Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread

This is incredible! I make it with my sister's Family Favorite Chili recipe posted under "crockpot" and "ground beef" labels.


Ingredients:
~ 1/2 cup butter
~ 2/3 cup white sugar
~ 2 eggs
~ 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 T vinegar and 1 cup milk set at room temp. for 5 min.)
~ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
~ 1 cup cornmeal
~ 1 cup all-purpose flour
~ 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Quick 'n' Delicious Stuffed Bread Buns

This is a surprisingly quick recipe because the dough only needs to rise for about 30 minutes. It was a hit with Shawn and the munchkins. It would make an excellent breakfast as well as a delicious dinner.

Ingredients:
Quick 'n' Easy One Bowl Dough:
~ 3 cups white flour
~ 3 teaspoons (or 1 packet) active-dry yeast
~ 1/3 cup sugar (can be reduced to 1/4 cup if desired but bread will be slightly bland)
~ 1 1/2 - 2 c. warm (not hot) water
~ pinch of salt
~ 1 Tablespoon oil

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 for 4 minutes and then turn off.
Place dry all ingredients in large bowl
Hand mix so yeast is mixed in well with other ingredients.
Create a well in the flour mixture by pushing flour up along the sides of the bowl
Add approx. 1 1/2 c. warm water and mix
As dough begin to form begin kneading. Add more water as needed, dough should be mostly dry and not sticky (add more flour if it's too wet)
Add oil and knead into dough
Place dough in a large, clean bowl and cover with a towel. Place on a towel in the oven with the door closed for at least 1/2 hour or until double in size.
Punch down dough
If you like a chewy but light dough, let rise again. This dough can rise and be punched as much as 4 times without ruining outcome. (Dough freezes well raw. Allow to thaw and rise @ room temp. before baking.)

When dough is removed from oven after rising, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle a little flour on your hands and take about 1/2 cup of dough. Roll out or use your hands to make a thin oval, as thin as you can without it tearing. Fill with:

Filling Ingredients:
~ Ground beef, cooked and seasoned (sausage for breakfast)
~ Cheddar Cheese (use a lot of cheese, this will add moistness)
~ Diced potato pieces, cooked in oil and seasoned

OR

~ Pizza Sauce
~ Cheese
~ Pepperoni, cooked sausage, etc.

I like them very, very full, as full as you can get them and still be able to seal. Otherwise, the bread is all you will taste. These may be shaped any way you like. Seal and bake on an oiled cookie sheet until golden brown. Brush lightly with butter and ENJOY! These can be dipped in ketchup or BBQ sauce.

Tip: These are not as good as leftovers as they are fresh, so whatever dough I have leftover, I refrigerate and make fresh the next day.

Tin Foil Dinners

Tin foil dinners are easy to make and clean up, not to mention delicious. Try one for your next camping adventure or throw one in the oven for an easy meal. Shawn asks for this particular recipe anytime there's a campfire.

Ingredients:
~ Raw Chicken Breasts, cubed
~ Potatoes (Idaho or red), peeled and diced (the smaller they are, the faster they cook!)
~ Packaged Italian Dressing Mix (optional)
~ Butter Cubes
~ Salt & Pepper
~ Celery, Carrots, Onions; diced (all optional; I leave my onions fairly large)
~ Aluminum Foil
~ Shredded Cheese (optional)

Directions:
Layer 2 18" long sheets of aluminum foil per dinner. Place about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of potato pieces in the center of the foil and cover with chicken and veggies (as much as you'd like). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and generously with Italian dressing seasoning packets. Mix well with your hands and then spread out lengthwise in the middle of the foil to about 4" x 12". Cover with pats of butter, about 3-4T per dinner, depending upon how large they are. Bring together long sides of foil over meal and fold 2-3 times, ensuring there will be no leaks when dinner is flipped on the fire. Push meal flat and then roll the ends in tightly. Cook over hot coals for about 30 min. or until done. Flip for final 10 min. or so. We love to open them up and smother with cheddar cheese and Famous Dave's Rich & Sassy BBQ sauce (found at the grocery store).

Our friends who gave us this recipe have never used chicken or Italian dressing mix. They always use hamburger meat and other pantry seasonings. You could give that a try too!

Tip: This is much easier to throw together if made ahead of time. The trick is to place the potato pieces in a container covered with water until you drain and use them or they will turn yucky and brown.

Recipe from: Jon & Jessica Croxford