Fair Food

Where can you eat nachos, caramel apples, cotton candy, grilled corn-on-the-cob, funnel cakes, corn dogs and something deep fried on a stick and wash it all down with freshly squeezed lemonade?  The fair!  For many people, this yearly event is more about the food being sold than which items won ribbons in various competitions.  If there's not a fair being held nearby, you can fix corn dogs at home, but without the stick.

Corn Dog Casserole is a tasty alternative to traditional corn dogs.  Hot dogs are combined with a batter made from eggs, milk, pepper and corn muffin mix.  Instead of being fried, these corn dogs are baked in the oven.

For the 15 years I've been making this casserole, I've always baked it in a 3-quart baking dish.  Not too long ago, my 14 year old son asked me why I didn't use a muffin pan instead.  I'd never thought about using one before so I decided to perform the experiment.  Not only does a muffin pan work great, it makes the perfect size after school snack.

The casserole is easy to assemble, but requires some prep work on the front end.

Halve each hot dog lengthwise.

Halve each hot dog again for a total of four pieces.

Cut the pieces into thirds (you'll have a total of 12 pieces per hot dog).

Saute the hot dogs with some margarine in a skillet.  This lightly browns the hot dogs but, more importantly, intensifies the flavor.  Food doesn't brown good when it's overcrowded so I saute the hot dogs in two batches, adding additional margarine if necessary.

  Sauteing half the hot dogs

Combine the hot dogs with the batter ingredients.

Bake in a greased 3-quart baking dish

or 24 greased muffin cups.

The baking time is 15 to 30 minutes, depending on which pan you use. Unlike the casserole which is ready to serve when it comes out of the oven, the muffin pan needs to cool 10 minutes before the contents are removed. If you try to remove them earlier, they'll crumble.  After 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge of each muffin and lift each one out of the pan.

Add some catsup and mustard and you've got a fair favorite that can be made at home year round.

Corn Dog Casserole

8 Servings

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine (plus more if needed)

2 (16 oz.) pkg. hot dogs

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 (8 1/2 oz.) pkg. corn muffin mix

Quarter each hot dog lengthwise; cut into thirds (there will be 12 pieces per hot dog).  Working in batches, saute the hot dogs in butter or margarine for 5 minutes.  In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk and pepper; stir in the hot dogs.  Add the corn muffin mixes and stir to combine the ingredients. Spread the mixture in a greased 3-quart baking dish.  Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

To bake in muffin cups, divide batter among 24 greased muffin cups.  Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge of each muffin before removing from the pan.

© Margaret's Morsels

Just Like Mom Used to Make

When my husband, son and I go out of town, we like to eat at restaurants that can only be found in the area we're visiting.  This gives us a chance to sample local specialties plus, unlike chain restaurants, these establishments tend to offer a large variety of vegetables.

Last summer on a road trip to Chicago, we stopped at a family owned restaurant in Missouri.  There was an extensive vegetable selection so I ordered a vegetable plate with two of my favorites -- cooked cabbage and lima beans -- plus something I hardly ever see on a restaurant menu: pickled beets.

The last time I'd seen and ordered pickled beets in a restaurant, I didn't care for what I received.  I expected the beets to be cold, but they were served warm with bits of chopped onion.  To ensure I didn't have a similar experience, I asked our server if the beets were served hot or cold.  When she said cold, I decided to order them as my third vegetable.

When our food arrived, I took one bite of beets and it was as though I was sitting around the oval dining room table in my childhood home.  The beets looked and tasted just like what my mom used to serve with beans, corn and cornbread.  As we left the restaurant, I told my husband I was going to find a recipe for pickled beets so I could make them at home.  Fortunately, the search was quick and easy.

Over the years, I've collected enough recipes to fill almost four recipe boxes.  These untried recipes are ones that sound good, but I haven't actually gotten around to trying yet.  

Filed under "Beets" was a pickled beets recipe I'd found years earlier.  The recipe only uses three ingredients and, since it starts with a can of sliced beets, you don't have to cook or peel the beets.

Drain a can of sliced beets, reserving 1/4 cup liquid.

Put equal parts sugar and apple cider vinegar in a small saucepan.

Heat over low heat until the sugar dissolves.

Put the beets and reserved liquid in a glass bowl.  Beets are notorious for staining so you might not want to use a plastic bowl.

Add the vinegar mixture and gently stir to combine the ingredients.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate.  The beets need to be refrigerated at least 4 hours before serving, but I think they're better served the next day after the flavors have blended.

My husband and son don't share my enthusiasm for pickled beets, but that's ok.  I don't mind eating the leftovers, especially since they taste just like mom used to make!

Pickled Beets

4 Servings

1 (15 oz.) can sliced beets

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Drain beets, reserving 1/4 cup liquid.  Put sugar and vinegar in a saucepan; heat on low until sugar dissolves.  Place reserved beet liquid and beets in a glass bowl.  Pour the vinegar mixture over the beets; stir gently to combine. Cover bowl and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

© Margaret's Morsels

Beat the Heat Dessert

I remember the first -- and only time -- I ever made banana pudding.  It was the early 1990's and my husband and I were newlyweds.  We'd invited some friends over to eat supper and, since it was a hot summer day, I decided to make banana pudding for dessert.  I never liked my mother's recipe which called for the custard to be cooked, so I tried a recipe that started with a package of instant vanilla pudding.  Afterwards, my husband and I realized neither one of us really cared for banana pudding, either the old fashioned kind or the no cook version.

Several years later, a friend gave me the recipe for Banana Cream Supreme.  In some ways, it reminds me of banana pudding, especially the versions made with pudding mix and Cool Whip.  It's also layered like banana pudding, but there's no soggy vanilla wafers!  It's not, like my son used to call it, cheesecake because there's no cream cheese in the recipe.

The dessert is made in a spring-form pan.  If you don't have one, substitute a similar size serving dish.  Depending on what you use, you might not be able to slice the dessert into pieces, but it tastes just as good scooped into bowls.

If you use a spring-form pan, don't use nonfat or low-fat ingredients because the dessert won't be firm enough to cut.  This is also true if you substitute sugar-free pudding because it doesn't have the same consistency and won't set up like regular pudding.  

The recipe starts with a crust made from graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar.  To keep from dirtying another bowl, I mix this up in the spring-form pan and then press it in the bottom of the pan.

The rest of the recipe is pretty straightforward.  Whisk sour cream and milk until blended.  

Add instant vanilla pudding mix and whisk until the pudding is dissolved.

Gently fold in Cool Whip.  

Spread half the mixture over the graham cracker crust.

Slice bananas and dip the pieces in lemon juice.  This keeps the bananas from turning brown.  Arrange the bananas on top of the mixture in the spring-form pan.

Add the remaining mixture covering the bananas completely.

Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate overnight or until firm.


When you're ready to serve dessert, remove the collar from the spring-form pan and slice the dessert into wedges.

For a fancier presentation, sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top of each serving.

Whether you call it pudding or pie, this is a refreshing summertime dessert. It's also good served in the winter, spring and fall!

Banana Cream Supreme

8 Servings

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream

1/2 cup cold milk

1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding and pie filling

1 (8 oz.) carton Cool Whip, thawed

3 medium bananas, sliced

lemon juice
additional graham cracker crumbs (optional)

Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar in a spring-form pan; press mixture in the bottom of the pan.  In a large bowl, whisk sour cream and milk until blended.  Add pudding mix; whisk until pudding is dissolved. Gently fold Cool Whip into the mixture.  Spread half of mixture over the crust.  Dip banana slices in lemon juice.  Arrange bananas over mixture in the spring-form pan.  Spread remaining mixture over bananas.  Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate overnight or until firm.  To serve, remove collar from spring-form pan; cut into wedges.  For a fancier presentation, sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top of each serving, if desired.  Refrigerate leftovers.

© Margaret's Morsels

Obviously Orange

According to a recent news report, July, 2012, was the hottest month in the lower 48 states since the government started keeping temperature records 117 years ago.  A good way to beat the heat is to serve something cold for supper.  One of my favorite warm weather pairings is homemade chicken salad and a refreshingly cold congealed salad.  Most of the time, I make my husband's favorite, cherry gelatin fruit salad, but sometimes I switch things up and serve an orange salad instead.

The recipe I'm sharing, Fruity Orange Gelatin, offers a triple burst of orange flavor.  Not only does the recipe call for orange gelatin, but also mandarin oranges and, what makes the recipe so refreshing, orange sherbet.  If you can find it, you can use sugar-free sherbet instead of the regular kind.

Remove the sherbet from the freezer and let it stand at room temperature a few minutes to soften.  When it's soft, measure two cups and put the rest back in the freezer.  To get an accurate measurement, use measuring cups designed for dry ingredients.

Bring the water to a boil and remove from the heat.  Add the gelatin and stir until it's dissolved.

Add the sherbet.

Stir until melted.

Add mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple.  Although fresh pineapple is delicious, don't use it in a congealed salad.  It contains an enzyme that prevents the gelatin from congealing.  Stir to combine the ingredients.

Pour the mixture into a 2-quart serving bowl or decorative mold.  Make sure to thoroughly spray the mold -- including crevices -- with nonstick cooking spray before adding the mixture.  If you spray a square or rectangular dish with cooking spray, the salad can be cut into squares and served on lettuce leaves for a pretty presentation.

The cherry gelatin fruit salad can be confused with strawberry, cranberry and raspberry.  You won't have that problem with this salad, though, because people will know it's obviously orange!

Fruity Orange Gelatin

10 to 12 Servings

1 (6 oz.) pkg. sugar-free orange gelatin

2 cups boiling water

2 cups orange sherbet

1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple (undrained)

Bring water to a boil; remove from heat.  Add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Stir in sherbet until melted.  Stir in oranges and pineapple. Pour into a 2-quart serving bowl or decorative mold.  Chill until firm.

© Margaret's Morsels

Say Cheese!

When I make cheese toast, I cover a slice of unbuttered wheat bread with cheese -- either American or Cheddar -- and toast it in the oven until the cheese melts.  Sometimes, though, I want to serve cheese toast that's not so plain.  When I do, I use a recipe I found in the newspaper almost 20 years ago.  The recipe only uses four ingredients, but it elevates cheese toast from ordinary to extraordinary.

To keep from making a mess on the cookie sheet when the toast bakes, I assemble the pieces on a cutting board or piece of wax paper.  It's much easier to transfer the pieces than it is to scrub melted cheese off the cookie sheet!

Rather than wheat bread, this cheese toast uses hoagie rolls.  When I can't find these in the store, I substitute white deli rolls which are softer than hoagie rolls.  Whichever you use, start by slicing the rolls in half lengthwise.

The recipe calls for the rolls to be buttered.  If you want to save calories or make it a little healthier, do what I do and substitute margarine.  Once the butter or margarine has been added, slice the rolls in half -- diagonally or horizontally -- or leave them whole.

Next comes the secret ingredient:  Parmesan cheese.  It gives the toast a pleasantly sharp taste.  I don't have many recipes that call for Parmesan cheese so, rather than buy it fresh and not use it, I use canned Parmesan. However, freshly grated Parmesan cheese would make the toast even better!  Cover each roll with a layer of Parmesan.

Generously sprinkle finely shredded Colby Monterey Jack cheese over each roll.  CoJack, as it's sometimes known, has a smooth mellow flavor that doesn't overpower the Parmesan.  It melts easily and the combination of yellow and white cheese gives the toast a marbled effect. 

Transfer the rolls to a cookie sheet and bake or broil until the cheese is melted.

This cheese toast is delicious with entrees such as Chicken Tender Salad, vegetable soup and pasta, but it's also good for breakfast.

Notice the marbled effect

The next time someone asks what kind of toast you want, say cheese!

Cheese Toast

hoagie rolls, sliced lengthwise

butter or margarine, softened

grated Parmesan cheese (to taste)

finely shredded Colby Monterey Jack cheese (to taste)

Lightly spread butter on the cut sides of the rolls.  Cut the rolls diagonally or horizontally, if desired.  Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the butter. Top with Colby Monterey Jack cheese.  Bake or broil until the cheese is melted.

© Margaret's Morsels

Better than Store Bought

Earlier this week, I shared my version of the restaurant entree, Chicken Tender Salad.  When I serve this to a group, I put a variety of salad dressings on the table.  When I serve it to my family, I only put one dressing on the table.  Not just any dressing, but a made from scratch honey mustard dressing.

Honey mustard dressing, as the name implies, is made from honey and mustard plus additional ingredients.  Some recipes use Dijon mustard which contains white wine while others use prepared mustard.  Some recipes use sour cream to make the dressing creamy while others use mayonnaise.

In addition to honey and mustard, the recipe I'm sharing also uses vegetable oil, mayonnaise, cider vinegar, onion salt and cayenne pepper.

The last two ingredients -- onion salt and cayenne pepper -- call for a dash and pinch respectively.  When a recipe calls for a dash and the spice jar has a lid with holes, I gently tap the jar two times for a dash.  I only tap the jar one time for a pinch.  If you're afraid too much will come out, tap the jar over a bowl or a piece of wax paper and add the desired amount to the mixture.

A pinch of cayenne pepper

If your jar doesn't have holes in the lid, a good rule of thumb is a pinch is approximately 1/16 teaspoon; a dash, 1/8 teaspoon.

Thoroughly combine the ingredients and store in a covered container in the refrigerator.  The dressing is best made one day ahead so the flavors have time to blend.

The dressing is delicious on salads, but it's also good with chicken nuggets, fries and club sandwiches.  My son likes to spread it on a turkey sandwich and my husband uses it as a dip for carrots.  No matter how you choose to use it, it's better than store bought.

Honey Mustard Dressing

2 1/2 Cups

6 Tbsp. honey

6 Tbsp. prepared mustard

6 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I use canola)

1 1/3 cups mayonnaise

1 tsp. cider vinegar

dash of onion salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix ingredients thoroughly.  Cover and store in the refrigerator.

© Margaret's Morsels

Ladies Luncheon

Chicken Tender Salad with homemade

Honey Mustard Dressing

Several years ago, I invited some friends to eat lunch at my house before we went to a bridal shower.  Because time was limited, I wanted to prepare something that would be ready when everyone arrived.  I decided to make one of my favorite restaurant entrees, Chicken Tender Salad.  I modeled my version after the restaurant salad, but you can pick and choose the ingredients to suit your taste.

Start by choosing the salad greens.  Using more than one variety allows for a contrast of taste and color.  I like to use a combination of romaine and radicchio.

The romaine has a sweet taste and adds crunch to the salad.  The red radicchio makes a pretty contrast with the green romaine while adding a slightly bitter taste.

I use:

chopped hard-boiled eggs

cooked crumbled bacon 

diced tomatoes 

cooked cubed chicken tenders

and finely shredded cheese.

Normally, I'm a fan of Cheddar cheese, but I prefer Colby Monterey Jack in this salad for two reasons.  One, it has a milder flavor.  Two, the yellow and white combination creates a nice marbled effect.

Since most of the ingredients are soft, it's nice to include something crunchy for the top.  Two good choices are croutons or shoestring potato sticks.

To save time,  I put all the salad ingredients in separate bowls and let everyone fix their own plate.  That way, each person could select as much or as little of each topping as they wanted.

Add some bread and a variety of salad dressings and you've got a luncheon that ladies -- and men -- would enjoy.

© Margaret's Morsels