October 2008

United Methodist Women's "Open Doors"

Sausage Loaf

1   long loaf French bread

2   eggs

1/2 c. milk

1   pound pork sausage, browned and drained

8   ounces sliced Monterey Jack cheese

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Split bread loaf lengthwise with an electric knife, so that you have a top and a bottom.  Pull bread out of top and bottom (hollow out the loaf).  Put bread pieces in a bowl. 

Beat eggs and milk together.  Brown and drain sausage.  Combine egg mixture, sausage, and bread pieces.  Spoon mixture evenly into bottom of bread.  Bake 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with cheese.  Place top portion of bread over cheese.  Bake 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and slice.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

4   chicken breasts, skinned and boned

2   T. hot pepper sauce

2   (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1   c. prepared ranch dressing

2   c.  grated Cheddar cheese

  Cook and cool chicken and cut into chunks.  Pour hot sauce over chicken and refrigerate for several hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together cream cheese, ranch dressing, Cheddar cheese, and chicken. 

  Pour into a shallow baking dish and bake 20 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. 

Mixture may also be cooked in a slow cooker on low about 4 hours.  Serve with sturdy chips, such as large corn chips or       tortilla chips.

Chocolate Chip Dip

1   (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature

1   c. confectioners’ sugar

1   t. vanilla extract

1   c. mini chocolate chips

Mix cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until smooth.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Refrigerate in a plastic container until ready to serve.  Serve with chocolate graham cracker sticks for dipping. Great dip for kids!

Broccoli-Cheese Cornbread

4   eggs

1   (8.5 ounce) box cornmeal mix

1/2         c. milk

1/2         c. butter, melted

2   c. shredded Cheddar cheese

1(10 ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed and patted dry

1 onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whip eggs well and stir in cornmeal mix, milk, butter, cheese, broccoli, and onion.  Pour into a 9x13-inch glass dish.  Bake 35 minutes or until light brown, and inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Cut into 2-inch squares.

Apple Pie

Pastry for double crust for 10-inch pie

1/4         c. all-purpose flour

3/4         c. sugar

1/2         t. cinnamon

6 c. peeled and sliced Granny Smith apples

1 T. butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place bottom pastry in pie plate.  Mix flour, sugar, and cinnamon.  Combine with apples and put in pie crust.  Dot with butter.  Moisten edges of bottom crust and add top crust.  Fold edge under bottom crust and crinkle.  Slit center of pie for steam to escape.  Bake 50 minutes.

Pumpkin Crisp

1   (15 ounce) can pumpkin

1   c. evaporated milk

1   c. sugar

1   t. vanilla extract

1/2         t. ground cinnamon

1   box yellow butter cake mix

1   c. chopped pecans

1   c. butter, melted

Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir together pumpkin, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Pour into a 9x13-inch casserole dish.  Sprinkle cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture.  Sprinkle pecans over cake mix.  Drizzle with melted butter. 

Bake 1 hour or until golden.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Serve warm with whipped cream.  Sprinkle with ground nutmeg.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

1/2 gallon premium vanilla ice cream, softened

1 T. ground cinnamon

3 T. sugar

Place ice cream in large bowl of mixer.  Add cinnamon and sugar and mix well at low speed.  Do not over mix.  Refreeze.

Recipes taken from the United Methodist Women’s new 276-page cookbook, “Open Doors”, full of history and wonderful recipes. Historical text by Nancy Van Valkenburgh, photos by Terry Lewis. Call (256) 539-5738 for ordering info - great gift idea!