Superbowl Potluck Recipes

We don't normally attend Superbowl parties, but in the spirit of celebration we always try to have fun food that night at our house and invite our teens friends to stop by if they don't have plans. If you are going to be with family and friends that night you might need a good potluck dish. Let's face it, we can never have too many potluck recipes:) The following are easy and delicious.

Taco Beef Soup

Ingredients:
2 pounds lean ground chuck or round
1 cup sweet onion, diced
4 cups beef broth
2 14 1/2 ounce cans pureed crushed tomatoes
1 4 ounce can chopped green chiles
2 15 ounce cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Toppings:
Sour cream
sliced green onions
salsa
shredded cheese
sliced jalapenos
tortilla chips, or strips

Brown the ground beef with the onions. Drain grease if there is any. Combine all of the other ingredients except for toppings. Bring to a boil in a large pan, then simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve with toppings.

Notes: to bring to a potluck, transfer to a crock pot after simmering. Plug in when you arrive, and keep it on low, stirring occasionally. Place the toppings next to the soup in small bowls, or put them in a divided platter such as ones used for relish trays. Check with hostess to see if he/she has bowls. If not, bring disposable bowls and spoons.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Ingredients:
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 11 oz. can corn, drained
1 tsp. minced jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, discard stems
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp. salt
tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients except the chips. Cover and chill for at least two hours. Serve with chips.

Cheddar Beer Bread

Ingredients:
3 cups self-rising flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
12 fluid ounces beer, room temperature
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, beer, and cheese. Place batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading the batter evenly. Drizzle the melted butter on top of the dough.Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Notes: I sometimes add a tsp. of garlic powder to the melted butter before drizzling on the dough.

Sausage and Bean Dip

Ingredients:
1 16 ounce package spicy breakfast or Italian sausage
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1/2 cup salsa
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup sliced green onions
Tortilla chips

Brown the sausage, breaking up while cooking. Drain grease. Combine the sausage, beans and salsa. Spread over bottom of 9-inch pie plate or casserole dish. Top with the cheese. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until hot and melty. Top with the tomatoes and green onions. Serve with tortilla chips.

Classic Spinach Dip

Ingredients:
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, cooked, cooled and squeezed dry
1 container (16 oz.) light sour cream
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 package Knorr® Vegetable recipe mix
1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 green onions, chopped
Optional: 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients and chill about 2 hours. Serve with bagel or pita chips. I also like serving with bagels cut into 1 inch pieces. This is the classic recipe from Knorr, but I lightened it a bit. The cayenne adds a little extra zip.

On OFL we have recipes for hot dips that work great for potlucks:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/hotdips.html

~Brenda

New Year's Eve Recipes

Appetizers for a celebration such as New Year's Eve don't have to be complicated to be elegant. Brie is a soft cheese that has a type of white "mold" around the cheese itself. It is usually bought in rounds which are eight ounces, but can also be found in larger sizes. The entire thing is edible, and it can be baked or microwaved.

I love the taste of brie. It's sort of buttery, but with the tang of cheese. There are so many things that can be done with it. An eight ounce round would be enough for four people as an appetizer, depending on what else is being served.

BASIC MICROWAVE INSTRUCTIONS
Carefully, using a very sharp knife cut JUST the rind/white off the top only. Place it on a microwave safe plate, and microwave on high for one minute. At this point check it to see if it's softened and warm. If it isn't, then microwave another another 30 seconds. This should do it unless your cheese is larger than 8 ounces. If it is, then microwave in 30 second intervals until it's warmed and melted. Variations are below.

Pesto: Add pesto to the top of the brie, and microwave as above. Serve on sliced baguettes.

Onions & Mushrooms: Saute chopped onions and mushrooms until caramelized. Add to the top of brie after removing the top, drizzle with a small amount of balsamic vinegar if desired, and microwave per instructions.

Cranberry Sauce: Top with cranberry sauce, and chopped pecans, then microwave.

BASIC BAKED BRIE INSTRUCTIONS
The brie can be wrapped in foil and baked on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees F. for about ten minutes. There are many variations of this and I have shared some below.

Fruit & Nut Baked Brie: The brie can be sliced in half with a sharp knife and spread with jam, then sprinkled with chopped nuts on one half. Top with the other half, wrap in foil and bake for ten minutes.

Brown Sugar Brie: Place the brie on parchment or foil. Sprinkle with 3-4 tablespoons brown sugar, a little cinnamon, and top with crushed pecans. Bake for ten minutes, and serve with fruit.

Chutney: Place Brie in a small ovenproof dish. Spread any variety of fruit chutney over the top of cheese. Bake ten minutes, and serve with slices of crusty bread.

Apricot & Almonds: Place brie in an ovenproof dish, spread a thin layer of butter on top of the cheese, top with 1/4 cup each of apricot preserves and sliced almonds. Bake ten minutes and serve with crackers or bread.

On OFL we have a recipes from forum members:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/appetizers.html

New Year's Eve Recipes

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

I hope everyone had a special Christmas celebration. This year we spent a quiet Christmas with our three kids at home. It was nice because for the first time in years my husband had Christmas Eve and Christmas off from the hospital. This week is chaotic as we visit my family and his family for our holiday celebrations, then come home to have a quiet New Year's Eve.

I thought I would share some nice recipes from an old book I've had in my collection for years, entitled The Wine Cook Book by Cora, Rose and Bob Brown, published in 1960. It's a quirky little cookbook that I love because a lot of the recipes use herbs. The following recipes would work wonderfully for New Years Eve.

Mussels in White Wine

Ingredients:

2 quarts mussels

1 onion chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

parsley, chopped

1 cup wine

1 tsp. butter

salt

pepper

Wash mussels in water several times; make sure the shells are clean. Put them in a deep pot, sprinkle with parsley, onion and garlic chopped together, add butter, salt, pepper and wine. Cook for 15 minutes over a brisk fire, keeping closely covered. When mussels are open, dish out into soup plates, serving the liquor in cups into which each mussel is dipped before eating.

Shrimps a' la Marinera

Ingredients:

18 large shrimps

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 bay leaf, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. minced parsley

salt

pepper

1 cup dry white wine

Thoroughly wash and shell the shrimps. Slowly fry the onion in olive oil, add garlic, bay leaf and parsley; add pepper and shrimps and fry for 3 minutes. Then add wine and a little salt. Cook gently for 20 minutes. The sauce may be thickened with a teaspoon of cornstarch, melted in a little water if desired.

Oysters in Champagne

Ingredients:

3 dozen oysters

1/3 cup toasted bread crumbs

1/4 cup butter

1 tbsp. minced parsley

salt and pepper

1 pint champagne

Drain oysters well. Melt butter in a wide saucepan, lay in the oysters, baste with the butter, sprinkle with toasted crumbs, salt, pepper and parsley. Pour in the champagne and heat slowly until the oysters plump and edge crinkle. Do not boil. Serve on hot toasted bread, or in hot soup plates.

Champagne Punch

Ingredients:

4 cups sugar

juice of 12 lemons

1 pineapple, in cubes

3 quarts ice water

1 quart strawberries or raspberries

1 quart white wine

1 quart champagne

Dissolve 3 cups sugar in lemon juice. Dredge pineapple cubes with 1 cup sugar and allow to stand. Pour ice water into punch bowl, stir in sugar and lemon, then the berries, slightly crushed, and the sugared pineapple. Stir in wine and champagne and serve cold.

What dish is served traditionally on New Years? We have recipes!

http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/blackeyedpeas.html

Christmas Entertaining: More Appetizers

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart. ~Washington Irving

I always have good intentions of posting more often during the holidays but things never seem to settle down. Since I have a lot of last minute recipes and ideas I'll be posting today and the next three days. A mini-marathon of holiday blogs:) Today I'm starting with more appetizer recipes. I can seriously never have too many appetizer or snack ideas. Between my teens, our family get gatherings and friends dropping by I always need quick finger food.

Rueben Appetizers

1 cup diced cooked corned beef, roast beef or chipped beef
8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup mayonnaise

1/8 tsp. garlic powder
8 ounces (1 cup) sauerkraut
2 cups grated Swiss cheese
Loaf Party Rye Bread

Combine the beef, cream cheese, mayonnaise, sauerkraut and garlic powder. Set up the pieces of bread, and spread each one with the cheese/beef mixture. Sprinkle with the Swiss cheese on top of each appetizer and broil until bubbly. Serve warm.

Notes: You can also add a pickle to this appetizer, or serve pickles on the side near it.

Pepperoni Bread

1 loaf frozen bread dough

1 tbsp. dried oregano

1 package sliced pepperoni (small pack)

2 eggs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella

Lightly rub the frozen loaf with oil, place it in a bowl or on a cookie sheet with a clean tea towel over it. Allow the dough to thaw and double in size. Roll out the dough. In a small bowl beat the eggs, Parmesan and oregano. Spread about 2/3 of this mixture on the dough. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and place the pepperoni evenly on the bread dough. Roll up the dough with the cheese/pepperoni etc. inside. Seal the edge by pinching with your fingers then brush the rest of the egg mixture over the bread on the outside. Place the rolled bread on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Brush with butter after removing from the oven.

Slice and place on a platter to serve.

Notes: I like adding a little garlic powder to the butter before brushing.

Jalapeno Poppers

12 whole Jalapeno peppers

12 cubes Colby Jack cheese (or Cheddar)

1 cup Bisquick

1 egg

1/2 cup beer

Cut the tops off of the peppers with a very sharp knife and clean out the seeds. Stuff with the cheese cubes. Set aside. Mix the Bisquick, egg and beer. Dip in each pepper to coat it and deep fry in grease for 2-4 minutes. Drain on paper towel before serving.

Herb Deviled Eggs

12 hard boiled eggs

6 tbsp. Parmesan Cheese

4 tbsp. Mayonnaise

1 tsp. dried basil, crushed

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Peel the eggs, then cut in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks, and set the whites aside. Mash the yolks with a fork, in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the cheese, mayonnaise, basil, garlic and pepper until smooth. Spoon or use a pastry bag (or plastic bag with the corner tip cut off) the yolk mixture into the egg white halves. For garnish you can sprinkle with paprika, or a few snipped chives. Serve on a platter after they've been chilled.

By the way, do you need tips on caring for your poinsettia?

http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/poinsettia.html

"Spread Your Own Party" from 1934

Anyone who's followed this blog for awhile or my writing on Old Fashioned Living knows I love finding articles or books with references to old fashioned parties and celebrations. Though I love all of our modern technology and being able to chat with all of you online, we've kind of lost some of the simple ways to entertain along the way. I was looking through my cookbooks this weekend and found an idea for a canape party. I think this would be wonderful for a baby or bridal shower. It's from the Practical Recipes for the Housewife, published by the Detroit Times in 1934.

Let canapes run riot in your after-bridge refreshment menus-indeed, they have to the extent that hostesses are now having "spread your own" parties. By that we mean they simply provide the canape spreads, the crackers, and let the guests help themselves. Unsalted crackers are favored for the canape spread-toasted if you wish, or some prefer Melba Toast, which it is possible to buy if you do not wish to go to the trouble of making it.

Celery, olives, marinated in salad oil, and perhaps salted nuts will add sufficient variety to satisfy anyone's appetite. However, if a more elaborate menu is desired, one creamed hot dish with tiny biscuits, followed by a simple dessert may be included.

They suggested using some of these canape spreads that serve 6-8 persons.

Roquefort and Cream Cheese Spread

Mash one four ounce package Roquefort cheese with one three ounce package cream cheese, one tablespoon minced onions and one-quarter cup top milk or cream.

Cottage Cheese and Green Pepper Spread

Combine one-half pound fresh cottage cheese with two tablespoons minced green pepper, one tablespoon minced onion, a dash of cayenne and one tablespoon garlic flavored French dressing. (Allow one cut clove of garlic to stand in French dressing for several hours or longer.)

Lobster Spread

Combine one six-ounce can of lobster, minced, one tablespoon lemon juice, one and a half tablespoon mayonnaise and one tablespoon garlic flavored French dressing (above).

Minced Ham and Egg Spread

Combine one-eighth pound minced cooked ham (two-thirds cup) with three shelled hard-cooked eggs, minced, two tablespoons minced onion, one and a half teaspoon prepared mustard, one teaspoon bottled condiment sauce and two tablespoons mayonnaise. (Kitchen Bouquet is considered a condiment sauce.)

Pineapple and Chicken Spread

Combine one-quarter cup canned crushed pineapple with one-half cup chopped chicken and two tablespoons mayonnaise.

Crabmeat Spread

Mix one six and a half ounce can of crabmeat, minced with one-half cup chopped celery, one-quarter cup minced pimento, one quarter cup garlic flavored mayonnaise, one-eighth teaspoon salt and one-eighth teaspoon paprika.

On OFL we have some tea sandwich recipes for parties.

~Brenda

Old Fashioned Holiday Recipes

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart. ~Washington Irving

Today I have some fun recipes from the Practical Recipes for the Housewife book published by the Detroit Times in 1934. I know some of you wondered if it was still available in print. I always watch ebay for vintage cookbooks, as well as used book sources online such as the sellers on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Offline I also always check thrift stores and church sales. If you have time for auctions there are many good deals at those too. As far as I know the book was never reprinted.

The recipes below are for beverages.

Frosted Russian Chocolate

2 cups strong boiling black coffee
2 ounces chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups scalded milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
cinnamon
grated nutmeg

Dissolve cornstarch in coffee and cook in double boiler with coffee, chocolate, spices and sugar. Then add milk to this thickened liquid. Stir well and boil for one quarter hour. Serve chilled with some cracked ice in tall glasses.

Mint Squash

Four sprigs of mint
juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Cold water
ginger ale

Bruise all but tip of one sprig of mint in a glass. Add strips of lemon rind, juice of the lemon, sugar and chill. When ready to serve, fill glasses with ice cubes, pour over ginger ale and serve with a sprig of mint on top of ice.

The following recipes are dainty and can be used for afternoon tea or open houses.

Chicken and Pineapple Sandwiches

1 cup canned crushed pineapple
1 cup chopped cooked or canned chicken
2 loaves white bread
1/2 pound walnut meats
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Drain pineapple, and mix with the chopped chicken and mayonnaise. Spread between buttered slices of white bread. Cut each sandwich into quarters diagonally, forming triangles. This recipe makes 50 sandwiches.

Orange Cream Cheese Sandwiches

Mix one package of cream cheese with one teaspoon of grated orange rind, and add enough orange juice to spread. Use as a filling for very thin sandwiches of white or whole wheat bread, cut into shapes with a cookie cutter.

I have one last recipe for an interesting salad.

Pomegranate Salad

6 canned pear halves
1/3 cup pecan meats, chopped
pomegranate seeds
2 packages cream cheese
watercress
cream mayonnaise
lettuce

Arrange crisp lettuce leaves on individual salad plates. Place half a canned pear on each plate. Mix cream cheese and chopped nuts, form into balls. Place one ball into the center of pear. Place a few sprigs of watercress at the blossom end of each pear. Serve with cream mayonnaise sprinkled lightly with pomegranate seeds. Serves 6.

I hope you enjoy the recipes!
~Brenda