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Archive for the ‘Recipe Index’ Category

Sweet Potato Casserole and Broccoli Rice Casserole Recipes

Here are a couple of requested recipes from dinner a few weeks ago.  If anyone wants the 400 servings versions, I can post those too.  Just post a comment at the bottom of this entry.

Broccoli Rice Casserole:  6-8 servings

¼ cup onion, chopped

1/3 cup celery, chopped

3 Tbsp margarine or butter

2 (10 oz) pkgs frozen broccoli (cooked and drained)

1 can (10 ¾ oz) cream of mushroom soup

1 can (10 ¾ oz) cream of chicken soup

1 small jar cheese whiz (or 5 oz Velveeta, melted)

2 cups cooked rice

 

Saute onion and celery in margarine.  Add remaining ingredients except rice and cook until thick and blended.  Add cooked rice and stir well.  Spoon into 2 quart casserole dish.  Bake at 350* for about 30 minutes, or until hot and lightly browned on top.

 

Sweet Potato Casserole:  6 servings

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (1 ½#)

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup melted butter

 

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

 

Combine first 6 ingredients.  Pour into a buttered 2 qt. casserole dish.  Mix remaining ingredients together and sprinkle over top.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until hot and browned.

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Side Dish Recipes

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Pork Roast and Cheesecake Recipes

It wasn’t a traditional Irish dinner, but in the spirit of the season, we decked out the dining room in green.  We served 470 for dinner with 200 pounds of boneless pork loin roasts, broccoli rice casserole, sweet potato casserole, and dinner rolls.  For dessert we made 30 cheesecakes with fresh strawberries and a strawberry glaze on top and 5 gallons of chocolate pudding.  Here are a couple of requested recipes from our dinner:

Roasted Pork Loin

5 pound boneless pork loin, rubbed with a mixture of 1 tsp sage, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1 clove crushed garlic.  Marinate in refrigerator overnight with the rub, or go ahead and cook right away.  Roast uncovered at 325 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.

Mix glaze ingredients in saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbly and thickened.

1/2 cup sugar

1 TBSP cornstarch

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup water

2 TBSP soy sauce

Brush roast with glaze and return to oven for an additional half hour.  Rest the roast for 10 minutes before slicing.

Basic Cheesecake adapted from The Foster’s Market Cookbook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 ½ pounds cream cheese, softened

¾ cup sugar

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

½ cup heavy cream

2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325*.  Cut cream cheese into small pieces and blend with electric mixer until soft and creamy.  Add sugar and flour slowly until completely incorporated.  Add eggs and yolk one at a time, beating after each addition.  Combine the cream and vanilla in another bowl and slowly add to the cream cheese mixture, blending thoroughly.

Pour filling into prepared pan (see below).  Place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan or baking dish.  Add enough water to come 1 inch up the sides to make a water bath.  Place the roasting pan with the cheesecake in the oven to bake for 1-1 ¼ hours, until the cheesecake sets and is firm about ¾’s of the way into the center, the center will be slightly loose.

Remove cheesecake from oven and remove from water bath.  Place on a baking rack to cool completely.  Leave in the springform pan and place in the refrigerator to chill several hours or overnight.  Add topping.

Crust:

1 ½ cups graham crackers, crushed

3 Tbsp sugar

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Combine and press into bottom of greased springform pan, pressing about 1 inch up the inside of the pan.  Place in refrigerator and chill until ready to use.  Before adding filling, wrap the bottom of the pan with a large sheet of foil, going up the sides about 2 inches to prevent any water to seep in from the water bath.

Strawberry Glaze:  from Junior’s Cheesecake Cookbook

1 cup strawberry jelly

½ cup apricot preserves

1 Tbsp light corn syrup

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp cold water

½ cup pureed fresh strawberries

Mix jelly, preserves and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted.  Blend in strawberry puree.  In a small cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the water, then whisk into the glaze mixture.  Bring to a simmer and cook until it boils, thickens and turns clear.  Strain the glaze and drizzle over berries on top of the cheesecake.  Refrigerate until cold and glaze has set, about 2 hours.

NOTE:  Since we made 30 cheesecakes, we did not use a water bath.  The tops of the cheesecakes crack a bit, but when you cover them up with strawberries who can tell?  Also, in making the glaze, we opted not to strain it in the interest of time and it still looks and tastes great.

“Thanks for making my birthday dinner!”  Happy 9th Birthday Ellie!

Mitch and EJ are regulars on Wednesdays. Thanks for joining us guys!

“Don’t come any closer and don’t touch my food…I’m just getting started and it’s delicious!”   (at least I think that’s what he said)

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Dessert Recipes, Main Dish Recipes, Photos

Greek Dinner Recipes

Here are all the recipes from our Greek menu last night.  We made 576 baked lemon chicken breasts (bone-in, skin on), 165 pounds of roasted yukon gold potatoes, and 350 servings of Greek Salad.  On the side we had pita bread with 24 pounds of prepared Hummus and 2 gallons of Kronos Tzatziki sauce that were ordered from Sysco.

 

Here’s the original recipe from Ina Garten, “The Barefoot Contessa”, from her newest cookbook How Easy Is That?

Lemon Chicken Breast

Ingredients:

» 1/4 cup good olive oil
» 3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
» 1/3 cup dry white wine
» 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
» 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
» 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
» 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
» Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
» 4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)
» 1 lemon

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just one minute — but don’t allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt, and pour into a 9-by-12-inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in eight wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn’t browned enough, put it under the broiler for two minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

 

GREEK SALAD:  350 servings

50# case Cucumbers, seeded, peeled, cubed (about 50 lg or 80 smaller cucumbers)

25# case Roma tomatoes, diced (about 100-120)

2 large red onions, about 2#, thinly sliced lengthwise

12# feta cheese, either crumbled or cubed

12 cups kalamata olives, pitted  ( 4.4# jar from Sysco)

Dressing:  Whisk to combine

2 cups lemon juice

1 cup red wine vinegar

7 ½ cups olive oil

2 cups dried oregano

2 TBSP Salt

1 TBSP pepper

If you don’t have 350 to feed for dinner, here’s the smaller version of the recipe:

GREEK SALAD FOR 20

3 1/2# Cucumbers, seeded, peeled, cubed (about 5)

1 3/4#  Roma tomatoes, diced (about 7)

1/4 of a large red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise

12 oz feta cheese, cubed or crumbled

¾ cup kalamata olives, pitted

Dressing:  Whisk to combine

2 TBSP lemon juice

1 TBSP red wine vinegar

½ cups olive oil

2 TBSP dried oregano

½ tsp Salt

½ tsp pepper

 

 

Greek Roasted Potatoes with Garlic, Lemon, and Oregano

Serves 10
3 pounds pre-cooked Yukon Gold potatoes, use either whole small potatoes, or larger ones cut into wedges

¼ cup olive oil
½  tsp garlic powder

¾  tsp dried oregano, crumbled
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ cup chicken stock
2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375°F convection. Combine all ingredients except potatoes in large bowl.  Toss potatoes in marinade to coat.  Put on sheet pans covered with Silicone mats or foil in a single layer.  Drizzle extra marinade over potatoes.
Baking time will depend on whether or not potatoes were pre-cooked.  The pre-cooked, frozen potatoes will take about 35 minutes to roast until golden brown. Uncooked potatoes will take additional time.  Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking for a Crowd:

Greek Roasted Potatoes with Garlic, Lemon, and Oregano

Serves 525  5 oz servings

165 pounds pre-cooked Yukon Gold potatoes (Eleven 15# cases Baby Bakers frozen potatoes from Sysco) or use fresh uncooked Yukon Gold Potatoes cut into wedges

10 ½  cups olive oil
12 TBSP garlic powder

13 TBSP dried oregano, crumbled
4 TBSP salt
1 TBSP ground black pepper
130 oz chicken stock
6 ½  cups freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375°F convection. Combine all ingredients except potatoes in large bowl.  Toss potatoes in marinade to coat.  Put on sheet pans covered with Silicone mats or foil in a single layer.  Drizzle extra marinade over potatoes.
Baking time will depend on whether or not potatoes were pre-cooked.  The pre-cooked, frozen potatoes will take about 35 minutes to roast until golden brown. Uncooked potatoes will take additional time.  Add more salt and pepper to taste.

 


For dessert we served Blue Bunny Mango Tango Sorbet and Wholesome Farms Raspberry Sherbet.


καλή όρεξη   kali orexi

 Enjoy your dinner!

Bon Appetit!

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Main Dish Recipes, Photos, Side Dish Recipes

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Fruit Pizza and Italian Garden Salad Recipes

The sun was shining and the snow was melting yesterday as we spent the afternoon in the kitchen preparing for our Italian dinner.  80 pounds of spaghetti noodles were precooked, rinsed, then drizzled with a little olive oil. Just before serving, the noodles required only a 1-2 minute dunk in boiling water to heat up again.  This is the best way to feed a huge crowd in a short amount of time.  The spaghetti sauce started with 20 pounds of 90% lean ground beef that we browned on the griddle, then added to 60 pounds of leftover meatloaf that was in the freezer from dinner a few weeks ago.  To the meat mixture we added 24 #10 cans of Contadina Deluxe Spaghetti Sauce, and used seven 22 quart roasters to warm it up in.  We planned for 500 servings, but only served 450 last night, so leftovers will be shared with the WAVI women’s shelter today.

The recipe for the Italian Garden Salad we served was one that I adapted from a recipe I found online for a copycat version of the Italian salad at Olive Garden.  Here’s the recipe if you have a big crowd to feed:

Italian Garden Salad:  400 servings

40# American Salad Blend (Iceberg, Romaine, Radish, Red cabbage, carrots)

5 red onions, thinly sliced

1 gallon banana peppers

10# small vine ripened tomatoes, cut in quarters

1 #10 can sliced black olives

50 cups large croutons

6 cups grated parmesan cheese

 

Dressing:

16 cups olive oil

6 cups white vinegar

1 1/2  cups Miracle Whip

3 ¾  cups lemon juice

8 cups grated parmesan cheese

5 TBSP garlic salt

¾ cup dried Italian Seasoning

3 ¾  cups water

Puree ingredients in blender until smooth.

Add croutons and dressing to salad just before serving.

 

We served 2 kinds of bread that was ordered through Sysco:  Baker Boy Garlic Toast and Tuscan Loaf from La Brea Bakery.  The garlic toast comes frozen with 125 pieces per case.  Last night we used 4 1/2 cases.  It requires about 3 minutes on a hot griddle to get it warm and toasty.  The Tuscan Loaves come frozen with twelve 28 oz loaves per case.  These are thawed, heated and sliced and have a really great homemade flavor. We used 10 loaves for dinner as an alternative for those who don’t care for the strong garlic flavor in the toast.

For dessert we made fruit pizza that I adapted from a recipe given to me by my friend Deb Fredrich.  Thanks for sharing Deb!  We used kiwis, strawberries, blueberries and bananas as our toppings, but any fruits will do (unless they are too juicy.)

24 pounds of fresh strawberries, 4 1/2 pounds fresh blueberries, and 50 kiwi were chopped and mixed together.  15 pounds of bananas were sliced and layered on the pizza crust separately.

Fruit Pizza:  Makes 48 squares, when cut 4 x 6.  Use 2 half size sheet pans (13″ x 18″ x 1″)

3 cups butter (softened not melted)

2 cups powdered sugar

6 cups flour

Mix and pat into 2 half size pans.  Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper first.  Bake 20 minutes @ 300 degrees in convection oven.  Cool.

24 oz. White chocolate chips

4 1/2 ounces whipping cream

Melt chips and cream together in microwave and add:

16 ounces softened cream cheese

Beat all together and spread on cooled crust.  Make sure the cream cheese mixture seals against the sides of the pan, otherwise the fruit will seep to the crust and make it soggy.  It is not a good idea to cut the pizza ahead of time, it will also make the crust soggy.

Refrigerate a couple of hours or overnight for the cream cheese mixture to harden.

Add your favorite fruit: Cut fruit in small pieces and spread on cream cheese topping. Don’t use frozen fruit because it will be too juicy.

 To make the glaze to go on top of the fruit, mix together in a saucepan:

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp corn starch

1 cup pineapple juice

1 tsp lemon juice

Cook on stovetop until thick, stirring constantly.  Cool, spoon over fruit.

Coming next week…Cuisine of Greece.  Menu will be posted soon!

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Ash Wednesday Soup and Pie Supper/Recipes

With no education classes last night, our Ash Wednesday Soup and Pie Supper was a little smaller, quieter and less frantic than the usual Wednesday meal.  We served 345 last night with 36 gallons of soup, 33 loaves of artisan bread, 330 grilled cheese sandwiches, 25 chocolate cream pies and 25 lemon meringue pies.

The first soup was a homemade vegetable soup that I adapted from a Weight Watchers cookbook recipe.  Here’s the recipe for 100 servings:

Pistou:  A Hearty French Vegetable Soup 

100 servings

 25 cups diced onions

25 cups sliced carrots

25 potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 TBSP salt, add more before serving if needed

2 TBSP pepper

9 ½ gallons water

25 medium zucchini, sliced

25 cups chopped, trimmed green beans

25 cups corn

1 #10 can beans, kidney, navy or black

3 cups grated Parmesan cheese

6 cups minced basil, fresh

1 ½ cups tomato paste

25 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups olive oil

Divide among large pots, the onions, carrots, potatoes, salt, pepper and water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally about 30 minutes.

Stir in zucchini, green beans, corn and beans.  Simmer for another 30 minutes.

In separate bowl, whisk the cheese, basil, tomato paste and garlic.  Whisk in the oil.  Stir about 12 cups of the hot broth into the mixture, then gradually add the basil mixture into the soup. Continue to simmer until ready to serve.

The second soup selection was a Creamy Tomato Bisque that I ordered from Sysco, made by Block and Barrel Classic.  Whole milk is added to the concentrated frozen soup and we warmed it slowly in roasters.  The grilled cheese sandwiches were assembled in advance with sandwich bread, American cheese, and a little margarine on the outsides of the bread.  We used the griddle on the stove and 2 extra portable griddles in order to keep up with the demand.

Who doesn’t love a grilled cheese sandwich with a bowl of tomato soup!

The third kind of soup was a Block and Barrel Classic from Sysco, Wild Rice with Chicken.  It was also a frozen concentrate to which we added 2% milk and warmed up in the roasters.  Great flavor!

The three varieties of breads we served were a Focaccia Bread made by Rotella, Asiago Cheese Batard and Olive Rosemary Batard made by BKRSIMP (I don’t know what that stands for).  All the breads were ordered from Sysco.  We warmed them up and sliced them to serve.

And now for the PIES!  We made 25 chocolate pies on Tuesday and refrigerated them overnight.  On Wednesday we added a coolwhip layer on top and shaved on some milk chocolate.

Here’s the recipe for 5 pies:

Chocolate Cream Pies   Recipe for 5 pies:  Use 1 large pot

Mix together in large bowl, whisk until blended, and set aside:

4 cups sugar

2 cups unsweetened cocoa

1 cup plus 2 TBSP cornstarch

¾ tsp salt

6 eggs

3 cups skim milk

In heavy pot, heat 9 cups skim milk, until tiny bubbles form around edges, to 180* but not to boiling.  Remove from heat.

Gradually add hot milk to sugar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Return milk mixture to pot.  Add 12 oz semisweet chocolate.  Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and add 2 TBSP Vanilla.  Pour into 5 prepared crusts. Cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Chill completely, at least 3 hours.  Top each pie with 8 oz coolwhip and shaved chocolate.

For each pie crust:

4 ½ oz graham cracker crumbs (about 1 cups)

2 oz sugar

3 oz melted butter

Combine all ingredients, pat into pie pan. Bake at 375* for 5 minutes.

(Filling for 25 pies:  Total milk is 3 ¾ gallon, cocoa 10 cups, 30 eggs, 20 cups sugar)

(Crusts for 25 pies, use 7 pounds graham cracker crumbs, 4 2/3# butter, 3# sugar)

I Love Pie!

We also made 25 lemon pies on Tuesday and added the meringue on Wednesday.  The meringue is better on the day you serve it.

Meringue Madness!

And into the oven it goes…

Here’s the recipe for one pie:

BEST EVER LEMON MERINGUE PIE

□   1 baked 10 inch pie shell
□   1 1/2 c. sugar
□   1 1/2 c. water
□   1/2 tsp. salt
□   1/2 c. cornstarch
□   1/3 c. water
□   4 eggs, separated
□   1/2 c. lemon juice
□   3 tbsp. butter
□   1 tsp. grated lemon peel
□   1 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar and water with salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Mix cornstarch with 1/3 cup water to make a paste; add to the boiling mixture slowly, stirring constantly; cook until thick and clear. Remove from heat.

Beat egg yolks, add lemon juice and stir into thickened mixture. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles. Remove from heat and add lemon peel, butter and vanilla. Cool.

 

MERINGUE:

Combine and cook in saucepan until thick, stirring constantly:

½ cup water

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp cornstarch

Beat 4 egg whites at high speed, gradually adding 6 Tbsp sugar until stiff peaks form.  Add the cooled, cooked mixture and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.

Pour filling into baked pie shell and top with meringue, making sure it goes to edges. Bake in a slow oven, 350 degrees F. about 12-15 minutes, until lightly brown on top.

Spaghetti Dinner next week, details coming soon!

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Meatloaf Dinner Recap

In my last post I shared the recipe for the meatloaf we make at Calvary.  Here’s a look at the work it took today to turn 140 pounds of lean ground beef into 700 slices of meatloaf deliciousness:

Fourteen batches mixed by hand

Making meatloaf can also be great for therapeutic stress relief!

70 loaves, hand sculpted and ready for the oven…350 for an hour, then add the secret sauce on top, then another 30 minutes.  Let rest for 10 minutes, slice into 10 pieces per loaf and then it’s time to eat…

For a side dish we made 80 pounds of fresh sliced carrots, tossed in a glaze of honey, lemon juice, melted butter, salt and pepper, then roasted in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Even cooked carrot haters like myself have to admit these are delicious.  We were careful not to overcook them and left them a little crunchy.

Our other side dishes were cheesy potato casserole and steamed green beans with a red wine vinegar/dijon mustard vinegrette and sauted red onions.

Cheesy Church Potatoes with a crunchy crushed cornflake topping… Not a single serving leftover.

One diner told the kitchen crew tonight that these were “the best green beans I have ever had.”  Thanks for the encouraging words!

And now for dessert:  We call these cakes “Decadent Devil’s Food” and “Heavenly Angels”

This is super easy:  Bake a white cake from a mix according to the directions on the box.  While still hot, use a knife or the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the top of the cake.  Mix together 1/2 of a 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk with 8 oz cream of coconut and spread over the hot cake.  Top with 20 oz of crushed pineapple, drained.  Chill cake overnight (if you can stand not to eat it right away), then top with 8 oz cool whip and toasted coconut.

Use the same method with the devil’s food cake, except substitute 6 oz of either butterscotch or caramel ice cream topping for the cream of coconut.  And substitute 6 oz of chocolate ice cream topping for the pineapple.  No chocolate cake left tonight!

Tom tries to get the cake servers to look up so he can take another helping.  It’s not working Tom!

430 diners signed in and ate with us tonight and that means a lot of dirty dishes.  Lucky for us we have some super cheerful workers:

Welcome back from vacation Peg!

Thanks for reading the blog.  Share it with your friends.  Please feel free to post any comments or suggestions you have.  If there is a particular recipe you’d like to see posted, let me know and I’ll get it on here for you.

See you at Calvary Lutheran Church next Wednesday for turkey, mashed potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, dinner rolls, and pumpkin spice cake.  Any day is a good day for a Thanksgiving dinner.

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Menu for 2-8-12 and Meatloaf Recipe

Wednesday Evening Meal

February 8, 2012

4:45 – 6:15 pm

All members and visitors welcome. 

Suggested Donation $4 per person

 

Meatloaf

Cheesy Church Potatoes

Dijon Green Beans

Honey Carrot Coins

Decadent Devil’s Food Cake

Heavenly Angels Coconut Pineapple Cake

I’ve been using the “Mean and Lean Meat Loaf” recipe from the Disney’s Family Cookbook since my kids were little.  They always wanted more of the “secret sauce” that is baked on the top of the meatloaf, so I made the loaves smaller and wider so I could increase the surface area to put the “secret sauce” on.  When we make the meatloaf for the Wednesday night meal, we make 70 loaves, each sliced into 10 pieces.  We use 140 pounds of 90% lean ground beef, 11 1/2 dozen eggs, 60 cups of rolled oats, 16 pounds of diced onions, 9 pounds of chopped green peppers, 9 cups steak sauce and 6 #10 cans ketchup.

Here’s the recipe for 4 to 6 servings:

2# lean ground beef

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cups chopped onions

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

2 Tbsp steak sauce

1/2 cups catsup

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

½ tsp basil

½ tsp garlic powder

Whisk together for Sauce:

1/2 cups catsup

3 Tbsp packed brown sugar

1 tsp ground mustard

Mix ingredients well, form into 1 loaf in a 8 1/2 inch loaf pan, or into smaller loaves on a baking sheet.  Bake at 325* convection, or 350* in regular oven, for 1 hour, covered with foil.  Top with sauce and bake an additional 15-30 minutes uncovered, until internal temp reaches 160*.  Let sit for 10 min. before slicing.

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Baked Potato Bar Dinner

The cookie buffet was a big hit at dinner last night.  We went through most of the 42 dozen Oreo Cheesecake cookies, 40 dozen chocolate chippers, 26 dozen Oatmeal Raisin, and 34 dozen Lemon cookies. About 22 dozen are now in the freezer… you may see these at dinner again in the near future.

476 diners were signed in to eat last night for the baked potato supper.  A crew of 10 hard working women spent 5 1/2 hours in the kitchen baking cookies, prepping the potatoes to bake, chopping salad ingredients, and getting all the potato toppings ready to go (chili, cheddar cheese sauce, diced ham, broccoli, sour cream, shredded cheese).

We scrubbed the 600 russet potatoes on Tuesday morning, running them twice through the dishwasher (with the soap and sanitizer turned off).   On Wednesday we rubbed the potatoes with olive oil and salt, cut off the bad spots, and baked them at 375 degrees in the convection oven for about 1 1/4 hours.  We then held them in the warming oven at 175 degrees until time to eat.

48 large heads of romaine lettuce were chopped, washed and spun dry in the giant salad spinner.  The extra lettuce not used last night will be shared with the Cornerstone Mission today.  The tossed salad for 500 servings also included 30 sliced cucumbers, 20 pints of grape tomatoes, 5 pounds of shredded carrots, 1/2 gallon banana peppers, and 3 large bags of croutons.  On the side we served the salad dressings:  1 gallon Dorothy Lynch french, 1 1/2 gallons Ranch, 1 gallon Blue Cheese, 1 gallon Golden Italian.

Meatloaf next week…the menu will be posted here soon.

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Photos, Side Dish Recipes

Cookie Recipes

Some of the 400 Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cookies we baked today.

Today we got a good start on baking 140 dozen cookies for our dinner tomorrow.  We will be serving 4 different kinds of cookies:  Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Oreo Cheesecake Cookies and Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cookies.  Here are the recipes we used.

The test batch at home of the Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

1/2 cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened

3 ounces Cream Cheese

1 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (2 oz) mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup of oreo cookie sandwich crumbs

1/2 cup white chocolate chips, melted

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350* convection or 375* in regular oven. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.   Cream together the butter and cream cheese with mixer until well combined.   Add the sugar and vanilla and mix well.   Add the flour and mix on low until the flour is incorporated.   Stir in mini chocolate chips.

Scoop the dough into 1″ balls.  Roll in oreo cookie crumbs so cookie is covered. Place cookie balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the tops are slightly puffed.  Once cool, drizzle cookies with melted white chocolate.

Adapted from a recipe on the website:   http://multiplydelicious.com

 

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies, 20 dozen (240) cookies 

This amount will fit easily in one batch in the commercial mixer.

5 cups (40 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

30 ounces Cream Cheese

10 cups of sugar

3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp of vanilla extract

10 cups all-purpose flour

24 oz of mini chocolate chips

12 cups of oreo cookie sandwich crumbs (about 4 1 lb 10oz boxes cookies)

5 cups of white chocolate chips, melted (optional)

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

10 dozen (a double recipe, 20 dozen, will fit in Berkel mixer in one batch)

2 cups butter or margarine

2 cups Crisco (can use butter flavored or regular)

3 cups white sugar

3 cups brown sugar, packed

4 tsp vanilla

8 eggs

9 cups flour

4 tsp baking soda

4 tsp salt

8 cups chocolate chips (48 oz)

Cream butter, shortening, sugar and vanilla.  Add eggs and mix well.  Add dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly mixed.  Drop by heaping teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350* convection for 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from cookie sheet and cool.

 

Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

9 dozen (108)

1 pound unsalted butter, softened

2 ½  cups firmly packed light brown sugar

1 ½  cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp salt

8 cups rolled oats

4 cups raisins (or 4 cups chocolate chips)

Preheat over 325* convection. Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment.

Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs to butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each.  Add vanilla and beat well.   Combine dry ingredients except oatmeal, add to egg mixture, and stir to blend.  Do not overmix. Stir in oatmeal.   Add raisins and stir just until combined.

Scoop onto baking sheets and press lightly to flatten.  Bake 12 to 14 minutes for soft, chewy cookies; 15 to 18 for crunchy.  Cool 5-10 minutes on baking sheet before removing to cooling rack to cool completely.

 

The test batch of Meyer Lemon Cookies.  These are meyer lemons, which are more orange colored than regular lemons and have a sweeter flavor.  You can find them in 1 pound bags at Wal-mart right now.

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Makes 50 cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (12 ounces, weighed measurement)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice, squeezed from about 2 Meyer lemons
1 lemon, zested (Meyer lemon if available)

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups confectioner sugar (measure first, then sift)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F in convection oven, or 375 degrees in regular oven.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients. Do not over mix.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 1 1/2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:
Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. You can glaze cookies while still warm.

Adapted from the recipe on the website:  thechurchcook.blogspot.com Thanks for the recipe!

Category:

Dessert Recipes, Uncategorized

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Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

Two weeks ago we served French Dip Sandwiches and Italian Pasta Salad. Here is the requested recipe for the pasta salad, with both the 300 servings version, and for those with a smaller family, the 10 servings version. Bon Appetit!

Italian Pasta Salad, 10 servings

10 oz marinated artichokes, undrained

20 ounces fusilli pasta (corkscrew pasta), cooked

4 ounces pitted kalamata olives, halved

10 ounces Roasted red peppers, sliced

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed

2 ounces hard salami, cut into ¼ inch strips

3 ounces shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

¼ cup finely chopped onion

½ cups chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

½ cups chopped fresh basil

4 ounces zesty Italian dressing, or more as needed

Salt and pepper to taste

Drain artichokes, reserving liquid. Cut artichokes into fourths. Combine pasta, artichokes, and remaining ingredients. Toss gently. Add some of the artichoke liquid if needed if the salad seems too dry. It will soak up a lot of the dressing if left to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Italian Pasta Salad, 300+ servings

300 oz marinated artichokes, undrained

35# fusilli pasta (corkscrew pasta), cooked

4.4# pitted kalamata olives, halved

20# Roasted red peppers, sliced (about 3 #10 cans)

16# fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed

2# hard salami, cut into ¼ inch strips

24 cups shaved fresh Parmesan cheese (or about 5#)

8 cups finely chopped onion

12 cups chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (about 1#)

12 cups chopped fresh basil (about 1#)

1 gallon zesty Italian dressing, use as much as needed

Salt and pepper to taste

Category:

Recipe Index, Side Dish Recipes

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