Shhh... It's a secret!

I mentioned last week that I would write about secret recipes today, so here’s the deal.  I’m not 100% against secret recipes when your business depends upon the recipe (or formula) for something being kept a secret, so I hold no ill will towards the manufacturers of Coke or the pretzel rollers at Auntie Anne’s. 

What I’m not a fan of are personal/family recipes that are held a little too close to the chests of some home cooks.  I don’t understand this phenomenon.  Perhaps I am a bit more communal than most when it comes to recipes or food in general.  I was raised in a house where if food didn’t have your name on it (literally), it was fair game for anyone who found it.  On my dad’s side of the family, recipes were passed along to anyone willing to cook them with the hope that it meant the good food would be made that much more often. 

My mom’s side was a different story.  My mom didn’t cook from scratch that often, but one of her best dishes was pot roast.  She used to make it on Friday nights when I was driving home from college or visiting from St. Louis.  I loved catching up with her in person over that meal after being away.  When I asked her for the recipe, she said, “Oh, my roast isn’t that good.  I’ll get you Cindy’s recipe instead.”  Her friend Cindy does make a mean roast as well, but that was not what I was looking for.  She really didn’t think her recipe was worth passing on.  Before I had time to convince her that her recipe was really the one I wanted, she grew ill and passed away.  Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time attempting to create a pot roast that tastes as good as hers.  I’ve come close, but my roast will never be exactly right, and whenever I make it, I feel more connected to and more distant from her at the same time.

I was recently asked to contribute to a church cookbook and was happy to hand over my very favorite recipes.  Obviously, I included the apple pie recipe I mentioned last week.  These were the other recipes I submitted:

Ham and Cheese Puff-Pastry Quiche (makes about 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from one 17.3-ounce package), thawed

1/2 cup diced ham

1 cup coarsely grated cheese

1 large egg

1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup sour cream

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Unfold 1 pastry sheet into an 8x8 pan. Top with ham and cheese leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Whisk eggs, rosemary, pepper, salt, and nutmeg in bowl. Whisk in sour cream. Spoon egg mixture over toppings on pastry. Bake until pastry is puffed and golden and toppings are set, about 25 minutes.

Stuffed Mushrooms (This recipe was one I was able to get from my mom.  We ate them on every holiday.  They are so good!)

Ingredients:

1 pint button mushrooms, cleaned and destemmed

1 8 oz block cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:

Combine last three ingredients.  Fill each mushroom with mixture.  Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees on a cookie sheet until golden brown.

Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:

For casserole:

2 lb frozen shredded hash browns

2 Tbsp minced onion

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 oz sour cream

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 stick butter, softened

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

For topping:

1 1/2 c. crushed cornflakes

2 Tbsp butter, melted

Preparation:

Mix first 8 ingredients together and place in a 9 x 13 pan.  Spread cornflakes over mixture.  Pour melted butter on top.  Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Grandma Bonnie's Green Beans

Ingredients:

1 can or jar green beans with juice

1 tsp butter or grease

dry onions to taste

soy sauce to taste

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan.  Add water if necessary.  Simmer 30 minutes.

I’m sure that I could keep these recipes a secret and add something to their allure in the eyes of some, but honestly, I just want to share them while I still can.  Hopefully someone else will be able to create their own special memories around some of these dishes.  If you have any secret recipes, feel free to post them and get them off your chest!  Or if you are keeping a secret recipe, tell us why you want to keep it a secret.  I’d love to know!