Featured Recipes

Welcome to a special edition of Recipes and Reads Culinary Lab with appetizers, side dishes, supper, and desserts from the 1950s and 1960s.

Let’s begin, shall we?

Deviled Ham & Cheese Ball

Ingredients
2 cans deviled ham spread
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. onion
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. liquid smoke
¾ tsp. celery salt
½ tsp. garlic powder

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Chill until slightly firm.
2. Form into desired shape and garnish with radish slices.
3. Chill several hours or overnight. Serve with crackers.

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Waldorf Salad

Ingredients
2 cups diced apples
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup grapes, halved
½ cup whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ tsp. salt

Directions

1. Add diced apples to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice. Toss to coat. Add grapes.
2. In another bowl gently fold the mayonnaise into the whipped cream, then fold in apple mixture and salt. Season to taste.
3. Chill at least 1 hour or overnight. Serve on a lettuce leaf if desired.

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Creamed Peas and Onions

Ingredients
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. white pepper or black pepper
3 cups frozen peas
12 oz. package frozen pearl onions
¼ cup heavy cream (optional)

Directions

1. Melt butter over medium high heat in a medium sized saucepan.
2. Whisk flour into butter until smooth.
3. Slowly whisk in milk and cook, stirring frequently, over medium high heat until mixture has thickened, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add peas and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are heated through, about 4 minutes.
5. Stir in heavy cream and season to taste.
6. Garnish with additional pepper, butter, fresh chopped chives or dill.

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Chicken à la King

Ingredients

4 oz. mushroom stems and pieces, drained (reserve liquid)
1 small green pepper, chopped (about ½ cup)
½ cup margarine or butter
¼ tsp. pepper
1½ tsp. instant chicken bouillon
1½ cups milk
1¼ cups hot water
2 cups cut-up cooked chicken or turkey
4 oz. whole pimiento, chopped
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt

Directions

1. Cook mushrooms and green pepper in margarine over medium heat 5 minutes, remove from heat.
2. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is bubbly, remove from heat.
3. Stir in instant bouillon, milk, water, and reserved mushroom liquid. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute.
4. Stir in chicken and pimiento; heat through. Serve over toast, rice, or noodles.

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Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

12 oz. can of tuna, drained
2 cups cooked egg noodles
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup of milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine tuna, egg noodles, soup, and milk. Stir until well combined.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then transfer mixture to a 9x9 or 9x13 baking dish.
4. Bake casserole for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through.
5. Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.

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Cottage Cheese Fruit Salad

Ingredients
16 oz. container small curd cottage cheese
3 oz. box Jell-O® gelatin any flavor
8 oz. container frozen whipped topping
15 oz. can fruit cocktail or any fruit, drained

Directions

1. Mix together cottage cheese and dry
   Jell-O®.
2. Add frozen whipped topping and mix thoroughly.
3. Add fruit cocktail and mix.
4. Chill at least 3 hours before serving.

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Swedish Meatballs

Meatballs
1 lb. ground round steak
½ lb. ground pork
2 tbsp. catsup
2 medium potatoes, boiled in jackets, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 egg
Salt, pepper
Grated onions

Sauce
½ cup cold water
2 tbsp. flour
2 bouillon cubes dissolved in 1½ cups of hot water
4 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. catsup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Combine meatball ingredients and form into meatballs (larger for meals, smaller if used for hors d’oeuvres).
2. Brown in oven for about 30 minutes. Remove meatballs and reduce oven temp to 325°.
3. Mix 2 tbsp. flour into ½ cup cold water
4. Add flour mixture and remaining ingredients to a medium saucepan and heat until bubbling.
5. Add meatballs and sauce to casserole or other oven safe dish and bake for about 1½ hours at 325°. Serve with or overtop mashed potatoes.

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Mini Pigs in a Blanket

Ingredients
1 12-14 oz. package of cocktail sausages, patted dry
1½ cups flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt, plus a pinch-separated
½ cup milk
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F, line a sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
2. Poke two sets of holes in each cocktail sausage and set aside.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add milk and butter and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
4. On a floured work surface, pat out the dough, and knead it gently if necessary to bring it together. Dust dough with flour and roll into a rectangle with a rolling pin, about an 1/8” thick.
5. Cut lengthwise strips, about 1” wide. Then cut 2½-3” sections across the strips. You should have about 20 rectangular strips. Combine any dough scraps and repeat with what’s left.
6. Place a cocktail sausage at the end of each strip and roll it to close. Place seam-side down on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all are assembled.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until dough is golden brown.

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Cheese Fondue

Ingredients
16 oz. fontina cheese (rind removed, sliced)
1¾ cups milk
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
4 egg yolks
Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Layer slices in a high-sided dish and pour over enough milk to cover cheese. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
2. Remove cheese from milk and add to a heavy bottomed pot with butter and flour.
3. Heat mixture on low, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.
4. When the cheese is almost all melted, stir in half the milk used to soften the cheese.
5. Mix egg yolks together, then add all at once to the cheese mixture, stirring constantly.
6. DO NOT ALLOW MIXTURE TO BOIL! Stir continuously until fondue becomes thick and creamy. This process can take 15-30 minutes. Be patient and keep stirring.
7. Pour the finished product into individual serving bowls (if desired) and eat with a variety of items. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper.

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Broken Glass Jell-O^®

Ingredients
4 3-oz. boxes of different colored Jell-O®
4 cups boiling water
2 .25-oz. envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 cups hot water
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Directions

1. Dissolve one flavor of colored Jell-O® into 1 cup hot water.
2. Pour mixture into a rectangular container to a depth of 1 inch.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each color of
   Jell-O®
4. Chill mixtures for 2-3 hours until firm.
5. Cut into cubes.
6. Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
7. Gently place Jell-O® cubes in an even layer in the dish, in any pattern you like. Be careful not to break or tear them.
8. Dissolve unflavored gelatin in 2 cups of hot water in a medium sized bowl. Let hot mixture cool slightly then whisk in sweetened condensed milk.
   Let mixture cool to the touch.
9. Evenly pour mixture over the cubes of Jell-O®.
10. Cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
11. Cut into squares and serve.

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Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Cake
1¾ cups sugar
1¾ cups margarine or butter, softened
6 eggs
2 cups powdered sugar
2¼ cups flour
¾ cups unsweetened cocoa

Glaze
¾ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
4 to 6 tsp. milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan or 10-inch tube pan.
3. In a large bowl, combine sugar and margarine, beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, blend well.
5. By hand, stir in flour and remaining cake ingredients until well blended. Spoon batter into greased and floured pan, spread evenly.
6. Bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes or until top is set and edges are beginning to pull away from side of pan. Cool upright in pan for 30 minutes. Invert onto serving plate, cool at least 2 hours.
7. In small bowl, combine all glaze ingredients, adding enough milk for desired drizzling consistency. Spoon over top of cake, allowing some to run down sides. Store tightly covered.

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Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

½ cup sour cream

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup spinach, frozen, thawed and liquid squeezed out

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Add sour cream, mayo, cream cheese, drained spinach, artichoke hearts, garlic, and ¾ cup of parmesan cheese to a mixing bowl and combine until smooth.
3. Move mixture to an 8x8 greased baking dish.
4. Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup parmesan cheese on top.
5. Bake about 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
6. Serve warm with crackers or bread.