Big Mac Sloppy Joes

 

Anybody else feel like they get stuck in a "same-ol' same ol'" rut in the menu department? If not, congrats! If so, here's a variation on a supper-time staple ... Sloppy Joes.

During this time of year, I'm always on the lookout for sandwich varieties that I can make and transport to the field for supper. When clothes are already dirty from dirt, grease, wheat chaff and assorted other unidentified stains, "sloppy" seems to fit right in. Nobody's likely to ruin any good clothes as the inside of these sandwiches "slops" out.

But you don't have to serve these along a Kansas dirt road. They also make a tasty addition to the supper lineup at home - where there are plenty of napkins.

The original recipe called for the Sloppy Joes to be assembled like Big Macs. I didn't add an additional bun in the middle for our version and make a triple-decker sandwich. But the rest of the ingredients got a "thumbs up" from the harvest crew. 

If Big Macs aren't your sandwich of choice, there are some other tried-and-true recipes at the bottom of this post. And for all you in the harvest field? Keep the faith and keep on truckin'. I hope this recipe helps you with your "to-go" menu. 

And, I hope we'll be able "to-go" to the field again soon. We got another 0.80" of rain last night. And I hear the thunder rumbling this morning, too.  Fingers crossed that the weather forecast of dry weather for the 4th of July weekend comes true. We'll skip the fireworks if we can just cut wheat.

Big Mac Sloppy Joes

Adapted from Dinner Then Dessert blog

Ground Beef Mixture 

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup hamburger pickles, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

McDonald's Secret Sauce Recipe:

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup French dressing
2 tablespoons sweet relish
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

To Assemble Double Decker: (I just did a single decker)

8 hamburger buns 
2 cups iceberg lettuce , shredded
12 hamburger pickle chips
4 slices cheese
Additional sauce, optional

Brown your ground beef halfway, about 3-4 minutes, in your large skillet then add in the chopped onions, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Cook the beef until fully browned, about 3-4 minutes, then add in the chopped pickles and stir. Mix the McDonald's Copycat Big Mac Sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well.

 

Add 1 cup of the secret sauce to the pan, reserve the rest for your buns. Cook 1 additional minute then serve on hamburger buns (stacking order in notes below). 

 

Stacking order from the bottom up (if doing a double decker bun)

1. Bun bottom
2. Secret Sauce
3. Lettuce
4. American Cheese
5. Meat
6. Bun Bottom
7. Secret Sauce
8. Lettuce
9. Pickles
10. Meat
11. Bun Top
    

 ***

Looking for other harvest - or summer - suppers? Here are a couple more tried and true recipes:

Hawaiian Sloppy Joes recipe

Chipotle Sloppy Joes

 

Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes

 

 

Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese

 

Cheesy Pull-Apart Sliders

 

Beef Month: Philly Cheesesteak Sliders

I sometimes watch the Food Network show Cooks vs. Cons. In it, two professional chefs and two home cooks prepare food for celebrity judges. While the contestants are cooking, the celebrities try and figure out whether they are cooks or cons.

Kitchen techniques often get mentioned as an indicator of professionalism. I think I could make a tasty dish for the judges. But I'm afraid my knife skills would betray my amateur status. I thought about that again as I was dicing the peppers and onions for these Philly Cheesesteak Sliders.

As the celebrity chefs would say, my "knife cuts" probably aren't as consistent as they should be. But my lack of professional knife skills didn't get in the way of the yummy taste.

May is Beef Month. For us, every month is Beef Month because that's what we have in the freezer. (Click here for a complete look at our beef - from hoof to plate.) The Kansas beef industry is vital to the Kansas economy, generating more than $9 billion annually. Kansas is home to 6.25 million cattle, which is more than twice the human population of 2.9 million. Kansas also ranks third nationally in the value of beef and veal exported, at $787.7 million in 2014. The industry supports more than 48,400 jobs in Kansas.

Beef provides 10 percent of 10 essential nutrients, including zinc, iron, protein and B vitamins, in less than 10 percent of the daily recommended calorie intake. Specifically, a 3-oz. serving of beef provides 25 grams, or about 50 percent of the Daily Value, for protein. Today, about two-thirds of beef sold at retail, including popular cuts like sirloin steak, tenderloin and 95 percent lean ground beef, meet government guidelines for lean. (Source: Kansas Beef Council).

This Philly Cheesesteak Slider recipe likely will end up in the line-up for wheat harvest meals to the field, even though they are less "finger food" and probably best eaten with a fork. On our farm, the guys usually stop for their meal anyway to get off the combine or out of the truck for a few minutes. And a fork is probably better than dirty fingers anyway, right?

I served the sliders with watermelon and an apple coleslaw salad. Click on the link for the salad recipe.

Philly Cheesesteak Sliders

Adapted from my Facebook feed

1 package Hawaiian slider buns (can use Hawaiian rolls or mini-sub buns, too)
1/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 sweet peppers, diced (I used 2 red peppers, but you can use any color or a combination)
1 sweet onion, diced
1 lb. steak, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
12 slices provolone cheese
3 tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Put bottom buns in the paper-lined dish. Spread evenly with mayonnaise or salad dressing. Top with 6 slices of provolone cheese; set aside.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and peppers. Cook until tender and starting to caramelize. Add steak. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the steak is cooked to medium rare. Remove from heat. Drain the majority of the excess liquid.

Put meat mixture over the bottom buns. Add another 6 slices of cheese. Place slider tops over cheese layer. Brush tops with melted butter.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until top has browned and cheese is fully melted. Number of servings depends on your diners - either one or two sliders per person.

Field Trip: Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Grade school students aren't the only ones who take field trips. I do my share, too - though I'm not visiting the zoo or the science museum.

Instead, I'm carting meals to the field. Nothing says "fine dining" like a meal spread out on a car trunk. (I am willing to bring collapsible chairs to the "party," but Randy prefers to stand up after sitting in the combine or tractor.)

Around here, wheat harvest time requires the most "field trips" - sometimes two a day. So it's always nice to find another meal to add to the harvest rotation - or any time I need to take a portable meal to the guys, whether they're working ground or cutting fall crops.

For these sandwiches, I started with a recipe of Slow Cooker Beef and Vegetables. I love using my Crock Pot during the hot days of summer, since it helps keep the kitchen cool and still produces a hot meal. But, honestly, I like using my slow cooker anytime: Get the ingredients gathered and going and then don't think about it for several hours!

Before I added the vegetables to the slow cooker for the last 30 minutes of cooking, I pulled some of the beef and broth. I thought the meat would be perfect for a second harvest meal - Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches. And the guys raved about them. After that, these sandwiches definitely went on the meals-to-the-field list.

I cut up two peppers (I used one whole red, 1/2 orange and 1/2 yellow, but you could also use green) into thin strips, then added a sliced sweet onion to a large nonstick skillet. I sprayed with cooking spray and just let the veggies caramelize in the pan over medium-high heat. When they started sticking, I just added a little water and continued cooking until the veggies were tender.

To prepare the hoagie buns, I split them and buttered the inside. Then I sprinkled with Swiss cheese. (You can use mozzarella or provolone as well.) I put it under the broiler until the buns and cheese were toasty.

After the vegetables were done, I added the beef to the skillet to heat back through. After putting the meat and veggie mixture on the prepared buns, I sprinkled with additional cheese and stuck the meat-and-cheese-covered sandwich bottoms back under the broiler until the cheese was nice and bubbly.

One slow cooker recipe = two delicious meals = two satisfied customers!

Kansas Farm Wife's Philly Cheesesteaks

Beef and broth from Easy Beef & Vegetables Slow Cooker recipe
1 large red pepper
1 large yellow pepper (or 1/2 yellow and 1/2 orange. Can also use green)
1 large sweet onion
Provolone, mozzarella or Swiss cheese - sliced or shredded
Hoagie buns
Butter

Thinly slice the peppers and onion and put in a large non-stick skillet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook until the vegetables are tender. If they start to burn, add a little water and continue cooking until softened to taste.

Add the beef and broth and heat until warmed.

Split the hoagie buns. Butter, then sprinkle with cheese. Put under broiler until the cheese is bubbly and the bun edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven.

On the bottom bun, spoon a portion of the beef and vegetable mixture. Top with additional cheese. Put back under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with the top bun and serve.

If you're taking them to the field, wrap in aluminum foil and put them in a thermal container so they stay hot for delivery. Add fruit, homemade cookies, homemade pasta salad, chips or any other accompaniments you prefer.

Click here for the pasta salad you see in the above photo.

Click here for the cookie recipe.

***

Today, I'm linked to Weekend Potluck, hosted by these bloggers. Check out the tried-and-true recipes from them and other foodies!

• Served Up With Love ~ Melissa
• The Country Cook~ Brandie
• The Better Baker ~ Marsha
• Sweet Little Bluebird~ Mary
• Mommy’s Kitchen~ Tina

Zesty Italian Wraps

Pheasant and quail hunting season opens in Kansas this weekend. This recipe doesn't have a thing to do with how to prepare the birds harvested this weekend. (I admit it: I'm not your go-to girl on that front!)

But maybe it could be a snack or a lunch packed in an insulated cooler and eaten by orange-vested, boot-wearing hunters ... before they prepare the "catch of the day" after the sun goes down, of course. (I will remain optimistic for the hunters.)

I didn't prepare these Zesty Italian Wraps (and pinwheels) for a hunting trip. But they did make the menu as sandwich wraps when I took meals to the field while planting wheat earlier this fall. I also included them as "pinwheels" for the national Master Farm Homemaker convention the Kansas ladies hosted in August.  They are a spicier addition to a sandwich tray than the Turkey Club Pinwheels I also served.

The Zesty Italian pinwheel is in the center, while the Turkey Club Pinwheels flank it.

I didn't grow up in a family of hunters. Randy may go out for a little while on opening day, but he is certainly not a man obsessed with the sport. He will be more likely to watch college football on Saturday afternoon than go back out and hunt, unless a buddy calls him for an outing. (But I think that's more about the comradery than traipsing through CRP grass in search of the elusive pheasant or quail, who always seem to know when the season stars. (We saw our fair share this summer as we traveled our dirt roads to and from the fields. They will likely be in hiding this weekend, though!)

Since football is also the sport on my mind in the fall, I'll also offer them as a tailgate option. No matter the setting - by the side of the road or in a recliner for football viewing - I hope you'll enjoy!

Zesty Italian Wrap or Pinwheels

From Favorite Family Recipes

Flour tortillas (I used tomato for color)
Ham, thinly sliced
Salami, thinly sliced
Pepperoni slices
Provolone cheese slices
Shredded romaine lettuce
Banana peppers
Zesty Italian dressing

Layer meats, cheese, lettuce and banana peppers on top of a flour tortilla. Drizzle dressing carefully over the top. Roll the wrap up tightly. Serve as a wrap or cut into pinwheels for serving on a sandwich tray. (If you cut into pinwheels, it helps to refrigerate for about 1 hour before cutting.)

***

Today, I'm linked to the Weekend Potluck. (Thanks to them for featuring my Apple Sundae Cake last week!) Visit these hosts and see what's cooking in other kitchens across the country:

• The Country Cook~ Brandie
• Sunflower Supper Club ~ Kim & Julie
• The Better Baker ~ Marsha
• Frugal Family Favorites ~ Tabitha
• Sweet Little Bluebird~ Mary

Sloppy Joe Cornbread Bake

Serve the casserole with a green salad.

Meals on Wheels: It's a necessity during busy times on the farm. The guys have their favorites. Jake likes Taco Pizza. Randy likes Italian Meatball Subs. Both are fans of Funeral Sandwiches (which I've renamed Baked Ham and Cheese Sandwiches because we don't need a downer title during a busy time on the farm).

I've done Reuben Crescent Bake and Kentucky Hot Brown sandwiches. Homemade Taco Hamburger Helper has made an appearance on occasion. Add homemade cookies, fruit, chips and something to drink, and it's a mobile feast.

When I saw the recipe for Sloppy Joe Cornbread Bake on Sunflower Supper Club's blog, I knew it was one I wanted to add to the thermal meal carrier rotation this year. Plus, it featured hamburger. Since our freezer always has plenty of beef raised here on the County Line, it's an easy centerpiece to any meal.

It was a hit with both guys, so I'm sure it will make repeat appearances. Actually, it made some repeat appearances as leftovers for Randy, since it made a 9- by 13-inch pan. Thankfully, he is not opposed to leftovers ... especially if they taste this good!

Sloppy Joe Cornbread Bake

Adapted from Sunflower Supper Club

1 box (8.5 oz.) cornbread mix
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 can (14.75 oz.) cream-style corn
2 1/2 cups (10 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green peppers
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup favorite BBQ sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 heaping teaspoon yellow mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Diced green onions or cilantro for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 13- by 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Combine the muffin mix, milk, egg, corn and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Mix well and pour into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the cornbread layer is cooking, brown the ground beef with diced onions, green peppers and garlic in a large skillet. Drain grease. Add ketchup, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking on low for about 5 minutes.

Remove cornbread from oven and poke the top with a fork to make holes in the cornbread. Spoon the beef mixture evenly over the cornbread. Top with remaining 2 cups of cheese.

Return to the oven and bake 15 minutes. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Garnish as desired.

Note: If you want classic Sloppy Joe taste, use 1 1/2 cups ketchup and omit the BBQ sauce.

Summer Spinach Salad

When it's 100-degrees in the shade outside, a cool summer salad is just the right accompaniment to a harvest meal - or any meal.

Jill found this salad recipe on one of our favorite food blogs, Iowa Girl Eats, and suggested I try it, too. She had taken it to a church potluck and again to a work lunch. I had planned to follow suit and take it to a church potluck to say farewell to our departing pastor, but harvest field duty called instead. I guess my version also got served for a work lunch, in a manner of speaking. My lunch companions just had more dirt and grease on them than Jill's did.

Corn adds to the summer theme of the salad. You can use fresh corn, but I think it tends to be starchy raw, and I prefer thawed frozen corn in this type of recipe. I used green onion in my version of the salad, though the original recipe called for finely-chopped red onion. I like the milder onion, but use whatever you prefer.

From left front and clockwise: Green onion, dried cherries, toasted almonds, feta cheese surround corn in the center.

The dried cherries offer a sweet touch, and feta cheese lends a complementary tang. (You can also use blue cheese or chevre, but feta is what's readily available in my fridge.) Toasted almonds give the salad just the right amount of texture and crunch.

Then, a homemade Lemon Poppyseed Dressing brings it all together. You probably won't need all the dressing; I didn't. I just saved it for the next time I made the salad.  I served this salad twice during harvest - once as an accompaniment to BBQ meatballs and cheesy potatoes and again with a Spicy Sausage Pasta. However, this isn't a salad that saves well. You'll need to make it fresh each time, so adjust the amount of ingredients you use accordingly, and enjoy!

Summer Spinach Salad

with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

5 ounces baby spinach
3/4 cup sweet corn (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup chopped green onion (or red onion)
2 ounces feta cheese
Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine ingredients for Lemon Poppyseed Dressing in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake to combine.

Combine all salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Drizzle on dressing to taste and toss to coat. I didn't use all the dressing for this amount of salad. You can save it for another day (and more salad)! When you refrigerate homemade dressing made with olive oil, it sets up in the fridge. Just remove it from the fridge and let it return to room temperature before using it.

Two by Two: You'll Want S'More

Kind of like Noah's Ark, I package cookies two-by-two to get ready for wheat harvest. A few weeks ago, I made (and doubled) my basic drop cookie recipe. Then, I divided the dough into four parts and threw in different add-ins for variety. (Click on the link to see some of our favorite combinations!)

I packaged them two-by-two and put them in snack bags in the freezer. Then, I can pull out the cookies I need each day for special evening meal deliveries.

But when I saw a bar cookie recipe for Peanut Butter S'Mores Bars, I decided to add to my arsenal of freezer goodies.

The familiar summertime taste of marshmallows and chocolate is bolstered by peanut butter in the dough, as well as peanut butter chips nestled in the oozy, marshmallowy goodness.

For more ideas for harvest treats or meals, you can use the search engine on Kim's County Line, found in the upper left of the blog. Type in "cookies," "bar cookies," "salads," "main dish," "Mexican," "beef," etc. I only publish the recipes that we've tried and given good reviews! (But you don't have to be a farm family to enjoy some of these tried-and-true favorites!)

Peanut Butter S'mores Bars

Adapted from Six Sisters Stuff

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet - your preference)
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 3/4 cups miniature marshmallows

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10- by 15-inch pan with baking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Cream well. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.

Add dry ingredients, just until blended. Fold in chocolate and peanut butter chips and marshmallows.

Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until light golden brown. (Ovens vary. I just got a new oven and things take longer to bake. With my old oven, 20 minutes would have been too long, so know your oven.) They will seem a little gooey, but they set up when cooled.

Harvest Meals: Don't Go Off Half-Baked!

Homemade cookies (hidden in lefthand corner, grapes, macaroni salad and baked ham & cheese sandwiches were on the menu for supper last evening.

Meals on wheels - country style. After 32 years, maybe I should come up with a theme song. I'm thinking the tune to "Love Boat." OK, maybe not.

When we were first married, I worked in Hutchinson, so I delivered evening harvest meals, while my mother-in-law, Marie, made the bigger noon repast. After I "retired" from The Hutchinson News when Brent was born, I expanded my repertoire to noon meals, too.

For the most part, the harvesters comes to the house for noon, and I deliver the evening meal. (Yes, I know I'm lucky.) If the custom cutters don't arrive in time and we end cutting "up north," as we call it, the delivery expands to both meal times. That was tricky in 1988, when Brent was a month old or so during his first harvest.

It's definitely less complicated than it used to be when the kids were little. While I was dirtying every pot and pan in the kitchen, they also needed attention. But it was a great adventure for my two "helpers" who enjoyed the picnics and the after-dinner entertainment - a ride on the combine with Daddy or Grandpa.
Jill would have been about 20 months old during the harvest pictured here. To serve the meal back then, I usually brought a blanket and spread it out on wheat stubble in the shade created by the combine or a truck.
I have tried-and-true recipes that I use every harvest. I make BBQ meatballs and serve them with potato casserole, corn casserole, or homemade macaroni and cheese. Part of the meatball recipe gets a pizza sauce for submarine sandwiches. I make a roast early in the harvest meal rotation. Yesterday, we had some of the leftover roast beef incorporated into beef and noodles over mashed potatoes. More of the beef ends up as BBQ supper sandwiches. Grilled hamburgers or BBQ sandwiches may be teamed with Sweet and Sour Beans. One of the guys' favorite suppers is Taco Pizza, a long-ago recipe contest winner from The News. An easy dessert that has already made a repeat appearance this year is Peach Butter Brickle Cobbler. (I could go on for quite some time finding links, but today's meal requires my attention. If you need additional menu ideas for harvest go-to meals and sides, I'm glad to share. Email me at rkjbfarms@gmail.com)

Some years, I've been both truck driver and meal person. When I fill both roles, the evening meal is cold sandwiches and fixings. 

But let me get to the latest addition to the harvest repertoire,  In the past, I've served hot ham sandwiches. Yesterday, though, I tried a variation. When Jake asked me what they were called, I had to admit, "Funeral Sandwiches." Really.

It was one of those church potluck offerings that had all of us talking. First, we were talking about how good it was. Then, we were talking about the recipe title. Surely someone could have come up with a better name than Funeral Sandwiches. Katie Minks brought them to a church potluck this spring. I was not the only one who requested the recipe. I'm not sure whether I'm the only one rebelling and renaming the recipe.

From this day forth, I believe I will declare them Baked Ham Harvest Sandwiches instead. I took these marinated, baked ham and Swiss sandwiches to the field last evening. Whether you serve them at a funeral, a church potluck, around your kitchen table or in the wheat harvest field, they will get good reviews. I paired them with macaroni salad, green grapes and cookies.

The sandwiches are marinated in a buttery sauce with both sweet and savory components. The recipe says they can be marinated for anywhere from 4 to 24 hours. The first time I made the recipe, I marinated for 24 hours. That really allowed the marinade to soak in. When marinated that long, they were definitely a sandwich to eat with a fork, not your hands. With repeat performances, I didn't marinate as long, and they were less sticky. They are good either way, but I still serve them with a fork - especially when there's wheat dust involved.

Baked Ham Harvest Sandwiches

(aka Funeral Sandwiches)

Recipe from Katie Minks from church potluck

1 pkg. King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
1/2 to 1 lb. high-quality ham deli meat
Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. mustard
2 tbsp. brown sugar
Dash of onion powder

Note: I saw King's Hawaiian Sweet Mini-Sub Rolls and used those the first time I made these (and when I took the photo on the real plate). I've since made them with regular-sized rolls because that's what I could find.

Spray 9- by 13-inch pan with baking spray. Cut the rolls in half and line the bottom of a baking pan with the bottom of the rolls. Layer the ham slices, then cheese and place the top half of the roll on top.

Mix together all remaining ingredients. Pour over the buns, drenching each one. Cover tightly and marinate anywhere from 4 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes, uncovered, or until cheese is melted and bun tops are golden brown.

Note: The last two times I've made these, I've put cheese on the bottom bun before topping with ham, more cheese and then the bun top.

Last night, I threw the scenery in for free as a bonus to the harvest meal. I'm nice like that.We may not have a tablecloth, but we have ambiance.

***

Today I'm linked to Ashley's What's In Your Kitchen Wednesday at Kitchen Meets Girl. Click on the link to see some 4th of July treats and other ideas from food bloggers.

Whatchamacallit Bars

Do I really need another bar cookie recipe? Probably not.

Does that stop me from exploring new recipes? Certainly not.

How could I resist a copycat recipe for Whatchamacallit candy bars that was advertised as an "ooey, gooey blondie with two kinds of caramel." I couldn't. So I didn't.

This recipe was posted on Robyn's blog, The Ranch Wife Chronicles. Here's my version, just in time for the weekend. I would say it would be good in harvest lunches, but you would definitely need to keep them in a cooler until ready to serve because of the soft chocolate topping. I think the little extra effort would be worth it to the harvest crew. Since it rained, I haven't yet tested that theory. But I will.

Whatchamacallit Bars

1/2 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup toffee bits
3/4 cup chopped peanuts
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies

Topping:
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup whipping cream

Cream the butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla and caramel topping, beating on low until fluffy. Combine flour, salt and baking powder. Add to butter mixture. Add toffee bits and chopped peanuts. Stir in Rice Krispies by hand.

Spread in a greased 13- by 9-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Cool on wire rack.

For topping: Bring cream to a boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips. Stir until melted and creamy. Let cool slightly. Spread on top of the cooled blondies and let set.

Ham and Cheese to Go

(Obviously, this photo was taken during harvest, but the sandwiches are good year-round.)

Pull up a chair. No chair? OK, pull up a pickup endgate.

Yes, this is a ham sandwich. But as they say on all those food shows, "This sandwich is elevated."

I have no idea what that means. But the guys like these sandwiches. Since I haven't seen Bobby Flay in any fields lately, I guess I won't worry about what he thinks.

These hot ham and cheese sandwiches have been on evening supper runs for years. The idea for them came from a Calvary Baptist cookbook.

Growing up on a farm, I've made - and eaten - my share of ham sandwiches. But a sprinkle of dill weed gives these that little something extra.

The original recipe from Gerry Ann Hildebrand makes 24 servings. Instead of making a bunch and freezing them, I usually make them as I need them.

You'll need:

• As many sandwich buns as you need for hungry people
  
• Butter spread
• Mustard
• Dill weed
• Thinly sliced ham
  
• Swiss cheese (I like good quality cheese, not processed cheese)
  

Spread the butter on each side of the buns. Top with mustard (as little or as much as you'd like. At our house, Brent didn't want any mustard at all.) Sprinkle with a little dill weed. Add your ham and Swiss cheese. Wrap in foil and heat in a 350-degree oven until the cheese is melted, and the ham is warmed through. (Or, if you don't want to heat up your oven, you can do it in the microwave ... without the foil, of course.)

Then cart it to the field. They are also something easy to make and grab on your way to a t-ball game or 4-H meeting, and it costs way less than running through a drive-through. (Of course, maybe you're like me, and there's no drive-through to drive through anyway!)

Add some fruit, a few chips and cookies, and you've got a quick and tasty meal with not much time or effort.

"Mac"imum Taste

(Sorry the photo's not better. I should have realized that before we ate all the salad.)

I have way too many cookbooks. Shhhhh! Don't tell my husband.

On the other hand, he probably wishes I would sometimes consult those cookbooks and make something different on occasion. Like many cooks I know, I can get stuck in a rut. When I'm in a time crunch, I tend to make something in my repertoire that doesn't require pulling a cookbook from the shelf.

Some cookbooks just sit and look pretty on the shelf. Others are true workhorses. The best ones are those from church groups or hometown organizations, mainly because they are down-to-earth, everyday recipes that don't require a trip out of town for ingredients.

One of my favorites is A Taste of Tradition, a holiday collection of recipes by the Stafford Oktoberfest Committee. It is a hometown book, but there's another reason it's a favorite: It was one of the last big projects my late mother-in-law, Marie, worked on before her untimely death.

I love the sentiment on the title page:

These recipes were contributed voluntarily by citizens and friends of the Stafford community. To exchange recipes is an age-old custom. To share a favorite recipe symbolizes friendliness and goodwill.

There are people who don't share recipes. One church lady I knew went to her grave with her homemade cheese sandwich spread recipe. The church bazaar hasn't been the same since. I doubt they need to enjoy cheese spread sandwiches in heaven, but maybe I'm wrong.

This Macaroni Salad recipe is from the cookbook. It is Margie Milton Reiling's recipe, though I've made a few changes along the way.

It made an appearance this year with meals taken to the field. I served it for both the kids' high school graduation parties. It would be a great side dish to take to a picnic. Of course, with the current temperatures, I would suggest an indoor picnic. Enjoy!

Macaroni Salad

1 lb. pkg. macaroni (use shell, rotini, elbow, whatever you have)
1 large chopped green pepper (I used colored peppers.)
1 small bunch green onion, cut up finely (original recipe called for 1 red onion)
4 shredded carrots
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup vinegar
2 cups mayonnaise (I use light Miracle Whip)
1/3 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. dried dill weed (this is my addition)
1/3 lb. sharp Cheddar cheese, cubed (original recipe uses American cheese)

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Rinse in cold water; drain. Mix sweetened condensed milk, vinegar, salt, pepper, dill weed and mayonnaise. In large bowl, mix macaroni and chopped vegetables. Pour mayonnaise mixture over macaroni mixture; mix well. Add cubed cheese; mix again. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

If you wanted to make this into a main dish salad, you could add some cut-up grilled chicken.

There's No 'Sub'stitute!

I like to cook and bake. But I also want to make the most of the time I spend in the kitchen. When Brent was home, I decided to do a little multitasking.

One of his mealtime requests was BBQ Meatballs. It makes a big recipe, so I put some regular-sized meatballs in the freezer for another meal. I use a regular-sized ice cream scoop to make uniform main dish meatballs. I put Curly's BBQ sauce on the main dish meatballs and then stuck them in the freezer to use later. (The original recipe had a homemade BBQ sauce; my family likes Curly's better. Who am I to argue when it saves me time?)


Then I used a smaller scoop to make miniature meatballs. These smaller meatballs also went into the freezer, but I didn't put any kind of sauce on them. I pulled them out for Meatball Subs, one of the suppers I transport to the field.

I thawed the meatballs and then browned then in a non-stick pan. For these sandwiches, I used a hoagie bun and put a mixed shredded cheese on both the top and bottom. Then I broiled it until the cheese was melted and slightly browned.

You could make your own spaghetti sauce, but I used a jarred sauce. I put a little in the skillet after the meatballs were cooked through. Then I spread a little bit on the bun before putting down a quartet of meatballs.

The verdict? They were better than Subway's version. (Of course, Subway isn't delivering to the field, now are they?)

Even if you're not carting meals to the field, this is a good way to make your family think they are getting different meals - even when it's the same ol' meatball. And it saves you a little time, too. Bonus!

A Pretty Good Fake

Being fake isn't an attribute to which I usually aspire.

Is there anything that's better fake than real? Well, fake nails are better than my nails. A spray-on tan is better for you than a real one, I suppose.

But most of the time, we prefer to go with the real thing ... case in point, diamonds vs. zirconia.

But I did find a pretty good fake during harvest ... fake Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits. I didn't have time to make yeast bread from scratch, but I wanted to serve a hot bread with my roast beef meal.

Hot, fresh bread was supposed to accompany the next day's meal of beef and noodles, too. I had good intentions: I refrigerated some unbaked biscuits and was going to have them nice and hot for the noon meal. Unfortunately, I left them a little too long in the oven. (Yes, even we experienced cooks have our moments. This was not a stellar one. I fed them to the cats and dogs. Millie dug a hole for one under a bush in the backyard. Somehow, I don't think she was saving it for later. Sad but true!)

I looked online for a recipe, but couldn't find one that didn't use biscuit mix. So I did some modification and came up with this. I doubled the recipe. I always figure if I'm making a mess, I might as well make it worthwhile.

And speaking of worthwhile, I'm planning to go to the National Festival of Breads in Wichita tomorrow. Doors of the Wichita Airport Hilton ballroom will open at 7:30 AM to the public. Eight amateur bakers from across the U.S. will bake their original yeast bread recipes. There's also a mini trade show with food and cooking vendors, plus a full schedule of demonstrations about everything from basic sweet doughs to baking with whole grains. A Great American Bake Sale will benefit Share Our Strength, which combats childhood hunger.

I hope you'll join me from 7:30 AM to 4 PM at the Wichita Airport Hilton! And did I mention free bread samples? Yum!

But, if you can't come to Wichita, check out the Kansas Wheat website for the 2009 Festival of Bread finalists' recipes or other tried-and-true recipes. Or make Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

1/3 cup shortening
1 3/4 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter (no substitutes)
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder and salt, mixing together. Add shredded cheese, cutting in with the pastry blender. Cut in shortening, using a pastry blender, until it resembles fine crumbs. Stir in milk, mixing with fork, until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl and rounds up into a ball.

Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly about 10 times. Roll 1/2-inch thick. Cut with floured 2-inch biscuit cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Melt butter in microwave. Add spices. Using a pastry brush, brush butter mixture over each biscuit. Reserve remaining butter mix.

Bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Brush with remaining butter mixture and serve hot. Makes about 1 dozen.

Notes:

• I think Red Lobster makes drop biscuits (I might too if I were making as many as they serve a night). If you want to go that route, just drop them with a fork and bake as directed above.
• If you want to use biscuit mix, the recipe I found used 2 cups Bisquick and 1/2 cup cold water. You would just add your 3/4 cheese to that mixture instead of working with the flour mixture and shortening.
• As I said earlier, I doubled the recipe. However, I didn't double the butter and seasonings, and I had plenty for all the biscuits.

I know I'm no Pioneer Woman, but maybe there is some young bride or a 4-Her somewhere who has never made biscuits from scratch. So, here's a pictoral version. Feel free to skip it and go directly to making biscuits! Enjoy!

A Photo Step-by-Step

Combine flour, baking powder and salt, mixing together.

Shred the cheese.

Add the cheese and cut it in, using the pastry blender.


Cut in the shortening, using the pastry blender (if you don't have a pastry blender, two forks will work in a pinch.)

Below is is how it should look after cutting in the shortening. It should resemble "fine crumbs."

Stir in milk, mixing with fork, until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl and rounds up into a ball.


Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface. (I ended up having to add just a little flour because it was a little too sticky to knead. Don't add too much though or you'll have dry biscuits.) Knead lightly about 10 minutes.


Roll 1/2-inch thick. Cut with floured 2-inch biscuit cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.


Melt butter in microwave. Add spices. Using a pastry brush, brush butter mixture over each biscuit. Bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Brush with remaining butter mixture and serve hot.

(Sorry, I guess I didn't get a photo of brushing the biscuits with the butter mixture. But I am confident you can do that on your own anyway.)