We found Norinne Lowell’s Cheeseburger Pie in Plains Pot Pourri, published by the community-minded folks of Plains, Georgia. It uses ground beef, milk, and cheese along with other ingredients. Pour into a lightly browned pie shell and bake in the oven. It looks wonderful.
Also from Plains Pot Pourri, Sybil Carter shares her Grits and Egg Casserole. You add sharp cheese, bake, and have a scrumptious dish that will be great for breakfast or for your evening meal if you desire.
From Caroline Greene in Feeding the Flock, we have Carrot Souffle. Carrots are so versatile; I enjoy baby carrots added to my (beautiful!) breakfast plate along with cherry tomatoes and sliced, colorful, mini peppers. Or, of course, cook them on the stovetop as a vegetable dish and serve with butter. We are using carrots this time in a special centerpiece dish, Carrot Souffle; hot from the oven, deliciously sweet, and nutritious at the same time.
Our friend, Emily Meggett, author of Gullah Geechee Home Cooking, said in her book, “My church community is one of the most important parts of my life. Through church, not only do I deepen my connection with God, I get to connect with my community. Like many churches in the South, we have spring and summer picnics to celebrate the warmer days and catch up on the lives of friends and loved ones. One year, the church asked me to make a dish, and I just so happened to have some juicy tomatoes at home that an old friend brought me. I said to myself, ‘What if I stuffed these?’ I cut out the center of the tomato and replaced it with some chicken salad I made the day before. It was a hit at the picnic, and I’ve made it ever since.”
Peanut Butter Pie from The Original Country Cookbook looks quite simple to make. This is from the little paperback cookbook that a friend gave me more than 40 years ago! It was published by Paragon Products, Inc., in Pompano Beach in 1976. They introduce the recipes: “They come from a period in America when work was hard and appetites big. All have been tested and edited carefully for accuracy. These recipes call for basic natural ingredients and do not need today’s artificial this and imitation that!”
Granny’s Relish is a wonderful condiment that you can make up in your own kitchen, and the main ingredient can be found in your garden or at the local farmer’s market. It is one of the great ‘treasures’ in Treasures and Pleasures cookbook shared by our dear (now departed) friend, Sis Pitman.
NORINNE LOWELL’S CHEESEBURGER PIE
Recipe from Plains Pot Pourri, Food Favorites of Plains, GA
1 pound hamburger
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup catsup
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheese
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pie shell, unbaked
Brown hamburger and onion and drain off grease. Very lightly, brown pie shell. Add other ingredients to meat. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese and Worcestershire sauce over top. Return to oven and melt cheese. Serve hot.
SYBIL CARTER’S GRITS AND EGG CASSEROLE
Recipe from Plains Pot Pourri, Food Favorites of Plains, GA
1 cup grits
4 cups water
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites, stiffly beaten
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sharp cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook grits with dash of salt and let cool slightly. Add all remaining ingredients: egg yolks, egg whites, baking powder, sharp cheese, salt and pepper. Blend well with grits and turn into baking dish. Bake 45 minutes at 325 degrees.
CAROLINE GREENE’S CARROT SOUFFLE
Recipe from New Vision Community Church’s Feeding the Flock
1-3/4 lb peeled carrots, cut into medium size pieces
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons flour
3 eggs, well beaten with electric mixer
1 stick butter or margarine
1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar
Boil carrots until tender; drain well and place in large bowl. While carrots are still warm, add sugar, baking powder, and vanilla. Beat with mixer until smooth. Add flour and mix well; add whipped eggs and beat well. Add butter or margarine and beat well. Pour mixture into 2-quart baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until top is light golden brown. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.
EMILY MEGGETT’S TOMATO STUFFED
WITH CHICKEN OR TURKEY SALAD
Recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking
by Emily Meggett
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1 cup chopped celery
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 tablespoon mustard
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 cups Hellmann’s mayonnaise, plus more if needed
10 large tomatoes
1) Boil the chicken breasts and scallions in a pot of water until the chicken is cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. 2) Remove the skin from the chicken and let cool. When chicken is completely cooled, cut it into small pieces and put in a large bowl. 3) Add the celery, hard-boiled eggs, mustard, celery salt, poultry seasoning, and mayonnaise. Stir to combine. If the mixture is too dry, add more mayonnaise. Stir, taking care not to break up the chicken pieces. 4) Place the salad in the refrigerator to chill. (You may make the chicken salad a day ahead.) Cut the tops off of the tomatoes. Use a small paring knife to remove the inside of each tomato. A spoon may be helpful in scooping out the insides. 5) Once you’ve removed the insides of the tomatoes, fill them with the chilled chicken salad. Be generous – it’s called stuffed tomato for a reason!
PEANUT BUTTER PIE
Recipe from Paragon Products, Inc., The Original Country Cookbook
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
Unbaked pie shell
Blend filling ingredients. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30-35 minutes longer. Filling should appear slightly less set in center than around the edge.
SIS PITMAN’S GRANNY’S RELISH
Recipe from First Presbyterian Church of Apopka, Treasures and Pleasures
11 cups ground green tomatoes
4 cups ground green peppers
2 cups ground onions
4 tablespoons salt
3 cups vinegar
6 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon celery seed
Mix tomatoes, peppers, onions and salt together and let stand one hour. Drain and transfer to a large kettle. Add vinegar, sugar, mustard, and celery seed. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes. Seal in sterile jars.
