Favorite Church Recipes

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

Submitted by Ginny Miller

This salad was served at the Prayer Shawl 10th Anniversary Luncheon in September, 2012. 

1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta, about 8 oz.)
2 cups bagged, prewashed baby spinach, CHOPPED
1/2 cup chopped, DRAINED oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves
3 tbsp. chopped red onion
3 tbsp. pitted, chopped kalamata olives
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 (14 oz.) can marinated artichoke hearts, UNDRAINED
3/4 cup (3 oz.) Feta cheese, crumbled and divided

Cook orzo according to package directions, OMITTING salt.

DRAIN, rinse with cold water.

Combine orzo, spinach and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. DRAIN artichokes, RESERVING marinade. Coarsely chop artichokes and add artichokes, reserved marinade, and 1/2 cup Feta to orzo mixture, stirring gently to coat. Sprinkle each serving with remaining Feta. 

I use scissors to cut the tomato halves. Reese Quartered Artichoke Hearts...ready to use, no chopping necessary! 

Cheddar Cheese Soup

Submitted by Jan Bittner

We had our Ash Wednesday soup supper last year and I made this cheddar cheese soup.

¼ cup butter
⅛ tsp. baking powder
½ cup minced onion
1 cup diced carrots, boiled 10 min.
½ cup flour
⅛ tsp. paprika 
1½ tsp. cornstarch
salt to taste
1 quart milk
1½ cup cubed cheddar cheese
1 quart chicken broth or stock
2 tbsp. chopped parsley

Melt butter in saucepot.  Sauté onion lightly.  Add flour, cornstarch, milk, and stock, cooking, stirring, until slightly thickened.  Add baking powder, carrots, paprika, salt, and cheese.

Spinach Strawberry Salad

This was served at the All-Committee Supper, April 2010

1 pint fresh strawberries, fresh spinach

Dressing:

2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
1½ tsp. minced onion
½ tsp. Worcestershire
paprika
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup cider vinegar

Mix dressing ingredients.  Tear spinach into bowl.  Slice strawberries thinly.  Pour dressing over just before serving.

Oriental Salad

Submitted by Deanna Hill

This salad was served at the All-Committee Supper, April 2010.

1 large or 2 small Napa Cabbage
2 bunches of chopped green onion
1 small pack slivered almonds
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 tbsp. oil
2 packages of Ramen Oriental Noodles, crushed

Chop cabbage and green onion.  Set aside.

In a frying pan on medium heat, sauté:  oil, almonds, sunflower seeds and crushed noodles.  Cook until brown.

Add nuts/seeds mixture to cabbage mixture when cool.

Add dressing JUST before serving.

I do not usually pour the entire amount on the salad mixture-it makes a lot and can make the cabbage really soggy.

Dressing-Mix until smooth

1/2 cup white vinegar
1 cup oil
2 tsp. ground mustard
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 packages of seasoning from noodles
1 cup sugar

Ginny's Morning Glory Muffins

Submitted by Ginny Miller

1/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins,
2 cups grated carrots
1 apple (peeled, cored and shredded)
8 oz. crushed pineapple (drained)
1/2 cup walnuts, 3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two 12-cup muffin tins with papers.  Sift sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into large bowl.  Add coconut, raisins, carrots, apple, pineapple and nuts. Stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs with oil and vanilla. Pour mixture into bowl with dry ingredients and blend. Spoon batter into prepared tins. Fill each to the brim. Bake for 25 minutes, OR until toothpick comes out clean.

Muffins freeze well. Makes 22-24.

ENJOY THESE TWICE: They smell heavenly while baking...then delicious to eat!

UCC Bread

Submitted by Kimberly Gottier

I just finished sampling a warm, buttery slice of the UCC bread.  I didn't think it was that bad.  It is a heavier bread and it was good still warm from the oven with butter.  I think Jeralyn told me it is better as toast - but I liked it as was.

Scald 2 cups milk and 2 Tbsp. butter.  Add 2 cups rolled oats (I used quick cooking oats), 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. salt.  Stir and set aside.

Dissolve 1 package yeast in 1/2 cup warm water, stir then add in the milk/oat mixture.

Mix in 2 cups white flour, then an additional 4 cups white flour.

Turn out on floured board and knead till smooth.  Place dough in greased bowl and grease top of dough.

Cover and let rise 1½ hours.  Punch down and divide into two greased loaf pans (8" x 4").  Let rise 1 hour more.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

New recipe!  Baked Oatmeal

Submitted by Amie Giguere

(This delicious oatmeal dish was served at the annual MLK, Jr. Brunch)

¾ cup oil
1½ cups sugar
3 eggs

Mix the above together, and then add:

4½ cups rolled oats
¾ tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1½ cups milk 

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes in an 8 x 8 greased pan.

(Double recipe for a 9 x 13 pan and increase baking time to one hour)

Cheddar, Ham and Spinach Strata

Submitted by Kimberly Gottier, served at the November 2009 Senior Brunch

This recipe originally came from Lisa Miller when she baked for a new member brunch when I first started.  She used the fat free version.  I did not use that version for the November 2009 Senior Brunch.

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry and chopped
1 tsp. salt
6 oz. ham, chopped
12 oz. (3 cups) grated cheddar (could use low-fat)
1 large Italian or French bread (about 1 lb.) cut into 1/2 inch slices
10 large eggs
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 cups Half and Half  (could use fat free)

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook till tender, about 3 minutes.  Stir in spinach and 1/2 tsp. salt and heat through.  Stir in ham and let cool.

Set aside 1 cup of cheese, cover and refrigerate.  Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish.  Cover bottom of dish with a layer of bread.  Cover bread with half of spinach mixture, then half of remaining cheese.

Repeat with remaining bread, spinach and cheese.

Whisk together eggs, mustard, remaining salt and Half and Half in a bowl.  Pour over layered ingredients in baking dish.  Press down with spatula.  Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.

Uncover strata and bring to room temperature.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sprinkle with reserved cheese and bake until set in center, 50 - 60 minutes.

Let stand 5 minutes - serve.

Makes 12 servings.

Corn Bake

Submitted by Amie Giguere

I got this recipe from The Berniers, for Corn Bake, which they made for an All-Committee night two years ago.  It is now one of our family favorites, though not even close to low-cal! 

1 lg. can whole kernel corn
1 lg. can creamed corn
¼ cup butter
2 beaten eggs
8 oz. sour cream
1 package jiffy corn muffin mix

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter in saucepan on stove.  Add both cans of corn (including liquid) into pan.  Mix in beaten eggs, a dash of salt, sour cream and muffin mix.  Pour mixture into a deep baking dish.  Bake approximately one hour.  When done, it will have a consistency of pudding.

Almond-Poppy Seed Scones

Submitted by Sandi Freeman

These scones were sold at our Relay for Life table and folks loved them.

2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into piece
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup sour cream
1 large egg
2 t. almond extract

                                    
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix first 5 ingredients in processor.  Add shortening and butter.  Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Whisk sour cream, egg and almond extract in small bowl to blend.  Add to flour mixture in processor and pulse just until dough forms ball.  Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface. 

Press dough into 15x3 inch rectangle.  Cut into six 3 x 2 1/2 inch pieces.  Cut each piece diagonally in half to form 12 triangles.  Place scones on heavy large baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart.  Bake until puffed and pale golden, about 15 mins.

Mini Carrot Cake Cups

Laureen Curley made these to serve to the choir between services on Palm Sunday when they sang for both services.  These disappeared very quickly!  She provided the recipe for us and to share.

Cups:

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
2½ tsp. allspice
1 egg
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 medium carrots, peeled, divided

Filling and garnish:

6 oz. cream cheese, softened
¾ cup powdered sugar
½ cup thawed frozen whipped topping
Chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º.  Spray each well of a mini-muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.  For cups, combine cake mix, allspice, egg, and oil in a bowl; stir until ingredients are moistened (mixture will be very thick).  Grate carrots.  Stir ¾ cup into batter.  Set aside remaining carrots for garnish.  Divide batter evenly among wells, filling about two-thirds full.  Bake for 11-13 minutes or until cups feel firm to the touch.  Whisk together cream cheese and sugar until smooth; fold in whipped topping.  Spoon cream cheese mixture into a resealable plastic bag; secure bag and set aside.  Remove pan to rack; cool 3 minutes.  With a lightly floured tool, make slight indentations in tops.  Trim corner of cheese-filled bag; pipe filling evenly into cups.  Garnish with chopped walnuts and reserved grated carrots, if desired. Makes 24 tartlets.

Cranberry Walnut Pie (from Bon Appetit)

This is the pie I brought to the 2010 Christmas Dinner and a few people requested the recipe.

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tbsp. butter melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup fresh cranberries coarsely chopped

Prepare crust and butter pie plate before putting the crust in the pan.  Freeze pie crust for 15 minutes while making filling.  Beat sugar and eggs.  Add syrup, melted butter, vanilla and salt.  Stir in nuts and cranberries. Pour into crust.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  Reduce to 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until set. Cool completely. Enjoy!

Christine Thompson

Cream Cheese Squares

Submitted by Donna Ellis

This recipe doesn't have a history with it, but I made it for one of the summer coffee hours and got rave reviews!

Prep time:  15 minutes
Total time:  40 minutes

2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls, divided
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar, divided
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Unroll 1 of the cans of crescent dough.  Press onto bottom of greased, 13 x 9-inch baking pan to form crust, firmly pressing seams together to seal. 

Beat cream cheese, vanilla, egg and 1/2 cup of the sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.  Spread onto crust.

Unroll remaining can of crescent dough onto large sheet of wax paper.  Pat out dough to form 13 x 9-inch rectangle, pressing seams together to seal.  Invert over cream cheese mixture to form top crust; discard wax paper.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.  Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in small bowl; sprinkle over squares before cutting.

Makes 24 servings.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

Submitted by Jan Bittner

I brought these bars to a Bible study on Bob Wright’s birthday.  We had to celebrate before we started, and since Bob is known to like chocolate a little bit . . .

Crust:

3 cups flour
½ cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
½ tsp. salt

Filling:

1 cup corn syrup (light or dark)
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate
scant 1 cup sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1½ tsp. vanilla
1⅔ cup chopped pecans

In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat flour, sugar, butter, and salt until the consistency of coarse crumbs.  Press firmly and evenly into greased 15 x 10" pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min.

Filling:  In 3-qt. pan, stir corn syrup and chocolate over low heat just until chocolate melts.  Remove from heat.  Stir in remaining sugar, then eggs and vanilla until blended.  Stir in pecans.  Pour filling over hot crust and spread evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins. or until filling is firm around edges and slightly soft in center.  Cool in pan on wire rack.  When cool, cut into small bars.  Makes about 5 doz.

Frosted Brownies

Submitted by Jan Bittner

I made these frosted brownies for the memorial reception in honor of Stew Joslin

Brownies:

½ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup flour
½ cup cocoa
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup chopped walnuts

Frosting:

1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tbsp. butter
¼ cup cream
1 sq. (1 oz.) unsweetened chocolate
½ tsp. vanilla

Mix shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Sift dry ingredients together.  Blend with shortening mixture.  Stir in nuts.  Bake in well-greased 8 x 8 x 2” pan at 350° for 30 min.  Cool.  For frosting, combine all ingredients except vanilla in saucepan.  Boil over medium heat for 2 min., or until chocolate is melted, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add vanilla.  Beat with mixer while still hot, until thick enough to spread.

Fresh Strawberry Rhubarb Pie 

Submitted by Amie Giguere, her grandmother's recipe, served at the June Now, for the Future bar-b-cue

(For a 9 inch pie)

1 1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 cups sliced rhubarb
2 cups sliced strawberries
1½ Tbsp. butter, sliced

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix sugar and flour.  Combine strawberries and rhubarb.  Mix sugar/flour mixture lightly through fruit mixture.  Pour into pastry-lined pie pan. Dot with slices of butter. Cover with top crust. Cut slits in top crust, sprinkle with sugar. Seal and flute. Cover edge with 1 ½ in. strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Bake 40- 50 minutes or until crust is nicely browned and juice begins to bubble through slits.  Remove aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes or so.

Cream Wafers

Submitted by Amie Giguere, her great grandmother's recipe.  She made the cream wafers for Stew Joslin's funeral reception.

Wafer:

1 cup butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 cups flour

Mix together thoroughly, then divide into three parts. Put in refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 2 hours.

Roll out dough (1/3 at a time). Keep the rest in the refrigerator.  Roll until 1/8 inch thick.  Cut with cookie cutter.  Place cookie cut-outs on waxed paper covered with a layer of granulated sugar.  Turn each cookie over, so sugar is on both sides.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet. (I usually have better luck with parchment paper since these tend to be fragile cookies). Prick each one with a fork many times, in all directions.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 7-9 minutes (do not let the cookies brown). Gently remove from cookie sheet and cool completely.

Frosting:

¼ cup butter, softened
¾ cup confectioners sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix ingredients together with a mixer.  You may add food coloring if you wish.  Frost one cookie, and top with a second, so it is like a sandwich.

Country Raisin Ginger Cookies

Submitted by Linda Bissell who served these cookies at a reception for Rev. Judy.

This recipe came to me from my grandmother.  When she and my grandfather were in their late 70s they decided to take a cross country trip in a camper that he outfitted himself, customizing it for his and my grandmother's needs!  They ended up at my brother's in California, where he was serving in the Air Force.  His wife made these cookies and they were a great hit with my grandfather, who liked almost anything with molasses in it.  Gram brought the recipe back and made them frequently for him and all of us.  Whenever I make them I am reminded of their determination to make this trip on their own at that time in their lives.

So there's the story of the cookies!

¾ Cup shortening
1 Cup sugar
1 egg
¼ Cup molasses
2¼ Cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. cloves
1½ Cup Raisins

In large bowl beat shortening until creamy.  Gradually add 1 cup sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Add egg and beat until well blended.  Add molasses.  Blend dry ingredients and gradually stir into creamed mixture.  Mix in raisins.

Refrigerate dough for 2-3 hours or overnight.  When ready to bake, shape dough into 1¼ in. balls and roll in granulated sugar and place 2 in. apart on greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 375° for 10–12 minutes, or until surface cracks.  Cool on sheets 2 minutes before removing to rack.

Chocolate-Filled Viennese Walnut Bars

Submitted by Nancy Gallic for the 2009 Christmas Cookie Swap

Cream cheese pastry:

½ cup butter or margarine
1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese
¼ cup sugar
Gradually stir in: 1 ¼ cup flour
Put in 13 x 9" pan (buttered).

Cover with: 1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar.  Gradually stir in the flour.  Put in a buttered 13 x 9” pan.  Cover with walnuts and chocolate chips.    

Topping:

1 cup flour
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ cup butter or margarine, softened
1½ cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. instant coffee dissolved in 1 tsp. water
½ cup nuts

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Beat the butter, brown sugar, eggs, and coffee until well blended.  Add the lour mixture and blend.  Spoon over the mixture in pan.  Sprinkle with nuts.  Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes, until firm on top and light brown.  Don't over bake the top. Cool and cut. Makes about 2½ dozen bars.