In the Kitchen
“Nothin’ says lovin’ like somethin’ from the oven, and Pillsbury says it best.”
That advertising jingle, which debuted in the 1950s, spoke to our hearts, our minds — and our stomachs. It became part of the American lexicon and encapsulated the concept of “comfort food” nearly 20 years before that term made it into Webster’s Dictionary.
What, exactly, is a comfort food? The online encyclopedia Wikipedia offers a simple, straightforward answer: “ Comfort food is typically inexpensive, uncomplicated, and easy to prepare. Many people turn to comfort food for familiarity, emotional security, or special reward.”
But determining which foods are comfort foods isn’t quite so simple or straightforward.
The comfort food recipes that follow come from folks around the state who range in age from 20 to 70-plus.
Recipes featured...
Recipes
Sauerkraut Hot Dish
Lanae Feser, Waseca
1 ½ pounds hamburger, browned with onion
½ family-size package egg noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 large can sauerkraut
Boil the egg noodles. Mix everything together. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Dad’s Garbage Soup
Rick Buerman, Maple Grove
Ham bone or ham
Vegetables that need to be used up or thrown out
(Potatoes, carrots, celery, peas, onions, green beans, corn, cilantro)
Seasoning
Sometimes, boiled eggs
Almost Shepherd’s Pie
Tim Gamradt, Wrenshall
Yukon gold potatoes, mashed
Browned hamburger, crumbled and seasoned with Lawry’s
Corn (Green Giant Niblets)
Serve by layering the meat on top of the potatoes, and the corn on top of the meat, then adding ketchup.
Rice Hotdish
Dorothy Sayre, Morris
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (brown and drain)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken with rice soup
1 can of water
3/4 cup of long grain rice
1/4 cup soy sauce
Brown and drain hamburger. Add remaining ingredients (use a casserole dish that will allow room for rice to expand). Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours or until rice is done
Enchilada Hotdish
Dorothy Sayre, Morris
2 pounds ground beef (brown and drain)
1 can of enchilda sauce (mild)
1 can tomato sauce (small 8-ounce can)
Flour tortilla shells
Shredded cheddar cheese
Add ~ tomato sauce to browned and drained hamburger, simmer for 15 minutes.
Place ~ a small amount of sauce in bottom of 9 X 13 pan to prevent shells from sticking to pan.
Layer 1 ~ shells, sauce mixture, cheese
Layer 2 ~ shells, sauce mixture, cheese
Bake ~ at 350 in a 9 X 13 covered pan for 1/2 an hour or until cheese melts. If you use a glass pan a microwave works great!
Top and serve with ~ lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, black olives, onions, sour cream and salsa
Overnight Caramel Rolls
Susie Prieve, Faribault
1/2 pkg. Rhodes frozen dinner rolls (18-20 pieces)
1 small package Butterscotch pudding (not instant)
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 C. Butter
3/4 C. chopped Pecans
Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non stick spray. Sprinkle pecans on the bottom of pan. Add frozen rolls. Sprinkle dry pudding atop the rolls. Melt butter and brown sugar and drizzle over the pudding. Cover with plastic wrap.
Set out in a warm place overnight. Bake in the morning at 350 for 25-30 min. Let rest 5 min. and turn out onto platter. Serve warm with your best coffee.
Creamy Comfort Potatoes
Susie Prieve, Faribault
10 large potatoes peeled and cooked until tender
1 stick of butter softened
1 8-ounce brick of cream cheese softened
1 8-ounce container of sour cream
Blend cream cheese, butter, and sour cream. Add hot potatoes one at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. Season with pepper to taste. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non stick spray and add potatoes. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. May sprinkle with cheese in the last few minutes if desired. Also may freeze prior to baking for baking and serving at a later time.
Potato Dumpling Soup
Nola Varilek, Pequot Lakes
*Makes a big batch. The recipe can be halved for a smaller serving.
20 cups water
6 ounces. chicken broth
½ c. margarine
¼ tablespoon pepper
1 bay leaf
Add: 4 c. diced potatoes
When potatoes are done, add 3 ½ cups half and half.
Dumplings:
2 ½ to 3 cups flour
4 eggs
½ c. half and half
Stir dumpling ingredients together until all is moistened. Put lots of flour on hands, pinch and drop dumplings in soup.
Family Hot Dish
Jane Van Loh, Duluth
1 pound ground beef
1 clove garlic
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1 tsp sugar
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
1 8-ounce package narrow noodles
2 tablespoons onion
1 3-ounce package cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
grated cheddar cheese for on top
Brown and drain beef. Add garlic, salt, pepper, sugar, and tomato
sauce. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. Cook noodles as directed.
Mix onions, cream cheese and sour cream. Put a layer of noodles,
layer of cream cheese mixture and a layer of meat mixture into a
buttered baking dish. Repeat layers. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake
at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly in the center and
slightly brown on top. Serves six.
Banana Chocolate Chip Bread
Betty Russell, Redwood Falls
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
4 large ripe bananas
2/3 cup sour cream
4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips
Cream butter and sugar. Add other ingredients and stir until mixed. Pour into two 5x9 bread ovens. Bake at 325 degrees.
Hamburger Hash Brown Hot Dish
Betty Russell, Redwood Falls
8 ounces frozen shredded hash browns
Salt and pepper
1 pound hamburger
1 medium onion, chopped
1 10-ounce package frozen peas
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can milk
6 slices cheese
Butter a 9x13 pan. Cover bottom of pan with hash browns. Put browned hamburger and onions on top. Sprinkle peas over hamburger. Mix soup with milk and pour over mixture. Place cheese on top and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil and cook 15 more minutes.
Barbecue Hamburger
Kathy Derong, Vadnais Heights
Makes 8 servings
1 pound hamburger
1 small onion cut fine
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon mustard
1 can Campbell’s Chicken Gumbo soup (do not add water)
Brown meat and onion in large frying pan until meat loses its pink color. Tip pan and spoon out grease. Add rest of ingredients and cook on low heat covered for about an hour.
Barbecue Chuck Roast
Kathy Derong, Vadnais Heights
1 chuck roast, about 2-3 pounds and 1 ½ to 2 inches thick
Meat tenderizer
Marinade:
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard (jar kind)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Combine above ingredients to make marinade. Sprinkle both sides of roast with tenderizer and prick with fork. Place in glass casserole, pour marinade over roast and marinate for at least 4 hours, turning roast and spooning marinade over it several times. Remove roast from casserole (save remaining marinade) and broil in oven on broiler pan set about 6 inches from heat. Turn roast and baste with remaining marinade every 10 to 15 minutes. Broil 18 to 20 minutes on each side for medium rare. Roast may also be grilled outside; keep turning and spooning marinade over roast to keep moist.
Chili
Cristina Nistler, St. Cloud
1.5 lbs ground beef
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 medium green sweet pepper, chopped
½ cup chopped celery
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 Tbsp. chili powder
½ tsp. salt
. ½ tsp. garlic powder
. ½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 15-oz cab dark red kidney beans
1 15-oz can chili beans
In 4- 5-quart Dutch oven, brown half of the ground beef in hot oil; remove meat from Dutch oven. Add remaining meat, onions, sweet pepper, and celery to Dutch oven. Cook and stir until meat is brown and onion is tender. Return all meat to Dutch oven.
Add undrained tomatoes, parsley, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to meat. Stir in undrained beans. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. Makes 6 servings.
Mostaccioli
Melissa Preusser, Shakopee
1 box of Mostaccioli noodles
3 jars of favorite sauce
32 oz of Mozzarella cheese
Slightly under-cook noodles. Then, mix noodles with two jars of sauce and 16 oz cheese. Bake covered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Five to 10 minutes before taking out of oven, mix in remaining jar of sauce and sprinkle with remaining 16 oz of cheese; finish baking uncovered.
My Gandma's Sugar Cookies
Melissa Preusser, Shakopee
1 cup butter
1 cup oil
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups & 4 heaping tbsp of flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
Cream butter, oil, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Roll dough into small balls and flatten with fork on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees or until golden. They melt in your mouth!
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Carrie Trautz, St. Augusta
1 cup wild rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of cream of potato soup
1 can cheddar soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 large potatoes ( cubed)
1/2 cup onion
4 cups of milk
1 bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower
2 fresh carrots (chopped)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Soak the rice overnight in water, wash and drain rice. Combine all the above ingredients into a crock pot. You may add more milk to thin your soup if desired. Cook on Slow for 6-8 hours.
Canteen Chili
Jane Van Loh, Duluth
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp salt
3 cans tomato soup
3 (16 oz) cans kidney beans
3 (16 oz) cans chili beans
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
Brown ground beef and onions. Add rest of ingredients along with
three bean cans of water and 1 tomato soup can of water. Simmer for
several hours. Serves 12.
My dad used to own a restaurant called "The Canteen" and this is the
chili he served there, hence the name.
Ellen's Banana Bread
Donna Drontle, Duluth
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 Cup butter or margarine
4 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Cup sour cream
3-4 very ripe bananas
3 cups flour
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecans (optional)
Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, soda and sour cream. Beat well and then add bananas (if they are not really ripe, mash them before adding to bowl) Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Bake in well-greased loaf pans at 350 for 1 hour. This recipe makes two loaves. Turn off oven and leave in for another 10 minutes if they don't seem completely baked.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Dorothy Sayre, Morris
Mix well:
1 cup Crisco
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
1 Tsp. hot water
Add:
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup oatmeal (quick oats)
1 tsp. vanilla
6 ounces mini chocolate chips
Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until light golden brown.
Banana Bread
Melissa Preusser, Shakopee
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter. Beat the egg slightly, and mix into the creamed mixture with the bananas. Mix in sifted ingredients until just combined. Stir in milk and nuts. Spread batter into one greased and floured 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees until top is brown and cracks along the top.
Graham Cracker Dessert
Melissa Preusser, Shakopee
1 box graham crackers
2 packages instant French vanilla pudding (make with 3 cups milk)
8 oz. cool whip
Put a layer of graham crackers whole in the bottom of 9x13 pan. Mix pudding and cool whip. Layer pudding and crackers to make three layers. Frost with thin layer of chocolate frosting.
Gone-in-a-Minute Party Dip
Kelly Nistler, Morris
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese softened
1 jar salsa
Mexican style shredded cheese
tortilla chips or crackers
Spread soft cream cheese over festive serving dish, making sure to cover the entire surface. Spread salsa over the top of cream cheese. Sprinkle generously with the shredded cheese and place in microwave (assuming that your plate is microwave safe) and heat in 30-second intervals until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from microwave with caution. Dip will be very hot but cools quickly - generally it doesn't stick around long enough to cool anyway! Grab chips/crackers and gather round!