Recipes Shared by Club Members

A great selection of some of the Club's absolute all-time favorite recipes.

All the 2018 Garden Party Appetizer Recipes 

Bob’s Meatloaf  (Winner of Meatloaf Cook Off - March 2017)

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 (8oz) tomato sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 cups finely crushed saltine crackers

Topping:

3 Tbs. brown sugar

1/4 tsp nutmeg (freshly ground is best)

3/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp. dry mustard

Directions: Mix all ingredients except topping together in a mixing bowl. Place in a loaf pan and spread topping over top. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until done. Note: Serves 6 to 8.


Skillet Cookies (October 2015 Meeting)

1 stick oleo or butter

1 8 oz. package dates1 cup sugar 

1 egg

2 cups Rice Krispies

1 1/2 cup chopped nuts 

Coconut

Melt oleo or butter in pan, add chopped dates and 1 cup sugar. Cook to dissolve sugar.

Remove from heat and quickly add beaten egg.

Return to low heat and cook 5 minutes.  Add Rice Krispies and nuts.

Make into small balls and roll in coconut. 

Stores well in refrigerator or freezer.

Betty Honn


Mini Cheese Ball Bites (Duets in Bloom 2015)

Bite-sized cheese balls -- studded with dried cranberries and blue cheese crumbles -- are rolled in toasted pecans and skewered with pretzel sticks for fun, easy appetizers!

Yield: Approximately 2 dozen cheese balls

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) blue cheese crumbles

3/4 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups pecans

Pretzel sticks

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, blue cheese, and dried cranberries until smooth. Dampen hands to prevent sticking and form cream cheese mixture into approximately 24 tablespoon-sized balls. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or until firm.

2. In the meantime, toast the pecans by spreading out on a sheet pan and baking in a preheated 350°F oven until lightly toasted and fragrant, for 7 to 10 minutes. Allow pecans to cool and finely chop them.

3. Roll chilled cheese balls in chopped pecans, pressing nuts so that they adhere. Keep cheese balls refrigerated until ready to serve. Just before serving, skewer each cheese ball with a pretzel stick.

Tips, Tricks, & Variations

You can make the cheese balls ahead of time, but don't insert the pretzels until just before serving or they will become soggy.


Chocolate Nut Goodie Squares (2015 Card Party)

(From 2015 Benefit Card Party)

Melt together:

12 oz. chocolate chips

12 oz. butterscotch chips

1 square unsweetened chocolate

2 cups peanut butter

Pour half of the mixture on a buttered jelly roll pan. Place pan in freezer to set. Keep the other half in the bowl used to melt things together. 

Filling:

2 sticks of butter

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/4 cup dry vanilla pudding (not instant)

Mix together in pan and bring to a boil for 1 min stirring constantly.  Add 1 tsp maple flavoring.  Stir in 2 lbs powdered sugar. 

Spread over chocolate layer in pan that was set in freezer.  Add 1 lb Spanish peanuts to remaining half of chocolate and spread over filling. 

Put in freezer to set so you can cut it into small squares.  It's easier than it sounds and is very rich tasting and makes a lot!  Enjoy!!


Brownies, Neiman Marcus (Pat Davis, February 2011 Club Meeting)

1 box, Butter Pecan Cake mix 

2 sticks, butter, melted, divided use 

3 eggs, divided use 

1 (16-oz) box confectioners’ sugar 

8 oz. Cream cheese 

½ to 1 c. chopped pecans 

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, 1 stick of the melted butter and 1 egg. Mix well. Press into bottom of a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan. 

In a separate large bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, remaining stick of melted butter, and 2 eggs. Mix well. Pour over cake mixture layer. Sprinkle chopped pecans over top. Bake at 300 degrees for 55 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Dipped Gingersnaps (Recipe from Mary Doyle) 

2 cups sugar 

1-1/2 cups vegetable oil 

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses 

4 cups all purpose flour 

4 teaspoons baking soda 

1 tablespoon ground ginger 

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon salt 

Additional sugar

2 packages (12 ounces each) vanilla baking chips or new white chocolate dip in stores 

1/2 cup shortening 

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in molasses. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. 

Shape into 3/4-in balls (I roll in short logs to make an oval cookie) and roll in sugar. Place 2" apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until cookie springs back when touched lightly. Remove to wire racks to cool. 

Melt chips and shortening in a small saucepan over low heat. Dip cookies halfway; shake off excess. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets to harden. 

Yield: about 14-1/2 dozen.

Dips, Texas Caviar (2010 Card Party)

1 can corn drained 

1 can black beans or black eyed peas drained 

1 medium tomato seeded & diced 

3/4 cup red or green bell pepper diced 

1/2 small white onion diced 

1/2 cup chopped cilantro 

Mix all ingredients and add Italian salad dressing to coat. 

Meatballs (2010 Card Party)

As with many good cooks, sometimes they just add things to taste. Such is the case for the meatballs served at our Card Party. Following are the ingredients used. 

Meatballs

Ground beef, seasoned bread crumbs, eggs, diced celery and onion. Shape into balls and bake at 350 degrees until browned. 

Sauce 

Ketchup, soy sauce, pinapple, mustard, cherry jelly, red or green bell pepers (or both) and onions cut in chunks. Heat in sauce pan and serve meatballs in sauce. 


P. Allen Smith’s Buttermilk Pecan Pie

INGREDIENTS

This easy to make recipe came from P. Allen’s old Family cookbook. Surprise your guests with this twist on a classic buttermilk pie.

Crust

1 pie crust, unbaked (make your own, or purchase a pre-made)

Glazed Pecans

1 cup pecan halves

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup dark corn syrup

Filling

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

FIRST MAKE THE GLAZED PECANS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a jellyroll pan with aluminum foil, and lightly grease the foil.

2. Stir the pecan halves, light brown sugar, and dark corn syrup together in a small bowl. Spread the mixture out on the jelly-roll pan, and bake, stirring every 4 minutes, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the glaze thickens.

3. Remove the pan from the oven and spread the pecans in a single layer on wax paper. Let the pecans cool completely, separating them with a spoon as they cool. Store the glazed pecans indefinitely in an airtight container at room temperature.

NEXT MAKE THE PIE FILLING & BAKE

1. Leave the oven at 350°F. Combine all the filling ingredients in a mixing bowl and pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Scatter the chopped glazed pecans evenly on top of the pie filling.

2. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until set. Let the pie cool on a wire rack before serving at room temperature.


Strawberry Banana Pie (Courtesy of Ninetta Potts)

1 Graham cracker pie shell 

2 cups of sugar or Splenda 

2 cups of water

Bring water to boil. Add 3 tablespoons of corn starch mixed in 6 tablespoons of cold water . Cook until thickened.  Remove from stove and add 1 box of Strawberry Jello. You may also add 1/2 teaspoon of red food coloring for color. Let cool to room temperature. 

Slice two bananas into pie shell.  Add 1 pint or more sliced strawberries.  Pour sugar mixture over berries and bananas.  Refrigerate until filling sets up. 

Serve topped with Cool Whip.

Suet Recipe 

The following recipe for suet to feed the birds is from our Bella Vista Gardening TV Program aired in November 2012: 

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)

1 cup shortening

1 cup flour

3 cups cornmeal

1 cup rolled oats

You can also add dried raisins and fruit, nus, cereal crumbs or bread crumbs you have left over.

If there is a recipe for success in life, it starts with picking the right ingredients. (from your garden?)

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