Hometown Get-Togethers - Candace Floyd [12]
¾ cup grated Parmesan
½ cup shredded sharp Cheddar
¼ cup milk
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup French’s Original French Fried Onions
2 baguettes, cut into ¼-inch slices
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 13 × 19-inch baking dish.
2. Combine the spinach, cream cheese, and mayonnaise in a bowl; mix well. Add the drained artichoke hearts, Parmesan, Cheddar, milk, and garlic and stir to thoroughly blend. Add ¼ to ½ cup of the reserved artichoke liquid for the desired consistency.
3. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared dish. Sprinkle with the French fried onions. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the mixture is lightly browned and bubbly. Serve with baguette slices.
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TIPS FROM OUR TEST KITCHEN: For a less creamy consistency, omit 4 ounces of the cream cheese and ¼ cup of the mayonnaise.
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Taco Dip
Michelle Worthington, Winchester, Kentucky
Serves 10 to 12
“This dip is a favorite among all my family and friends—even the picky ones. There is always a spot left on the table for my Taco Dip at any get-together. Everyone enjoys the taste, color, and how easy it is to make.”
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
One 16-ounce container sour cream
½ cup mild salsa
One 1-ounce envelope mild taco seasoning mix
One 1-ounce envelope onion soup mix
4 cups shredded lettuce
3 cups shredded Mexican-style cheese
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup French’s Original French Fried Onions, coarsely crushed, optional
Tortilla chips
1. Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, taco seasoning mix, and onion soup mix in a medium bowl. Blend well with a mixer at low speed.
2. Spoon the mixture into a shallow pasta bowl or 13 × 9-inch baking dish. Using the back of a spoon, smooth the surface. Sprinkle the lettuce over the cream cheese mixture. Top with the cheese and tomatoes. For added crunch, add French fried onions to the top before serving, if using. Serve with tortilla chips.
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TIPS FROM OUR TEST KITCHEN: When scooping with the tortilla chips, be sure to dip down to the bottom layer. This dip may be made several days in advance, but do not top with the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and French fried onions until 2 hours prior to serving for peak texture.
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Breads
A cherished bread recipe can be a cook’s pride and joy and a much anticipated part of a get-together with family or friends.
Judith Collier Wright of Lake Almanor, California, has gained quite a reputation for Mom’s Magic Muffins. She says she’d better not arrive at a church potluck or family gathering without them. Wright is always prepared to bake a batch of her healthful muffins—she keeps batter in her refrigerator.
Oats and whole wheat flour give Mary Ann Kauchak’s Cranberry Bread with Orange and Oats a good-for-you advantage. Kauchak, of Woodbridge, Virginia, made a point of coming up with healthful ingredients for her moist, tart bread that packs a punch of flavor.
Wanda Taylor of Gould, Oklahoma, has won votes of approval from family and church friends for her sweet Monkey Bread. It has also won top honors more than once at the Harmon County Fair. It’s hard to resist the sweet cinnamon-sugar flavor of the tasty yeast bread.
The name of Dorothy Coverston’s Tex-Mex Corn Bread Special says it all. The Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, resident, who combined several recipes handed down from her ninety-two-year-old mother to come up with her own version, says it’s good for a crowd or for a small get-together with friends or family.
And at the Ogden, Utah, home of Melanie Myrtle Wilhelmsen, the next generation of bakers is learning to knead dough and prepare breads. Although three-year-old Ella Myrtle Wilhelmsen probably isn’t a fan of Simon & Garfunkel yet, she enjoys helping her mother add the parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme to the batter for Scarborough Fair Herb Bread. Wilhelmsen takes the savory treat to once-a-month dinners at her parents’ home where her eight siblings eagerly wait to taste it.
Mom’s Magic Muffins
Judith Collier