Seems as though every family has special recipes, every summer picnic, every holiday any time the family get together you can always count on certain people to bring their “Specialty Dish”. On the 4th of July my Aunt Marcia can always be counted on to bring her pasta salad and every Christmas morning my Mom makes her Christmas Morning Eggs.
Aunt Marcia’s Pasta Salad
1-16oz box Multi colored pasta, cooked according to package directions, drain, pour into a large bowl, and let cool. Add chopped broccoli flowerets, grape tomatoes, cut in half, quartered black olives, diced red onion, diced green peppers, peeled and diced cucumber. Toss together. Pour 1 -15oz bottle Zesty Italian dressing. Mix well and refrigerate several hours.
Aunt Marcia’s Pretzel Salad
You may be thinking pretzels and Jell-O? But the sweet and salty together makes this one of the family recipes most requested.
- 2½ cups crushed pretzels
- 1 stick margarine or butter, melted
- 3 Tbsp. sugar
- Mix, press into a 9×13″ glass baking dish and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
- 1-8oz. pkg. cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 1-8oz. container Cool Whip
- Beat cream cheese and sugar together, fold in Cool Whip. Spread mixture on crust.
- 1 large pkg. orange Jell-O*
- 2½ cups boiling water
- 1 large crushed pineapple, well drained
- Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water, add pineapple, chill long enough to set, but not firm. Spread over the Cool Whip mixture. Return to refrigerator to firm completely.
*use any flavor you like, but I think orange is the best for this recipe
Mom’s Peas & Peanuts
To some this may sound a bit strange, but it is another one of those family recipes that is often requested.
- 1 (10oz) can peas, well drained
- 16oz. peanuts, without skin
- ½ lb. bacon, cooked crisp, well drained & chopped
- ½ small onion, diced
In a large bowl, gently fold ingredients until well mixed. In a separate small bowl, combine ½ cup mayonnaise, splash of vinegar, ½ cup sour cream, 1 tsp. sugar, mix well and pour over pea mixture. Toss to coat and chill several hours.
Mom’s Christmas Morning Eggs
- 8 slices white bread, cubed
- ¼ cup red peppers, diced
- 8 eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup green pepper, diced
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 3½ cups milk
- 1½ tsp. dry mustard
- 1 lb. shredded cheddar cheese
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1lb. bacon, fried crisp, drained and crumbled
Place bread cubes in a lightly sprayed 9×13” baking dish. In a separate bowl beat together eggs, milk and dry mustard. Add peppers, onions, ½ of the cheese and ½ the bacon. Pour over bread cubes; sprinkle with remaining cheese & bacon. Cover and refrigerate overnight . In the morning, preheat oven to 350°F. bake uncovered for 1 hour. Serves 8.
Fay’s Chicken & Dumplings with Noodles
- 8 pieces chicken, cleaned
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 5 chicken bouillon cubes (or 5 tsp. granules)
- 8 oz. no-yolk noodles
- 1 cup each frozen peas & corn
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes (or 2 tsp)
- 1 or 2 carrots, peeled & sliced
- 2 cups biscuit baking mix
- ⅔ cups skim milk
Preheat oven to 350°F. Wash chicken with skin, place in a large kettle with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Add 5 bouillon cubes, peas, corn, carrots & celery. Reduce heat to a low boil and simmer 30 minutes. Skim “foam” off the top.
Meanwhile, in a separate kettle, bring 6 cups water to a boil add 2 chicken bouillon cubes and noodles. Cook according to package directions. DO NOT DRAIN. Remove chicken from kettle; place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake approx. 25 minutes. Strain any additional “foam” from kettle where chicken was cooking. Add cooked noodles with cooking water to kettle with vegetables. Bring to a low boil. When chicken is no longer pink, carefully cut up into bite size pieces and add to soup. (whole chicken pieces can be add to soup, if desired).
In a separate bowl, mix biscuit baking mix and milk to a doughy consistency. Drop by tablespoon onto boiling soup and let cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover and cook 10 minutes more.
Fay’s Swedish Meatballs
These meatballs have been present at many, many family gathering. The recipe can be made for large groups as well as just the family. The measurements in ( ) shows the amount for a large group.
- 2 lbs. ground beef (10 lbs.)
- 1 lb. bulk sausage (5 lbs.)
- 1 cup finely chopped onions (5 cups)
- 1½ cups bread crumbs (7½ cups)
- 1 tsp. fresh parsley (½ cup + 1 Tbsp.)
- dash Worcestershire sauce (½ cup + 2 Tbsp.)
- 2 eggs (10)
- 1 cup milk (5 cups)
In a large bowl combine all ingredients and shape into (approx.) 1” meat balls. In a large skillet over medium heat, slowly brown meat balls (in batches). Remove meatballs with a slotted spoon, place in a baking dish (large roasting pan for group recipe). Keep warm in oven. Use the pan drippings and enough flour to make a paste. Add 1½ cups sour cream (7½ cups). Mix well and pour over meatballs. Return to oven to heat thoroughly.
My Pizza Casserole
- ½ lb. ziti, rigatoni, or other firm pasta, cooked
- 1-28oz jar traditional Ragu
- 1 lb. bulk Italian (pork or turkey) sausage, sweet or hot*
- 10-15 black olives, sliced
- 1 small onion, diced
- ½ lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small green pepper, diced
- cooked, crumbled bacon
- 6 oz. thick cut pepperoni, diced
- ½ lb. mozzarella, shredded
- 1 tsp. each oregano, basil
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ lb. FRESH Romano cheese
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. In a large skillet, brown sausage with onion, peppers, garlic and mushrooms. Drain well. Add olives, bacon, pepperoni, Ragu and spices. Stir. Spray PC Deep Dish Baker with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients and pour into baking dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. *or combination of both.
Gramma Sophie’s (a.k.a. Buscia) Carrot Cake
This is THE BEST carrot cake I have ever eaten, another favorite family recipe. Moist and delicious. Using the 4th stage baby food makes all the difference. Not only does it save you the trouble of peeling and grating the carrots but it adds to the moisture.
- 1½ cup Wesson oil
- 1¾ to 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- A large jar 4th stage* baby food carrots
- 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 2¼ to 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Cream together oil, sugar and eggs. Add baby food, pineapple and nuts. Mix well. Sift flour, soda, salt and cinnamon together then add to creamed mixture. Add vanilla. Beat well, pour into a floured 9×13” cake pan. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
FROSTING:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 stick butter
- 3oz. cream cheese
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Blend butter and cream cheese, adding powdered sugar to desired consistency. The longer you beat it the lighter it will be. Carefully spread with frosting on the cake.
Topping: Mix together ¼ cup chopped walnuts and 2 Tbsp. brown sugar. Sprinkle on top of frosting.
*the 4th stage baby food is chunkier than regular baby food.
As I searched my family recipes it brought back some really happy memories of holidays past.
Check out the Cooking Food & Wine page for more recipes.
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