Traverse City Record-Eagle

Lovina Eicher: The Amish Cook

Related Photos

  • The Amish Cook

    CSS973D.jpg
November 17, 2011

Amish Cook: Favorites for Thanksgiving

The Amish Cook ----

Lovina Eicher's column will return next week in its regular format. Here are few of her favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

Turkey Casserole

2 c. cooked turkey

½ c. celery, diced

½ c. diced green peppers

½ c. diced onions

½ c. mayonnaise

½ t. salt

¼ t. pepper

6 slices of bread

1½ c. milk

3 eggs

1 can cream of mushroom soup

¼ c. grated cheese

In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey, celery, peppers, onions, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Cube bread and put half in greased 2-quart casserole dish. Add turkey mixture and add remaining bread cubes. Mix milk, eggs and mushroom soup. Let stand in refrigerator overnight. Put cheese on top and bake at 350° for one hour.

Amish Potato Bread Stuffing

5 medium potatoes, cooked in their skins

1 c. whole milk

4 average slices whole-grain bread

1 T. vegetable oil

1 c. chopped onion

1 c. chopped celery

1 c. finely-chopped fresh parsley

2 t. seasoning salt

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°. Once the cooked potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and place them in a large mixing bowl. Coarsely mash the potatoes with ½ cup of the milk.

Cut the bread into ½-inch dice. Place them in a small mixing bowl and pour the remaining milk over them. Soak for several minutes.

In the meantime, heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add the onion and celery and sauté over low heat until the onion is lightly browned and the celery is tender.

Combine the onion and celery mixture with the mashed potatoes in the large mixing bowl. Stir in the soaked bread, parsley and seasoning mix. Season to taste with salt and lots of pepper. Pour the mixture into a well-oiled, 2-quart baking dish. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is a crusty golden brown.

Makes 6 servings.

Pumpkin Pie Squares

½ c. butter, softened

½ c. brown sugar

1 c. all-purpose flour

½ c. rolled oats

2 eggs

¾ c. white sugar

1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin

1 (12-ozs.) can evaporated milk

½ t. salt

1 t. ground cinnamon

½ t. ground ginger

¼ t. ground cloves

¼ t. ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350°.

For the crust:

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar then mix in flour. Now add the oats to make an oatmeal crumble crust to press inside a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.

For the filling:

While the crust is baking, make the pie filling to add to the crust. In a large bowl, beat eggs and mix in white sugar. Beat in pumpkin and evaporated milk. Mix in salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.

Pour filling over baked crust. Return to the oven and bake in heated oven 20 minutes, until set. Let cool before cutting into squares.

Lovina Eicher is Old Order Amish. She hand-writes this column from her home in southern Michigan. Anyone with cultural or cooking questions can send them to: Lovina Eicher, The Amish Cook, P.O. Box 2144, Middletown, OH 45042.

Text Only