The first three recipes are a tribute to my childhood neighbor and dairy farmer, Eldon Wenger, who recently passed less than a month after his 65th birthday, after a ten-month cancer diagnosis. His eldest daughter shared some of his favorite foods here.
Hot Ham n Cheese Sandwiches
From A+ Recipes from Hickory Hollow Christian School cookbook printed March 2012; used with permission
½ c. butter
⅓ c. brown sugar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. mustard
1 T. poppy seeds
1 T. minced onion (opt.)
12 pkg. Martin potato buns
Swiss or cheddar cheese
thinly sliced ham
Place meat and cheese between rolls. Combine butter, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, poppy seeds and minced onion in saucepan and bring just to boiling. Put sandwiches in a 9×13-inch baking pan and evenly spoon sauce over each sandwich. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. (Note: poppy seeds can cause drug test failure for opiates.)
Glorified Rice
2 c. cooked rice
1 c. crushed pineapple, undrained
⅓ c. chopped raisins
¼ c. sugar
3 c. miniature marshmallows
1 c. whipping cream
¼ c. sugar
2 sliced bananas
chopped nuts to garnish
Mix rice through marshmallows ingredients well; chill for one hour. Whip in cream until stiff. Blend sugar into whipped cream. Fold bananas together lightly with rice mixture and whipping cream in glass dish. Sprinkle nuts over top. Yield: 12 to 14 servings
Raspberry Swirl
¾ c. graham cracker crumbs
3 T. melted butter
2 T. sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 c. sugar
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese
⅛ t. salt
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen raspberries
1 c. thick cream
Press first three ingredients into a 7×11 pan. Bake for 8 minutes at 375°F. Beat egg yolks until thick and add cream cheese, sugar, and salt. Beat until smooth and light. Beat egg whites until stiff. Whip cream. Thoroughly fold with egg whites into cheese mixture. Crush berries to pulp. Gently swirl half of pulp through cheese mixture. Spread onto crust. Spoon remaining fruit over top. Swirl with knife. Freeze, then cover and return to freezer.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” John 12:24-25
Turkey Cheeseball
From Sarah Shirk of Redbanks Beef Farm
“Why only have one kind of turkey when you can have two?
3 pkg. (8 oz.) of cream cheese
2 T. finely chopped onion
1 can old English cheese spread
chopped ham
1 t. garlic powder
1½ t. season salt
¼ c. pure cane sugar
1-2 t. Worcestershire sauceseveral drops liquid smoke
Mix all ingredients together and shape on a plate into two portions: one for the body and one for the head. Sprinkle with dried parsley and bacon bits and refrigerate until set. Next, using large pretzel sticks (I used a meat stick), fashion the head and attach the neck to the body. I used different colors of fresh peppers to cut the eyes, wattle, and beak. Townhouse crackers made the pictured fan. A large plate could include crackers arranged around the cheese.
