Sweet Potatoes with Crunchy Topping

Rosalie Robison Risk

3-4 cups mashed sweet potatoes (cooked or use 1 large can)
1 cup sugar
1/3 stick butter (melted or softened)
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk (regular or evaporated)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

Mix above ingredients and pour into 9x13 baking dish. Mix the following topping ingredients together thoroughly, then sprinkle on top of sweet potato mixture.

¼ cup flour
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ stick margarine softened
¾ cup chopped nuts

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Source: Noreen Roush, a friend in State College, PA Ward. She brought it to our Relief Society Christmas dinner. It's become one of my favorite Christmas recipes.

Aunt Josephine's Jell-O Salad

Josephine Walsh
submitted by Rosalie Robison Risk

1 package lemon jello
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup hot water
1 T. Grated onion
1 cup Miracle Whip
2-3 T. green pepper and pimento

Mix jello and hot water and chill till starts to jell. Add other ingredients and chill. Source: Aunt Josephine served this at family Christmas dinners. It's delicious!

Oriental Salad

Rosalie Robison Risk

Tear 1 head leaf lettuce (romaine is best) into bite sized pieces in large bowl. Chop up 1 large broccoli (use mostly florets, not stem), and 1 bunch green onions with tops.

Saute:
1 stick margarine
½ cup sunflower seeds
2 packages ramen noodles, crumbled into small pieces (save seasoning pkg. for another purpose)
¾ cup slivered almonds

Combine with salad greens just before serving. Toss salad with dressing at last minute.

DRESSING:
½ cup salad oil
½ cup white vinegar
¾ cup sugar
3 tsp. soy sauce

Source: Carolyn Schroeder, Longview TX Stake President's wife. Served at Stake Leaders Christmas dinner Dec. 1998. Sister Schroeder died January 1999. The Schroeders were our very good friends. This is delicious!

Liba's Potato Salad

Rosalie Robison Risk

This recipe would be for 20 lbs. potatoes. Adjust recipe for smaller amount.

Peel, boil and mash (don't whip), potatoes.

Combine to following ratio: 90% Miracle Whip, 5% mustard, 3% either Catalina or French dressing, (or if don't have any on hand, use 1-2 T catsup to give a pinkish color), may also use a little Ranch dressing for taste, and a little sweet pickle relish.

To mashed potatoes, sprinkle on about 1/3 a bottle of Salad Supreme seasoning. Add dressing to potatoes, along with about 1 bunch of finely chopped green onion 'green ends' only. Boil and chop fine 1 dozen eggs. Add to salad. May sprinkle a little Salad Supreme on top.

Source: This is Texas style potato salad, always served with BBQ brisket. Recipe came from Elizabeth Coplen, a good friend in Nacogdoches Texas Ward.

Sweet Lime Pickles

Rosalie Robison Risk

Best if made with Armenian cucumbers!

Cut 7 pounds cucumbers into ¼” slices. (If too large, peel, cut in half and seed.) Put into crock or large plastic Tupperware bowl. Cover with a solution of 2 cups hydrated lime (in canning section of grocery store) in 2 gallons of water. Cover tightly and let stand 12-18 hrs, stirring with hands, or if it has tight cover, tip up and down, to mix lime solution often. Rinse thoroughly with clear water to remove lime and let stand in clear, cold water at least 4 hours.

In the meantime, make syrup:
2 quarts vinegar, full strength
5 to 5 ¼ lbs sugar

Combine in spice bag: 2 teaspoons each; celery seed, mustard seed and whole cloves. Bring solution to boil, add spice bag and 2 ½ - 3 tsp salt. Let syrup cool. Add drained cucumbers to cold syrup and let stand overnight. Bring to boil and simmer 25 minutes or until cucumbers are transparent. Spoon cucumbers carefully into hot sterile wide mouth quart jars. Pour boiling syrup over them. Seal. Turn jar upside down for 5 minutes to make tight seal.

Source: Recipe on back of lime bag. Mom and Dad always made lots of these. We love them.

Grandma Robison's Pickled Beets

Nellie Robison

Boil whole beets till tender and slip the skins.

4 quarts cooked, diced beets
1 teaspoon whole allspice
2 cups vinegar
1 teaspoon whole cloves
2 cups water
1 teaspoon whole cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Tie spices into a spice bag. Add to pickling mixture. Boil for 15 minutes, add beets. Bring to full boil again, put into hot sterilized pint jars and seal. Boil in hot water bath 10-15 minutes. Makes about 8 pints.

Peggy's Sweet Pickles

Peggy Hannig Robison

Wash and put into large pan about 30 small pickling cucumbers. Cover with boiling water, and let stand over night, drain. Do this 4 times, morning and night. Cut into thick slices, cover with cold water and add 1 T. alum, let stand another day.

Make syrup:
1 quart white vinegar
1 T. cloves
8 cups sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
1 T. salt
Green food coloring

Combine and let come to boil and pour over cucumbers. Let stand 24 hours. Do this 3 more times. Last time pour into bottles while hot and seal.

These are crisp sweet pickles! Takes a lot of time, but they're delicious!

Dilly Green Beans

Rosalie Robison Risk

3lb fresh green beans

Wash, trim and pack into sterilized wide mouth pint jars along with ½ hot red pepper, 1 sprig fresh dill and 1 clove garlic per jar. Heat 5 1/2 cups water, 4 1/2 cups vinegar and 1/2 cup salt to boil. Pour over beans while hot and seal. Process in hot water bath 10 minutes. Makes about 8 pints.

Source: Diane Alling, Lansing, MI Ward , a good friend.

Chicken Casserole Supreme

Rosalie Robison Risk

6 chicken breasts, cooked, skinned & cut into bite size pieces
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup sour cream

Layer chicken in bottom of 9x13” pan. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare 2 regular boxes of Stovetop Stuffing. Mix. Spread on top of casserole. Cover and continue baking an additional 45 minutes.

Source: Served at Relief Society Christmas dinner in Bangor, ME. Probably President Ginger Seader’s recipe.

Nacho Chicken Casserole / King Ranch Casserole

Rosalie Robison Risk

Boil: 6 chicken breasts until very tender, (or purchase a roasted supermarket chicken). Remove meat from bones and cut into small pieces.
Mix with diced chicken:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 cup or more grated cheese.

Add 1 cup sauted diced onion and 3/4 cup of chicken broth. Spray 9 x 13" casserole pan with Pam spray. Crush a thick layer of tortilla chips on bottom of pan. Pour chicken mixture over chips, mixing lightly together. Partially crush another thin layer of chips and sprinkle over top. Cover with foil (sprayed with Pam) and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove foil and add another cup of grated cheese to top. Bake 8 to 10 minutes more without foil.

Source: The "pot luck" casserole in E. Texas. I got this particular version from Nan McNeeley, who was my 1st Counselor while I was serving as Primary President in Nacogdoches Ward. It’s Thomas’ favorite casserole!