The Cookbook Experiment: Indian Corn Pudding

Tonight's cookbook experiment is Indian Corn Pudding by Ms. Stella Smith. Stella is one of the most amazing cooks ever. Her chicken salad and her pimento cheese are legendary at our church. Her chicken salad outdoes mine hands down.  I am so in love with her pimento cheese. It is sheer heaven. I have not had corn pudding in a very, very long time.

Indian Corn Pudding by Stella Smith

(1) 15 ounce can creamed corn
(1) 15 ounce can whole corn
(1) stick butter or margarine (I used butter..duh! Everything is better with Kerrygold)
(2) eggs
(1) cup sour cream
(1) box Jiffy corn bread mix

Mix all ingredients, pour into 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes and then serve.

My take-a-ways for this recipe:

• The recipe does not say melt the butter but I assumed it was necessary so I melted it in the microwave first.
• The recipe also does not say whether to drain the water out of the can of whole corn. I drained it.
• I mixed everything in the dish I was baking it in. It worked out fine.
• This recipe is luxurious. It bakes up fluffy and tender. My suggestion would be to go fix it right now! What are you waiting for. I could eat this 3 times a day seven days a week, it is that good.
• Thank you Stella!

The Cookbook Experiment: Hash Brown Casserole

Tonight's recipe is another gem from Sharon Giambrone.  She is a most amazing woman and I love her dearly. Her faith in God is an incredible thing to witness. Tonight I made an overload of potatoes. I know I should not have but I did it anyway. It was tasty and worth it!

Hash Brown Casserole

(1) 32 ounce frozen hash browns, thawed
(3/4) cup butter, melted
(1/2) cup chopped onion*
(1) 10 3/4 ounce can cream of chicken soup
(1) 8 ounce carton sour cream
(1) cup shredded cheddar cheese
(2) cups cornflakes, crushed

Combine potatoes, 1/2 cup butter, onion, soup, sour cream and cheese; stir well. Spoon into 13" x 9" x 2" casserole dish. Stir remaining butter into crushed cereal. Sprinkle over potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. *May substitute green onions for yellow onion. Add 1-2 cups cubed ham, if desired.

My take-a-ways for this recipe:

• I did not have any cornflakes but I made it anyway. It was not the smartest decision as the dish lacked crunch without it. It was still  yummy but it did need the crunch.
• I did not realize the hash browns had to be thawed first. Me and my last minute dinner planning! Not to worry, I threw them in a big bowl and defrosted them in the microwave.
• The butter is very important in this dish so naturally I used Kerrygold. I am biased. What can I say?
• Thank you Sharon for another wonderful recipe! It will definitely be tried again, this time correctly with the cornflakes.

The Cookbook Experiment: PJ's Sweet Potato Souffle

Tonight's cookbook experiment was an over-load of potatoes! I know I shouldn't have but I did it! I made a hash brown casserole and this sweet potato one. Carbs, carbs, carbs! Tonight I just did not care.

This recipe is from an amazing woman named Pat John. She is another one of my true heroes of faith and the sweetest woman you will ever meet. I love her and her husband as if they were my own parents. I was excited to try this recipe.

PJ's Sweet Potato Souffle

(4) cups cooked sweet potatoes
(1/4) cup butter, melted
(1/2) teaspoon vanilla
(2) eggs, lightly beaten
(1/2) cup evaporated milk
(3/4) cup of sugar
Dash of salt

Cream potatoes and add melted butter, vanilla, eggs, milk, sugar and salt. Mix well. Place in 3 quart casserole dish, greased!

Topping:
(1) cup brown sugar
(1/2) cup flour
(1/3) cup melted butter
(1) cup chopped pecans

Mix sugar and flour. Pour melted butter over mixture and continue to mix until lumpy. Add nuts. Sprinkle topping over sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

My take-a-ways for this recipe:

• I used a large can of drained Bruce's sweet potatoes (yep, I cheated!)
• I did not have any evaporated milk on hand so I used the whole milk I had in my refrigerator.
• I used walnuts in lieu of pecans because that is what I had in my cupboard.
• I did not have a 3 quart casserole dish so I used my 9" x 13" cake pan
• YOU MUST MAKE THIS!!! It is divine! I wanted to eat it ALL by myself and not share!
• Thanks Mrs. John! 

The Cookbook Experiment: Scalloped Potatoes

The compliment to my meatloaf experience tonight is Scalloped Potatoes by Mary Grode.  Mary was the mother of one of my heroes of faith: Judy Mastros. Judy is an amazing woman so I know her mother was amazing too. She is also very smart because this recipe is delicious!

Scalloped Potatoes

(1) pound potatoes, about 3 medium
(2) tablespoons butter
(2) tablespoons flour
(1/2) teaspoon salt
(1/8) teaspoon pepper
(1 1/2) cups milk
(2) tablespoons onion
(1) teaspoon butter

Peel and slice potatoes thin.  Grease a 1 quart baking dish. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat until melted.  Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Layer 1/2 of the potatoes, put the onions on top and 1/2 of the sauce. Top with remaining potatoes and sauce.  Dot with the 1 teaspoon of butter. Cover and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook 35 minutes.

My take-a-ways for this recipe:

• I would use room temperature when making the sauce. I actually used one 12 ounce can of evaporated milk. I knew the sauce was done when I could draw a line down the spoon and the sauce did not come back together (see picture above).
• Of course, I used Kerrygold butter! It's the best.
• This was the most incredible recipe. The sauce was delicious, I could have eaten straight out of the pot without bothering to put it on the potatoes.
• Make this! You will love it! Thanks Mrs. Grode.  

The Cookbook Experiment: Italian Meat Loaf

Tonight's cookbook experiment is once again courtesy of Doris Baynes. To be honest, I was not too sure about the recipe as my husband is pretty particular about his meatloaf. I decided to go ahead and give it a try as it sounded a lot different from any meatloaf I have ever made.

Italian Meat Loaf by Doris Baynes

( 1 1/2) pounds lean ground beef
(1) small onion, chopped
(1/4) teaspoon garlic powder
(1) egg
(1) teaspoon oregano
(1/4) teaspoon pepper
(1) cup tomato sauce
(1) 8 ounce package grated Monterrey Jack cheese

In a large bowl mix the ground beef, onions, garlic, egg, oregano and pepper. Spoon half the mixture into a loaf pan, then add 2/3 of the cheese and 1/2 the tomato sauce. Add remaining beef mixture to pan. Top with remaining tomato sauce and remaining cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.

My take-a-ways for this recipe:

• I did not use a loaf pan. I did not have 1 1/2 hours for the meatloaf to cook. I had a hungry husband so I put it in my 9" x 13" cake pan and made it not so thick so it would cook faster. It took approximately 45 minutes to finish. The meatloaf fell apart easily but that is probably because I did not use a loaf pan.
• As I am never allowed to put ketchup on top of my recipe of meatloaf I was a little bit worried about how this one would be received. As I suspected, my husband declared it "too tomatoey" if that is even a word.
• I am enjoying all of Doris' recipes. She seems to have been a very smart lady. Thanks Doris!

The Cookbook Experiment: Linda's Push Down Cake

I am very tired tonight but I still feel too stressed out to go to bed yet. Tomorrow I have an MRI and I am not a big fan of the machine. I get a little claustrophobic. I decided it was time to hit the cookbook a second time tonight. I searched through until I found a recipe that has all the ingredients that I already have. Linda Davenport's Push Down Cake to the rescue!

Linda Davenport is one of the sweetest, most amazing women that I know. She is fiercely loyal to her family, she has a smile that lights up a room and most importantly, I think, she has a quiet steady faith that I have been very grateful to come to know. She is one of my great women of faith that I look up to. Plus, her mom is as cute as a button, her daughters are amazing and you can see just how much she loves her grand-babies.

Linda's Push Down Cake by Linda Davenport

(1) box of Duncan Hines Cake Mix (any flavor)
(1) stick of butter (melted)
(3) eggs
(1) 8 ounce package cream cheese (softened)
(1) 1-pound box 10X sugar

Mix dry cake mix, butter and (1) egg.  Press down in a 9" x 13" pan.  Mix softened cream cheese, (2) eggs and sugar together and pour over cake mix.  Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

My take-a-ways from this recipe:

• I have to say I did not think (1) egg and (1) stick of melted butter was going to be enough to mix with an entire box of cake mix, but I was wrong. You just have to have faith and mix it very well. After it is mixed well, I feel like it is best if you use the two tools that God gave you to press it down in the pan...your two hands of course! I worked it to the edges and around the pan and tried to make sure that no part was thicker than the other.
• I mixed the cream cheese, eggs and sugar mixture until it was really, really smooth. No lumps from the cream cheese OR the powdered sugar.
• Always break your eggs one at a time in a separate bowl. The first egg I cracked had blood in it.  Yuck. That could have ruined EVERYTHING if I had not broken it in a separate bowl first. It is just a good rule to follow even though you NEVER see a chef on TV do it.  Of course, they have assistants and loads of ingredients to re-do and re-take the scene if something like that happened. I do not and I am pretty sure you don't either.
• Linda is one smart lady! This cake is delicious!! Thank you!!

The Cookbook Experiment: Tuna Noodle Supreme

Tonight's dinner experiment came about because I was not feeling well enough to go to the store. I took stock of everything in the freezer, cabinet and fridge and then consulted the cookbook. The recipe that came the closest to the ingredients on hand was "Tuna Noodle Supreme" by Pat Hannas. Now, I have to confess I don't think I have ever met Pat but I have met and know Riley Hannas. He is a young man about the age of my son. They know each other from school and church youth group.

Tuna Noodle Supreme by Pat Hannas

(4 1/2) cups of wide egg noodles
(1) 12 ounce can Tuna, drained
(1) cup Sour cream and mayonnaise
(1/2) cup grated Parmesan cheese
(1/2) cup milk
(1) teaspoon Dijon mustard
(2) cups broccoli, cut up
(1/3) cup red bell pepper
(1/4) cup green onions, sliced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl stir together sour cream, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, milk and mustard. Salt and pepper to taste. Add hot pasta, tuna, broccoli, red peppers and green onion. Stir until blended. Place tuna mixture in a baking dish. Cover and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 6

My take-a-ways for this recipe:

• I did not have egg noodles and I was not going to the store. I used elbow macaroni.
• I have never seen a 12 ounce can of tuna. I used to 5 ounce cans of Albacore (my husband only likes Albacore so that is what I have on hand)
• Please don't use cheap Parmesan, even though this is a tuna recipe. Just don't.
• I was not sure if the recipe meant a cup of each sour cream and mayo or 1/2 of each mixed together. It's not clear. I only used half of each and it turned out to dry after it was baked. I guess it means (1) cup of each. Lesson learned.
• I used what I had and that was (1) 14 ounce bag of frozen broccoli. Should it have been fresh broccoli? It does not say. I cooked my broccoli in the microwave according to package directions first before I used it.
• I had about (1/2) cup of Parmesan leftover in the bag and figured it was not enough to use for anything else so I sprinkled it all over the top of the casserole before I put it in the oven.
• I did not have any green onions. I used some fire-roasted peppers and onions that I had in the freezer. 
• I did not have any Dijon mustard. I used some sweet and spicy mustard. It tasted good to me!
• The husband and son and I enjoyed it for the most part. My hubs said it probably would have been better with the egg noodles. I think he is right. BUT the best part about trying this recipe was that I did not have to go to the store.

Thanks Pat for the easy recipe!! I appreciate not having to go to the store. I guess I altered the recipe quite a bit but it got me through feeding everyone.