By Andy Bedwell
Let’s do some recipes of the 1980s! My favorite recipes are from the 1980s and 1990s. They are oldies but goodies.
Cheese Crisps
1 cup margarine, melted
8 ounces sharp
cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups Rice Krispies
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
2 cups self-rising
flour, sifted
Combine all dry ingredients; mix well. Add melted margarine. Form into small balls and place on cookie sheet. Press down with a floured fork in a crisscross fashion. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack.
Andy’s Note: This recipe makes about nine dozen cheese crisps. I remember when this recipe first came out and everyone was talking about how easy and good they were. Please, I know you get tired of me saying this, but don’t use the cheese hanging on the racks at the grocery store. There is a big difference in using those and the cheese that you freshly grate.
Hungry Jack Casserole
1 pound ground chuck
1 teaspoon salt
16 ounce can
Pork-n-Beans
1/2 cup bbq sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoon
onion, minced
1 can Flakey biscuits
1 cup cheddar
cheese, grated
Brown meat and stir in the next five ingredients and heat until bubbly. Pour into a two-quart casserole dish. Cut biscuits in half. Place cut side down around edge of casserole. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until brown.
Andy’s Note: I remember when we made this recipe in Home Economics many years ago. This would be a wonderful dish for children to make and one that they would enjoy eating. This would also be a good dish to double and feed a bunch of hungry kids.
Marinated Carrots
2 pounds carrots
1 bell pepper, sliced thin
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 can tomato soup
Slice carrots in thin rounds and cook in salted water until barely tender. Drain. When cool, place in casserole in alternate layers with pepper rings and onion slices. Mix together all other ingredients and pour over vegetables. Refrigerate at least 24 hours.
Andy’s Note: Many years ago, I can remember my cousin Cathye Townsend from Tuscaloosa bringing these carrots to a family Christmas party. Carrots are not my favorite vegetable, but I fell in love with these.
Delicious Caramel Cake
1 cup Crisco
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup milk
4 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups self-rising flour
Frosting:
2 cups sugar
1 small can Pet milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 sticks margarine
For the cake, mix sugar and Crisco and blend well. Add eggs, beating thoroughly. Add vanilla, milk and sifted flour. Mix well. Grease and flour four cake pans (makes four thin layers) Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.
For the frosting, mix two cups sugar and milk in saucepan. Put half a cup of sugar in iron skillet and heat until melted and dark brown (burned practically). Add to sugar and milk mixture. Cook about 10 minutes. Add margarine and stir until ready to spread. This is delicious!
Andy’s Note: I am sorry but I throw this cake in a 9×13-inch greased pan and bake on 325 degrees for about 30-35 minutes. Times have changed, people. I don’t have time for four thin layers!
This month is the beginning of some fabulous cooking and beautiful table settings for many family events. I love shopping in all of the different grocery stores during these months.
Happy Cooking,
Andy Bedwell
Southern Cooking with Andy Bedwell” can be purchased at Alabama Gift Company in downtown Gadsden and The Messenger on Rainbow Drive.