Illinois' Finest cooking

Illinois'
FINEST COOKING

Trinity Evangelical Church in Golden
The Women of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America submit their cookbook celebrating the 125th year of the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Golden, IL. The book is soft-backed and spiral-bound, with 380 pages of delicious recipes. It sells for $13 including postage. To order, write to Cookbook, Trinity Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 160, Golden, IL 62339.

Vegetable Pizza
2 cans crescent rolls
16-oz. cream cheese
1 pkg. Hidden Valley
Ranch Dressing
Carrots

Andrew Flesner
Radishes
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Spread crescent rolls out flat on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes until brown. Remove from oven to cool. Mix cream cheese and Hidden Valley Package. Spread over crescent rolls. Chop vegetables and put on top. Add cheese. Refrigerate.

Lemon Cream King
1 (3-oz.) pkg. lemon Jell-O
1/2 C. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 C. boiling water

Betty Jo Buss
1 (6-oz.) can frozen
lemonade concentrate
1 C. whipping cream
Fresh fruit (a variety)

Blend Jell-0, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add boiling water and stir until dissolved. Stir in lemonade concentrate. Chill until mixture has jelly-like consistency. Fold whipped cream into lemon mixture. Pour into a 4 C. mold. Chill until firm. Remove from mold and fill center with fruit. Salad is both delicious and lovely to look at.

Apricot Pork Chops
6 pork chops
12-oz. apricot preserves

Cindy Jennings
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
2/3 C. Western dressing

Place pork chops in a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Mix remaining 3 ingredients and pour over meat. Cover with foil and bake approximately 1-1/2 hours at 350°. Remove foil for the last 15 minutes. Recipe also works well with pork steak or chicken breasts.

Delicious Peanut Butter Swirl Bars.
1/2 C. peanut butter,
crunchy or plain
1/3 C. butter
3/4 C. brown sugar
3/4 C. sugar
2 eggs

Edna Gerdes
2 tsp. vanilla
1 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 (6-oz.) pkg. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°. Cream first 4 ingredients. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix. Spread in greased 9x13- inch pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top. Place in oven for 5 minutes. Swirl chocolate chips through dough with a knife. Return to oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 24 bars.

Chinese Style Chicken
1 lb. chicken breast
filets, slivered
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 T. oil
1 T. cornstarch
1 can chicken broth
2 carrots, sliced diagonally

Cyndi Kimble
3 T. soy sauce
3/4 to 1 tsp. ginger
1 C. snow pea pods
1 can baby cob corn, drained
1-1/2 C. minute rice
1 can sliced water chestnuts

Saute chicken and garlic in oil until chicken is browned, about 5 minutes. Add cornstarch and stir until blended. Stir in broth and remaining ingredients except rice. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes.

Superior Meatloaf
1 envelope onion soup mix
2 lbs. ground beef
1-1/2 C. soft bread crumbs

Shirley Schuster
2 eggs
3/4 C. water
1/3 C. ketchup

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Shape into a loaf in a 9x9- inch pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. (You can put extra ketchup on top before baking if you like.)

Sweetarts
1 C. butter or oleo
2 C. flour
6-oz. cream cheese
1 (12-oz.) pkg.
chocolate chips
2/3 C. sugar
Mary Ann Aden
2T. milk
2T.butter
2tsp.vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
Pecan halves

Mix 1 C. butter, flour and cream cheese as for pie crust. Form mixture into 48 balls. Press each ball into bottom and sides of small tart or muffin pans. To prepare filling - Melt chocolate chips, add sugar, milk, 2 T. butter and vanilla. Add eggs. Divide filling into prepared pastries. Place pecan half in each. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes.

Earthquake Cake
1 sm. pkg. coconut
1 C. chopped pecans
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 German chocolate cake mix
Karen Juilfs
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese,
softened
1 stick oleo, softened

Use a deep 9x13-inch pan. Sprinkle coconut to cover bottom of pan. Sprinkle nuts over coconut. Mix cake mix according to directions and pour over coconut and nuts. Mix remaining ingredients and drop by spoonfuls on top of cake batter. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until done. Don't ice cake.

JULY 2001 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING 23

The Chili Citizens Committee of Bowen
The Chili Citizens Committee of Bowen, IL submit their spiral-bound, soft- backed cookbook filled with 50 pages of great recipes. The book sells for $6.25 including postage. To order, contact Donna Cheney at 512 E. 5th Street, Bowen, IL 62316, or call her at (217) 842-5817.

Coffee Cake Muffins
1-1/2 C. plus 2 T. flour
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 C. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
                                             Donna Sowder
1/4 C. oil
1 egg
1/2 C. milk
2 T. melted butter
1/4 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. nuts

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, 1/2 C. brown sugar and cinnamon. Add oil, egg, milk and butter. Fill muffin tins 1/2 full. Mix together 1/4 C. brown sugar and nuts. Top muffins. Bake at 375 for 13 to 15 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Cherry Pie Filling Salad
3/4 C. sugar
3/4 C. water
1 can cherry pie filling
2 boxes cherry Jell-O

                                             Ruth Reed
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can coke
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 C. chopped nuts, opt.

Boil water and sugar. Add cherry pie filling and boil again. Pour over cherry Jell-0, pineapple, coke, lemon juice and nuts. Mix.

Stuffed Pork Chops
4 pork chops, 1-inch thick
2 T. vegetable oil
3 C. day-old French
bread cubes
1/4 C. butter, melted
1/4 C. chicken broth

                                             Coralie Moormann
2 T. chopped celery
2 T. chopped onion
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 can cream of mushroom
soup, undiluted
1/3 C. water

In a skillet, brown chops in oil. Place chops in an ungreased shallow baking pan. Toss bread cubes, butter, broth, celery, onion and poultry seasoning together. Mound about 1 /2 cup stuffing on each pork chop. Combine soup and water, pour over chops. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer or until juices run clear and meat thermometer reads 160°- 170°.

Casserole
1 pkg. noodles, cooked
2 lbs. hamburger, cooked
1 lg. onion
Shredded cheddar, mozzarella,
and Monterey Jack cheeses

                                    Maureen Stump
Cream of mushroom soup
Milk
1 can mushroom slices
Parmesan cheese

Spread noodles in a 9-inch pan Sprinkle hamburger over noodles. Over noodles, layer cheddar, mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheeses. Over all, pour cream of mushroom soup, milk and canned mushroom slices. Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese over top. Bake covered for 45 minutes at 350°. Bake uncovered the last 15 minutes,

Easy Lasagna Casserole
3 C. egg noodles, cooked
and drained
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 (3-oz.) pkg. cream cheese

                                    Donna Cheney
1 C. evaporated milk
1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce
1 pkg. spaghetti sauce mix
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 C. shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook ground beef and onion in skillet until browned. Drain fat. Stir in tomato sauce and spaghetti sauce mix. Cook until thickened. Combine cream cheese and evaporated milk in saucepan and cook on low heat until mixture is smooth. Stir in noodles and garlic salt. Pour mixture into greased 9-inch square baking dish. Spread on meat mixture. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Secret Puffs
2 pkgs. crescent rolls
16 lg. marshmallows
Melted margarine
                                             Rebecca Pullins
Cinnamon
Sugar

Separate dough into 16 triangles. Dip marshmallows in melted margarine, then roll in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Wrap one triangle around each marshmallow to cover completely. Squeeze edges tight to seal. Place on baking stone. Bake at 375° for 10 to 15 minutes.

Cream Cheese Cookies
1 box cake mix (white,
lemon, or chocolate)
1 egg
                                             Harriet Johnson
8-oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick oleo, melted

Put cream cheese and oleo in a microwave safe bowl and microwave just until soft enough to cream. Mix in vanilla and egg. Add dry cake mix and mix well. Bake at 350° for about 5 minutes on cookie sheet. Do not overbake.

No Bake Cookies
2 C. sugar
2 T. cocoa
2 T. margarine
1/2 C. milk
                                                      Betty Lovell
1/4 T. salt
1/2 T. vanilla
3/4 C. chunky peanut butter
2 C. dry oatmeal

Bring sugar, cocoa, margarine and milk to a boil. Remove from heat and add salt, vanilla, peanut butter and oatmeal. Stir and spoon drop onto wax paper.

WANTED: A Few Good Recipes!
Calling all cooks! Illinois Country Living needs your help. Send us your favorite recipe and it could be used in the Illinois Country Living Cookbook - Coming soon to a kitchen near you! Send recipes to: Catrina McCulley Young, Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 3787, Springfield, IL62708. Or e-mail them to mcculley@aiec.org. Please make sure recipes are either typed or printed neatly. Please include your name and phone number in case we need to contact you.

24 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING JULY 2001