Appetizer, Lunch & Side Dish Recipes

This recipe comes from an elegant 91 year old lady who hosted a magnificent family Thanksgiving dinner in St. Louis for over 50 years.  You’ll see the southern influence in the ingredients!  She, in fact, referred to them as drunken sweet potatoes.  This recipe serves 6 to 8.  Double all ingredients to serve 12 to 16, and bake 1 hour.

Ingredients:

• 3 – 4 pounds sweet potatoes, boiled in skins and drained
• 1/2  cup butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Syrup Filling Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 ounces bourbon
• Half bag of marshmallows

Recipe Directions:

1. Peel and mash the sweet potatoes, add butter, milk and blend.
2. Spread in a buttered 2 quart casserole.
3. Scoop out a one inch hollow in the center leaving a 1-inch rim around the edge.

Syrup Filling Directions:

1. In the top of a double boiler stir and cook syrup ingredients until it thickens.
2. Pour syrup into the center of the sweet potatoes to form a lake.
3. Place marshmallows all around the outer rim.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Or, prepare this recipe a day ahead, cover and refrigerate. Bake when ready 55 minutes.

This recipe is an Italian preparation, but we thank the Native Americans at the first Thanksgiving for making corn such a major ingredient in American cooking.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups whole milk
• 12 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese
• 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 package Frontier Soups’ Roasted Corn Polenta Mix

Recipe Directions:

Follow directions on package for a 9 x 13 inch pan of white corn meal polenta.  Serves 10 to 12.

Prepare this recipe a day ahead, cover and refrigerate.  Bake when ready 45 minutes at 350.  There won’t be any leftovers, it’s that good!

For an appetizer course hostesses often serve this pumpkin soup in small bowls or demitasse cups for a fancy presentation during cocktails.  (Makes 12 6-oz. servings.)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 28-ounce can pumpkin (not pie filling)
• 2 cups heavy/whipping cream
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 Package Frontier Soups’ Autumn Pumpkin Soup Spice Mix

Recipe Directions:

1. In a 3 or 4-quart pot bring broth, pumpkin, brown sugar, and half contents of Pumpkin Spice Mix packet to a simmer, stirring to blend.
2. Reduce heat and simmer on low 30 minutes.
3. Add cream slowly and continue heating on low for 15 minutes.
4. Ladle into small bowls and serve a beautiful appetizer soup.

May prepare this several days ahead and reheat to serve.  A sprinkle of sunflower seeds on top is a fun garnish!

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons corn meal
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• Kernels from 12 ears of corn
• 1/2 vidalia or other sweet onion
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 12 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 Package Frontier Soups Green Onion Dip Mix (or 1 tablespoon snipped chives and 1 teaspoon thyme)

Recipe Directions:

1. Butter the inside of a 9 x 13 inch Pyrex pan or other casserole and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of corn meal.
2. In a food processor combine 2 cups of the corn kernels, onion, Tabasco and salt and pepper. Process until creamy.
3. In a large bowl beat eggs, stir in the cream and the pureed corn mixture, all remaining kernels, grated cheese, corn meal and green onion seasonings.
4. Pour into the prepared casserole.
5. Can be refrigerated overnight, brought to room temperature and baked, or baked immediately in a 350 degree oven for one hour. (If using a deeper casserole, may need 10 more minutes until firm.)
6. Allow pudding to sit for five minutes then slice into squares and serve.

A variation on traditional potato gratin

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound baby new potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 medium celery root, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup Frontier Soup’s Idaho Outpost Potato Leek soup mix OR 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely snipped

Recipe Directions:

1. Place first four ingredients into an 8 x 8 inch baking dish.
2. Sprinkle in soup mix or fresh dill and stir well
3. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes

A fine option for what to do with all that zucchini in your own garden!

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 2-3 medium zucchini, cut up bite size
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil finely snipped
• 1/2 packet of Frontier Soups’ Pesto Tomato dip mix OR 2 tablespoons of basil, finely snipped
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 ounces fresh pea pods, sugar snap peas or 1 cup frozen peas

Recipe Directions:

1. In medium sauce pan saute onion and zucchini in oil.
2. Sprinkle in seasonings from dip mix.
3. Add lemon juice, cover pot and cook on low heat for 15 minutes.
4. Add peas or peapods for 1 minute uncovered and serve.

This recipe adapts one of Martha Stewart’s inventions.  Martha sliced small potatoes in half for a one bite appetizer, then topped with sour cream and caviar. Try this summer variation.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound baby new red potatoes
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill finely snipped
• 1/2 packet Frontier Soups’ Lemony Dill dip mix OR 2 tablespoons of fresh dill, finely snipped
• 8 ounces radish, sliced in rounds
• Colored sea salt

Recipe Directions:

1. Boil whole potatoes for 15 minutes, drain and cool.
2. Blend sour cream with dill mix and let stand 15 minutes.
3. Slice each potato in half and place on plate cut side up. (May need to slice bottom also to allow potatoes to sit firmly.)
4. Add a teaspoon of sour cream, top with radish, add a bit more sour cream and sprinkle salt on top.
5. May refrigerate ahead of time and serve cold.

With spring and warmer weather we like to eat lighter and spend less time in the kitchen.  Starting a slow cooker with soup in the morning is one time saver for a nutritious dinner.  Another great convenience meal is sandwiches.  We’ve been making paninis, hot grilled sandwiches, in the Frontier Soups kitchen for the past week.  Here’s some of our best ideas and tips for successful fixin’s!

The BREAD matters. A 1/4 inch slice of good Italian or whole grains bread works best. We tried skinny bread and it’s tasty, but it gets soggy and falls apart. Open two slices of good quality bread and layer on the ingredients.

The INSIDES offer a great blend of flavors. Here’s our formula for sandwich success:

1. Something solid like chicken, turkey, grilled mushrooms or tomatoes.
2. Cheese, choose from so many; it melts and holds the sandwich together.
3. A sandwich spread from mayonnaise to chutney. See our dip mix/sandwich spread suggestions below from our Party Starter Dip collection.
4. A bit of greenery, like arugula, is always good.

The OUTSIDE makes the crust. Lightly spread softened unsalted butter on both top and bottom outsides. Olive oil works too, but the butter browns better.

The GRILL or GRIDDLE makes it easy. We used a Breville Panini Maker that holds 4 sandwiches and you don’t have to flip them. They’re done in about 3 minutes, so attractive with the grill marks on them. Or, you can place sandwiches on a flat griddle or frying pan, flip them, cooking about 3 minutes a side.

We started with classics like the Reuben and Tuna melt and had fun getting creative. Try any of the following combinations and let us know your favorites.

• Reuben: corned beef, gruyere cheese, cranberry mustard, and sauerkraut or arugula.
• Tuna Melt: tuna salad made with Pesto Tomato spread, fontina cheese, arugula, and Pesto Tomato spread.
• Chipotle Chicken:  sliced cooked chicken breast, Monterey jack cheese, avocado, and Chipotle bread spread.
• Vegetarian: baked sliced eggplant, tomatoes, brie cheese, and Green Onion bread spread. Or, sliced grilled Portobello mushrooms, hummus, cheddar cheese and Lemony Dill bread spread.
• BLT: bacon, lettuce, tomato and Swiss or cheddar cheese, with any of above spreads.
• Turkey or Chicken: with cucumbers, Gruyere or Jarlsberg cheese, and Lemony Dill bread spread.
• Summer Chicken: chicken breast with pesto (homemade or buy a jar), fontina cheese and arugula.

Panini

Serves 6. Use an 8 x 8 inch pyrex pan for this dish, or double all ingredients in the recipe and bake in a 9 x 13 pan to serve 10 to 12.

Ingredients:

• 4 to 5 thick slices buttered bread, stacked, sliced into cubes (about 4 cups)
• 12 ounces grated medium or sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 eggs, beaten slightly
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, or Frontier Soups Chipotle Dip Mix

Cheesey Strata Recipe Directions:

1. Spread bread squares in pan.
2. Top with shredded cheese.
3. In a medium bowl mix remaining ingredients together.  Pour over the cheese and bread.
4. Cover and let stand several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
5. Bake at 350 degrees 50 minutes for the smaller pan and one hour for the larger.  Serve immediately.

Use Little Jones sausages for this recipe, either precooked or fresh, follow directions on package.  12 sausages per package.  Determine quantity needed.

Ingredients:

• 1, 2, or 3 packages Little Jones sausages
• 3-6 good apples, sliced and cored
• 1-2 cups brown sugar

Sausage and Apples Recipe Directions:

1. Brown sausages in large skillet.
2. Add in apples browning and turning.
3. Add brown sugar, continue stirring about 10 minutes.
4. The brown sugar will turn into a golden syrup.
5. Cover and keep on low for about 25 minutes, or place in baking dish covered in oven until ready to serve.  Serve alongside an egg dish.

This can be made ahead and reheated to serve.