Friday night has special, homemade meals for the staff. It’s a way to celebrate what God has done that week, and give the staff a home-cooked meal made by our year-round staff. Here are the recipes that can be made after leaving camp.
Entrée Recipes
- 4 tablespoons Salted Challenge Butter melted
- 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 package sweet Hawaiian rolls 12 rolls
- ½ pound thinly sliced cooked deli honey ham
- ½ pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese
Serves 12
Spray an 11-inch x 7-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, mustard, honey, dried parsley, onion powder and garlic powder.
Do not pull the rolls apart, simply use a large serrated knife to slice the rolls in half as you would slice a bagel, separating the tops from the bottoms. Place the layer of bottoms into the prepared baking pan, cut side up.
Layer half of the ham onto the rolls. Next, layer the Swiss cheese over the ham, and top with remaining ham slices. Place the layer of tops onto the sandwiches.
Brush all of the butter mixture evenly over the rolls. At this point you can cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours, or bake immediately.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. If your pan isn’t covered with foil, go ahead and cover it now.
Bake covered sliders in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Remove the foil from the baking pan, return the sliders to the oven and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.
My Baking Addiction – Ham and Cheese Sliders
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 cup salsa
- 3T taco seasoning
Serving 6
- Place the ground meat (raw) in the crock pot.
- Pour the salsa on top and sprinkle with the taco seasoning mix. (We use homemade taco seasoning.)
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until no longer pink. Use a spoon to break up the taco meat and serve.
Eating On a Dime – Easy Crockpot Taco Meat
- 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 bouillon cube
- 1/2 cup water
Serving 6
- Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add all other ingredients on top.
- Cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 8, medium for 6).
- Shred with forks or a potato masher.
- Serve in taco shells and top as desired.
The Savvy Mama – Crockpot Chicken Tacos
- 1t vegetable oil
- 4lb pork shoulder roast
- 1c barbeque sauce
- 1/2c apple cider vinegar
- 1/2c chicken broth
- 1/4c light brown sugar
- 1T yellow mustard
- 1T Worcestershire sauce
- 1T chili powder
- 1 extra large onion, chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
- 1.5t dried thyme
- 8 hamburger buns
- 2T butter, or as needed
Serves 8
Pour vegetable oil into the bottom of a slow cooker. Place pork roast into the slow cooker; pour in barbeque sauce, vinegar, and chicken broth. Stir in brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, onion, garlic, and thyme. Cover and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours or High for 5 to 6 hours until pork shreds easily with a fork.
Remove pork from the slow cooker, and shred the meat using two forks. Return shredded pork to the slow cooker, and stir to combine with juices.
Spread the inside of both halves of hamburger buns with butter. Toast buns, butter-side down, in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Spoon pulled pork into toasted buns.
AllRecipes – Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork
Side Recipes
- 2 pounds frozen hashbrowns
- 3 cups freshly grated cheddar divided
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 10 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 3 cups corn flakes, crushed
Serves 12
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking dish.
Mix together the hashrbowns, 1 1/2 cups cheddar, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, melted butter, onions, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Spread the mixture into a 9×13 baking dish and sprinkle the remaining cheddar over the top.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
Serve hot.
Buns In My Oven – Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
- 3 avocados, ripe
- ½ small yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lime, juiced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Serves 4
- Slice the avocados in half, remove the pit, and scoop into a mixing bowl.
- Mash the avocado with a fork and make it as chunky or smooth as you’d like.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir together. Give it a taste test and add a pinch more salt or lime juice if needed.
- Serve the guacamole with tortilla chips.
Downshiftology – Best Ever Guacamole
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
Serves 4
Bring water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in rice and butter. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Just before serving, add cilantro, lime juice, and lime zest.
AllRecipes – Lime Cilantro Rice
- Mac & Cheese
- Deli Ham
- Bacon, crumbled
- Cheez-It Crackers, crumbled
Cut deli ham into 1in cubed pieces. Mix together with mac and cheese
Cut bacon into small pieces and put on top of mac and cheese.
Crush crackers and put on top.
Put into the oven until warm.
- 1 cup finely chopped white onion (about 1 small onion)
- 1 medium jalapeño or serrano pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped (decrease or omit if sensitive to spice, or add another if you love heat)
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, more to taste
- 1 ½ pounds ripe red tomatoes (about 8 small or 4 large), chopped
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (about 1 bunch)
In a medium serving bowl, combine the chopped onion, jalapeño, lime juice and salt. Let it marinate for about 5 minutes while you chop the tomatoes and cilantro.
Add the chopped tomatoes and cilantro to the bowl and stir to combine. Taste, and add more salt if the flavors don’t quite sing.
For the best flavor, let the mixture marinate for 15 minutes or several hours in the refrigerator. Serve as a dip, or with a slotted spoon or large serving fork to avoid transferring too much watery tomato juice with your pico. Pico de gallo keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
Cookie and Kate – Pico de Gallo
- 2 16 ounce cans of refried beans – I use Old El Paso Spicy Fat Free
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 Taco Seasoning packet
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Serves 9
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- With a mixer, whip together cream cheese, beans, taco seasoning and sour cream until smooth. Spread into a 9×13 EZ Foil® by Hefty® Bakeware Pan. Sprinkle with both shredded cheeses, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is slightly brown and dip is hot and bubbly around the edges.
- Serve with tortilla chips.
An Affair From the Heart – Texas Trash Dip
Salad Recipes
- 5 cups shredded coleslaw mix
- 2 apples, chopped
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- Juice from a whole lemon (apprx 2-3 Tablespoons)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Serves 10
In a large bowl toss together coleslaw, cranberry, almonds.
In a small bowl, whisk together, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, pepper and salt.
Pour over coleslaw mix. Cover and let mixture sit for at least 20 minutes in the fridge.
Toss in apples and serve.
Veggie Balance – Apple Cranberry Almond Coleslaw Salad
- 3 broccoli heads
- ½ cup onion
- 1 cup raisin
- 1 lb bacon (crisp)
- 2 oz cashew
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup grapes (cut in half)
- ½ apple (cut into small, thin pieces)
Dressing:
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 t vinegar
- 1 cup mayo
Cut broccoli, onion & cooked bacon
Mix together dressing
Pour (mix) dressing over at least 1 hour before serving
- ¾ cup raw pecans
- ½ small red onion very thinly sliced
- 10 ounces fresh baby spinach I also love a 50/50 arugula and spinach blend
- 1 quart strawberries hulled and quartered (about 1 pound)
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese buy the block-style feta, not pre-crumbled; the texture is much better
Serves 6
- Toast the pecans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the pecans smell fragrant and the center of a pecan is tan when the pecan is broken in half. (Do not walk away from the oven in the last few minutes of cooking. This is when nuts love to burn.) Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop.
- Place the sliced onions in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad (this keeps their flavor but removes the harsh onion bite).
- Prepare the dressing: In small mixing bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients—vinegar, oil, poppy seeds, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper—until well combined. (Alternatively, you can shake the ingredients together in a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid).
- Assemble the salad: Place the spinach in a great big serving bowl. Add the strawberries. Drain the red onion and add it as well. Drizzle about half of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat the leaves. Assess the amount of dressing. You want the spinach leaves to be nicely moistened but not swimming in dressing. Add a little more if needed to suit your preferences. Add the feta and pecans. Toss lightly to combine. Serve immediately, with extra dressing on the side as desired.
Well Plated – Spinach Strawberry Salad
Bread Recipes
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water about 110 degrees
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 TBSP water
- 2 TBSP sesame seeds
Serves 8
Add yeast and warm water to a large bowl. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, mixture should be foamy.
Whisk in egg. Slowly mix in the salt and flour. Continue to add flour until you have a soft dough.
Using a dough hook, knead in a mixer for 3-5 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. (If you don’t want to use a mixer, you can knead by hand on a lightly floured surface.) Do not let rise. Divide into 8 equal pieces; shape each into a ball. Do not let the dough rise.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the dough balls on a greased or lined baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, brush the buns with an egg was, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until golden brown, 8-12 minutes.
Dessert Recipes
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups white sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup fresh blueberries, or more to taste
- ½ cup sliced fresh strawberries, or more to taste
- ½ cup sliced banana, or more to taste
Serves 10
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- To make the cookie crust: Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Cream together butter and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth in a large bowl. Add in egg and beat well. Stir dry ingredients into the creamed mixture until just blended.
- Press dough into an ungreased pizza pan.
- To make the filling: Beat cream cheese with remaining 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Spread evenly over the top of the cooled crust.
- To make the filling: Beat cream cheese with remaining 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Spread evenly over the top of the cooled crust.
AllRecipes – Fruit Pizza
- 2 cups halved red grapes (about 12 ounces)
- 1 (5.3 ounce) container Greek-style vanilla yogurt
- ½ cup whipped topping (such as Cool Whip) thawed
- Optional Garnish: chopped, toasted pecans
Serves 4
- Place grapes in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Place yogurt in a separate bowl and gently fold in the whipped topping.
- Add the yogurt mixture to the grapes and stir until grapes are coated.
- Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
- If using the pecans as a garnish, stir into the salad just before serving.
The Seasoned Mom – Grape Salad
- 1 package (14.3 ounces) Golden Oreo cookies
- 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
- 2 packages (3.4 ounces, each) instant lemon pudding mix
- 3 ¼ cups milk
- 2 containers (8 ounces, each) Cool Whip, thawed
- 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Serves 12
- Crush all Oreo cookies in a food processor or crush with a rolling pin in a large ziplock bag. (They can be as thick or fine crumbs as you prefer.) Reserve 3/4 cup of the crushed Oreos for the topping.
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish very generously with non-stick spray. Pour the remaining crumbs in the prepared dish; spreading out evenly. Pour the melted butter all over the crumbs. Mix together and then gently press this down into the bottom of the pan to create the crust. (Don’t compact it too much otherwise it will be hard to cut the crust.)
- In a medium bowl, mix together both lemon pudding mixes and the milk. Whisk well to combine. Cover bowl and place in the fridge for 5 minutes to thicken.
- In a separate bowl, place the cream cheese inside. Blend the cream cheese until smooth. Then blend in the powdered sugar until combined. Fold in one container of cool whip. Spread this mixture very gently and evenly all over the Oreo crust.
- Spread the lemon pudding evenly over the cream cheese layer. Then spread the remaining container of cool whip over the top. Sprinkle the remaining crushed Oreos all over the top. Cover and chill in fridge for 2 hours before serving. Cut into squares and enjoy!
Life in the Lofthouse – Heavenly Lemon Oreo Dessert
- 10 ounces angel food cake cut into 1-1 1/2 inch cubes
- 8 ounces Neufchatel or cream cheese or Mascarpone cheese
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 pounds strawberries plus more for garnish
- 6 ounces blackberries plus more for garnish
- 6 ounces raspberries plus more for garnish
- 3.4 ounce Vanilla flavored Instant Jello pudding
- 2 cups cold milk
- 8 ounce Cool Whip or fresh whipped cream
- fresh mint leaves
Serves 10
In a medium mixing bowl, add 2 cups cold milk, add the instant vanilla pudding mix, whisk together for 2 minutes and set aside for 5 minutes to set in the refrigerator.
Assemble:
- Arrange 1/2 the angel food cubes around the bottom of the trifle container.
- Arrange a little less than 1/3 of the 3 types of berries in 1 even layer. I suggest arranging the blackberries and red berries in an alternating pattern, if using a clear, glass trifle container.
- Add half the Neufchatel/cream cheese layer, spread evenly with an offset spatula or baking spatula.
- Add half the vanilla pudding mixture, spread evenly.
- Repeat until you have 2 layers each of angel food cake, berries, cream cheese, vanilla pudding and 3 layers of mixed berries.
- Top the last layer of berries with Cool Whip in the center. Use an offset or baking spatula to form a “pillow” and garnish with the last of the berries and optional mint sprigs.
- Serve in individual parfait glasses.
Amanda’s Cookin’ – Mixed Berry Trifle