Cook's country best lost suppers : old-fashioned, home-cooked recipes too good to forget

Remember when a full-flavored, from-scratch dinner would bring everyone to the table? Whether the family gathered around a classic, rosy-pink roast beef with gravy, an old-fashioned tamale pie steamed in a Dutch oven, or a creative noodle casserole called Preachers Delight with ground beef, tomatoes, and cream cheese, nothing could beat the flavor or comfort that came from a homemade meal. Building on the popularity of the cookbook America's Best Lost Recipes, Cook's Country magazine once again asked home cooks to submit their favorite dinnertime recipes and the stories behind them. And once again our readers raided the recipe boxes from their mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers to offer us their favorite family heirloom recipes (more than 1,000!).
The result is this one-of-a-kind collection of recipes that celebrate classic American family dinners, from potluck casseroles to slow-cooked, guest-worthy Sunday suppers, to easy (and sometimes quirky) family favorites. We selected 100 of our favorites and then put them through the test kitchen's rigorous testing, tweaking and retesting process to make sure they work for you- every time you make them. We also give you the interesting personal stories behind each recipe, so you can really "taste" history.
Old-fashioned recipes that really work - and that you'll really want to make. All too often collections like this might be fun to read but cooking with them is risky: recipes are poorly written, call for outdated ingredients -- or in general just don't work or are not all that appealing to begin with. All of the recipes featured in Cook's Country Best Lost Suppers have been streamlined and updated for today's cooking, like using supermarket broth and chicken pieces rather than stewing a whole chicken to make homemade bouillon.
Featured recipes include comfort food classics like Pan-Fried Chicken with Milk Gravy, Yankee Pot Roast, Creamy Chicken and Waffles, one-of-a-kind recipes your family will love, like Meat-za Pie, International Dateline Chicken, Southern Braised Pork Chops 'n' Gravy, regionalfavorites like Pennsylvania Dutch Slippery Chicken Bott Boi (a pot pie stew with handmade noodles), Crispy Iowa Skinnies, Cheese Frenchees (a deep-fried, crunchy-coated grilled cheese) and old world classics like Sicilian Meatloaf and Savory Strudel with Beef, Potatoes, and Onions. And make sure to save room for desserts like Vanilla Wafer Cake, Maine Blueberry Grunt, Rice Pudding, and Jefferson Davis Pie.
Cook's Country Best Lost Suppers is bound in a kitchen-friendly lay-flat spiral binding and loaded with color photos, illustrations, and step-by-step photos. It is a collection so appealing that it's sure to encourage families to enjoy the simple pleasures of American cooking and family dinnertime.
RECIPES THAT ALSO TELL A STORY
• Preacher's Delight is a layered egg noodle casserole with a hearty tomato meat sauce and rich cream cheese sauce. And what about that name? The title likely came out of 19th-century community events held to raise a minister's salary. In some congregations, the women would prepare their best dishes for a gathering held in a member's home, where they hoped good food would lead to good spirits, and in turn a little cash generosity.
• Papa's Lasagna was submitted by a daughter whose dad spent three years in concentration camps, and vowed if he ever got out alive he would never go hungry again. This recipe is a direct result of that promise. This is no ordinary lasagna. With loads of cheese, meat, and sauce, as well as bell pepper and mushrooms, it's beyond hearty-think of it as a super-sized or ultimate lasagna.
• Funeral Potatoes with Ham is a gloomy name, but once you taste it, you'll realize just how comforting a scoop of this starchy, creamy casserole is (and why the name is a perfect fit). When a bereaved family was in need of comfort, this dish certainly fit the bill.
Building on the popularity of the cookbook America's Best Lost Recipes, Cook's Country magazine once again asked home cooks to submit their favorite dinnertime recipes and the stories behind them. And once again our readers raided the recipe boxes from their mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers to offer us their favorite family heirloom recipes (more than 1,000!). The result is this one-of-a-kind collection of recipes that celebrate classic American family dinners, from potluck casseroles to slow-cooked, guest-worthy Sunday suppers, to easy (and sometimes quirky) family favorites. We selected 100 of our favorites and then put them through the test kitchen's rigorous testing, tweaking and retesting process to make sure they work for you - every time you make them. We also give you the interesting personal stories behind each recipe, so you can really taste history. Old-fashioned recipes that really work - and that you'll really want to make. All too often collections like this might be fun to read but cooking with them is risky: recipes are poorly written, call for outdated ingredients -- or in general just don't work or are not all that appealing to begin with. All of the recipes featured in Cook's Country Best Lost Suppers have been streamlined and updated for today's cooking, like using supermarket broth and chicken pieces rather than stewing a whole chicken to make homemade bouillon. Featured recipes include comfort food classics like Pan-Fried Chicken with Milk Gravy, Yankee Pot Roast, Creamy Chicken and Waffles, one-of-a-kind recipes your family will love, like Meat-za Pie, International Dateline Chicken, Southern Braised Pork Chops 'n' Gravy, regional favorites like Pennsylvania Dutch Slippery Chicken Bott Boi (a pot pie stew with handmade noodles), Crispy Iowa Skinnies, Cheese Frenchees (a deep-fried, crunchy-coated grilled cheese) and old world classics like Sicilian Meatloaf and Savory Strudel with Beef, Potatoes, and Onions. And make sure to save room for desserts like Vanilla Wafer Cake, Maine Blueberry Grunt, Rice Pudding, and Jefferson Davis Pie. Cook's Country Best Lost Suppers is bound in a kitchen-friendly lay-flat spiral binding and loaded with color photos, illustrations, and step-by-step photos. It is a collection so appealing that it's sure to encourage families to enjoy the simple pleasures of American cooking and family dinnertime Whether it was a one-of-a-kind, soul-warming meal your grandmother used to make especially for you or a slice of deliciously spiced bread you tasted somewhere halfway around the globe, food has always been so much more than the food itself--it's a memory. What we ate, and when and where we ate it, becomes interwoven with who we are and where we come from: our family, our heritage, our friends. In an effort to preserve these heirloom recipes, Cook's Country Magazine asked its readers to submit their favorite recipes and the stories behind them. Family favorites for cookies and pies, casseroles and and special-occasion suppers, old-fashioned breads, and even preserves and pickles, all came pouring in. From the over one thousand submissions, our team tested and perfected the best to present here, in From Our Grandmothers' Kitchens