Recipe origin: Louisiana / West Virginia

Until my daughters went away to college, we had family dinner almost every night. Cooking brought us all together.

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless chicken thighs
1 pound smoked sausage
1 cup butter
1 cup flour
2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced bell peppers
¼ cup minced garlic
3 quarts chicken stock
2 cups sliced green onions
½ cup chopped parsley
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp dried thyme
Salt and cracked pepper (this gumbo is pepper with lots of pepper)
Louisiana hot sauce to taste
Filé

Cut the chicken into ½” cubes and the sausage into ½” slices. In an 8-quart Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in flour and, using a wire whisk or roux spoon, stir constantly until brown (or dark brown) Cajun roux is achieved. Do not allow roux to scorch. Add onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add chicken stock, a little at a time, stirring constantly until all is incorporated. Add in the chicken and sausage. Bring to a rolling coil, reduce to simmer, and cook approximately 1 hour. Skim any fat or oil that rises to the top of the pot. Add green onions, bay leaves, and thyme. Season to taste using salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Cook an additional 30 minutes or longer if necessary, until chicken is tender and falling apart. Add parsley and adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir in some filé to taste. Serve over hot, steamed white rice.
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February 12, 2025 | Posted in:

A Dutch baby pancake with fresh blueberries.

Kristine’s Dutch Baby


Submitted by: Kristine Thompson
Recipe origin: Arizona

My mom made this for us ALL the time! It is definitely one of our very favorites!

Ingredients:
2 eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup milk (preferably whole milk)
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees on convection bake.
In a vitamix (or blender), add the eggs, milk, and flour. Mix 1-2 minutes until frothy.
In a cast iron pan, melt the butter. Swirl all around the sides of the pan.
Pour batter into the pan. Place in the oven and bake for 11 minutes.
Serve immediately with lemon juice and powdered sugar, or with maple syrup.
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January 15, 2025 | Posted in:

A tin of potato chip cookies for a group

Grandma Florence’s Potato Chip Cookies


Submitted by: Sara Levine Rosenblum
Recipe origin: USA

These are an all-time favorite Grandma Florence cookie, one that holiday guests and camp bunkmates requested time and time again. Years later, in my corporate life, these salty-sweet cookies won an office bake-off at Food Network! The crushed potato chips add a subtle salty crunch that is addictive.

Ingredients:
1 pound margarine or butter*
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely crushed potato chips
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

*Although margarine was a staple in my grandmother’s kitchen (sign of the times!), I (Sara) always use butter!

Cream margarine or butter and sugar. Add vanilla.
Mix in flour. Blend in crushed potato chips. Mix well with spoon (or mixer).
Take a piece of dough (size of a walnut), roll in your hands until smooth and flatten on lightly greased cookie sheet with your fingers (or you can drop the piece of dough and flatten with a fork). I prefer first method.
They spread so don’t make them too big. (Move each a little with a spatula after taking the cookie sheet from the oven so they don’t stick).
Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar when cooled.
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January 12, 2025 | Posted in:

Traditional Slovakian cookies with a handwritten recipe card.

Slovakian Roshky (“Rushki”)


Submitted by: Sarah W.
Recipe origin: Slovakia / Minnesota

Roshky (spelling varies) is probably the most special recipe in our book. It was handed down from our matriarch, who died a few years ago, and her family was from Slovakia. Roshky are Slovak cookies and our family makes them every Christmas; it’s one of our traditions.

6 c. flour
1 lb butter
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp salt
6 egg yolks
1 1/2 c. milk
1 pkg yeast

Filling:
10 oz walnuts, ground fine in food mill or processor
1 c. sugar
6 egg whites
Powdered sugar and flour for rolling dough

In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender. In a separate bowl, dissolve yeast packet in lukewarm milk. Add slightly beaten egg yolks, reserving egg whites in refrigerator for filling, to the milk. Stir into dry ingredients. Knead in a little flour to make the dough smooth and not so sticky. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to make filling, set out egg whites so they are room temperature before beating. Grind nuts finely. Place ½ to ¾ of egg whites in a bowl. Beat the egg whites with a mixer, gradually add 1 c. sugar while beating egg whites until stiff. Fold the nuts in. If too thick, add more egg white.

Preheat oven to 350°. Use a small amount of flour to work a snowball size piece of dough until smooth and elastic. Use equal parts of powdered sugar and flour on the rolling surface and rolling pin as this helps keep the dough from getting tough. On a cutting board, roll into thin squares and then use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 3″ rectangles. Thinner is better, you may want to then roll the individual pieces a bit. Spread a ½- 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each piece.

Roll up the dough, shaping into crescents and press to seal the ends. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Place seam down to help hold the filling. Bake about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

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December 14, 2024 | Posted in:

A metal scoop filled with scattered black eyed peas

Black Eyed Peas


Submitted by: David J.
Recipe origin: Louisiana

I am the primary cook in our home. When my twin daughters graduated from high school, they asked me to write down my recipes so that they could cook them. I don’t cook from recipes, so it took me a while to quantify everything, but I wanted to do it for them.

Editor’s Note: Black eyed peas are traditionally served on New Year’s Day for good luck and prosperity on New Year’s Day.

1 pound dried black eyed peas
1 pound smoked ham, cubed
4 oz. tasso, diced (optional)
1/2 cup bacon grease or cooking oil
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup garlic, diced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup green onions, sliced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Beans cook much quicker if they are soaked overnight in cold water. This softens the outer shell and reduces the “bean effect.”

In a 4 quart stock pot, heat bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, ham, and tasso. Saute approximately 10-15 minutes, or until vegetables are wilted. Add bay leaf and black eyed peas. Add enough cold water to cover peas by 2 inches and bring to a low boil. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to simmer and continue cooking approximately 45 minutes more. Stir from time to time, as peas can settle to the bottom of the pot and stick. Once tender, mash about 1/3 of the peas on the side of the pot using a wooden spoon. Season to taste using salt and cracked black pepper. Add green onions and parsley and continue cooking until peas are tender and creamy.

Serve as a soup or over rice.

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| Posted in:

A slice of homemade mincemeat pie with ice cream.

Merry Meatless Mincemeat Pie


Submitted by: Amy
Recipe origin: England / Georgia

My dad, Bill, loved mincemeat pie, and he and my grandfather would sneak into the kitchen in the night to snack on it. I was afraid of it as a child–why is it called mincemeat? Could someone be trying to sneak gravy into my pie? The flavors are intense and perhaps a bit off-putting for children, and my grandfather’s comments about how it “put hair on your chest” probably weren’t helpful either. In olden days, mincemeat pie really contained minced meat (e.g. venison) along with all the fruit. My mother didn’t use meat, as I recall, but she did use beef suet. I don’t want to hunt for suet, so I go with butter instead. The filling can be prepared and refrigerated several days ahead–it’s a labor of love, so I highly recommend making ahead and finding victi–I mean volunteers–to help with all the chopping. You can simply serve the filling over ice cream, too, and skip the crust-making. May this pie be worth a midnight trip to your kitchen.

Dough for double pastry pie crust
1 ½ lb Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, diced ¼-inch (about 3 large)
1 ½ lb Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, diced ¼-inch (about 3 large)
1 cup dried currants
1 cup golden raisins
¼ cup diced candied orange peel
2 tablespoons finely diced candied ginger
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
Grated zest and juice from 1orange
Grated zest and juice from 1lemon
1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 ½ cups apple cider, divided
1/3 cup Calvados or other brandy
1 tablespoon boiled cider (optional)
1 tablespoon milk, for crust
1 tablespoon sugar or sparkling sugar, for crust

Place all ingredients except brandy, ½ cup cider, milk, and sugar for crust in a large heavy saucepan on med heat. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to med-low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, 3 hrs. Mixture will thicken and darken.

Stir in remaining ½ cup cider and brandy. Continue cooking, stirring often, 30 min or till liquid is syrupy and mixture is jammy. Cool to room temp.

Heat oven to 400 °F. Roll one piece of dough to a 12-in circle. Transfer to 9-in pie pan. Roll second dough piece to12-in circle. Spoon filling into pan. Place top dough over filling. Tuck edge of top dough under. Press to seal and create decorative crust. Cut 5 slits in top crust. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake till crust is light golden brown, 25 min. REDUCE OVEN TEMP to 350 °F. Bake till juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, 35-45 min. Cool to room temp before serving.

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| Posted in:

A woman standing next to a stove holding up a bread roll.

Aunt Francis’ Dinner Rolls


Submitted by: Regina
Recipe origin: USA

One particularly special recipe in our cookbook is Aunt Francis’ Dinner Rolls. Anyone who knew her and tasted her rolls was always amazed at how awesome they were. She made them for every holiday dinner.

2 tablespoons of Real Butter
2 tablespoons of Butter Crisco
3 tablespoons of White Sugar
1 Cup of hot water
1 packet of Fleischman’s Yeast
½ cup whole milk
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon of salt
2 cups of flour

In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar, and hot water. Add the milk and allow it to cool until lukewarm. Mix the yeast until dissolved in cup per directions on the packet. Once the yeast is dissolved, fold it into the mixture. Next, mix in the milk, egg, salt, and flour. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size. For best results once the dough has doubled beat it down and let it rise again.

Grease 8 muffin cups. Divide the dough, roll it out and cut it with a juice glass (make sure that you flour the bottom of the glass before you cut the dough. Place the dough into the prepared muffin cups, and allow to rise again until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 425 ℉.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

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