Conference Sunday Dinners

*(This is the final day of five posts about General Conference food traditions - keep scrolling to see prior posts)


Things can't get any better by Sunday afternoon of General Conference weekend.  After listening to inspired counsel from our Prophet & leaders for two wonderful days, it's almost a let-down to have it end.  When my children and grandchildren come to stay, it's tradition to finish this special weekend off by enjoying one last meal with at least a few of our family favorites.  


Some families opt to have their larger Sunday meal in between the morning & afternoon sessions.  My crew is usually still very satisfied after a great breakfast either before, or while we listen to the Sunday morning session.  So, while the little guys run around the yard or take a walk - my kids (now they are adults) are more than happy to help me in the kitchen as I get dinner ready.  (Oh... and did I mention the NAPS?  That's required...)  


We have our last meal of the day after the afternoon session ends.  Then we usually play games and visit about what talks we loved the most till late into the evening.  It's sad to see the weekend come to a close, because we know it will be six long months till it comes around again.


Usually I have to decide if I'm going to simplify this meal, or enjoy making something a little more involved (with their help).  We have fun either way.  Our family favorites usually win out, but we still enjoy trying something new occasionally.  It's heaven to relax in front of the TV while I can smell one of our favorite Sunday meals get closer to setting on the table.  


Hopefully you've found something in this past five days of General Conference food traditions that you want to try sometime.  I'd love to hear what your favorites are (send me a link?)

Sunday Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
Start these in the morning, and you won't
have to worry about them again until it's time for dinner.
Mash them right in the crockpot, (and no boiling over!)

Fall Apart Sunday Roast
A classic in our family.
This is a required skill before you get married...

Judy's Meatloaf
I'm so glad my son-in-law twisted his mother's arm
so we can enjoy her legendary homestyle meatloaf too...
(Thanks Judy!)

Mini Berry Pizzas
Instead of wrestling with a large fruit pizza, we find
it's much easier to serve when assembled on our favorite sugar cookies.

Sunday Spuds
These are a great alternative when I'm tired of my "usual" potato dishes.
They are even better when made with red potatoes.

Brownie Pudding
This is a "Lazy Mom" dessert for Sunday dinner
that everyone enjoys and nobody will complain about.
(and did you know you can hide zucchini in it?)

Unrolled Cordon Bleu Bake
I think this is even better than the traditional
Chicken Cordon Bleu - and it's lightning fast to make.

Conference Crescents
This is a great recipe because it doubles as a
sweet cinnamon roll, or a wonderful dinner roll.

Waterless Carrots
These are a favorite of my grandkids (can you believe that?)
I've never seen kids race to take more carrots - until I made them this way.

Superb Salisbury Steak
Another very simple main dish that seems special.
It also mimics a great restaurant Salisbury Steak.

Ultimate Cream Filled Chocolate Cake
My neighbor (Toni) taught me how to make this cake - it's the best!
I changed it by substituting the cake mix for "Counterfeit Chocolate Cake"
(you'll never believe one of the ingredients is a pureed can of beets...)

Whipping Cream Potatoes
These decadent potatoes are so simple to make
from frozen Southern Style Hashbrowns (and guess what else?)

3 or 4 Packet Roast
Save this recipe for when getting off  the couch
after General Conference is not your priority...
It's been around the internet (and back) because it's so easy.

Callin's 'Quintessential' Baked Potatoes

How would you describe the perfect embodiment of a baked potato?  Fluffy, light as a cloud?  Moist, yet just dry enough to soak in a shameful amount of butter and sour cream?  This really shouldn’t qualify as a “recipe” - because it is so amazingly simple.  But even after cooking for over 45 years, I hadn’t thought of it myself.  Thanks Callin!

My daughter Melyn has a favorite meal.  I wish I could say that it is one of my very own recipes, but - no.  It is (simply) a good baked potato dressed with lots of butter and sour cream.  When she was young(er) and we went to Wendy’s for lunch - no hamburger & fries for her...  All she wanted to order was a baked potato. 

Melyn married into the wonderful, fun Baker family.   They are a family of all boys (four of them), who enjoy great cuisine and trying new recipes - especially Melyn’s brother-in-law Callin.  The jury is still out on who (in their extended family) shared this method of making the quintessential baked potato - but I’m giving Callin the credit.

It is unbelievably simple.  Many websites claim that you should coat the baked potato in oil or shortening before baking - but this will make a smoky mess of your oven and you will not be able to detect that heavenly ‘potatoes are almost done’ aroma.  It works the same way for one potato, or twenty - so this is a great method for cooking solo.

Are you one that loves the skin of a baked potato?  Well, I can’t imagine you would be if you “steam” your potatoes (by baking them wrapped in foil)  Baking them this way yields a crackly crisp outer shell that I can’t resist cutting in small pieces to enjoy after the fluffy interior is eaten.

For full instructions & photos - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

3 or 4 Packet Roast

I am fiercely loyal to my favorite roast recipe.  That said, while this is not my all-time favorite way to make a fine roast - it is a close second.  This would be awesome on a hot summer day in the crockpot.  Lots of flavor and plenty of gravy make this a good family stand-by for days when time is short and you can’t be tied to your kitchen to watch the roast beef. 

This ‘recipe’ has been traveling the blog world since 2004, but I recently paid more attention to it when I saw it on sisterscafe.com.  It caught my eye, and I added all those “packets” to my shopping list so I could try it later.

As I’ve mentioned before, I rarely use seasoning packets - with the exception of Taco, Ranch, and Italian dressing mixes, which I like mainly for convenience.  I was a little suspicious of the brown gravy mix, and I’ve stopped using onion soup mix because of the amount of salt.  But - I decided to give this a try.

I decided to make it in my oven - baking it for over 6 hours, although the recipe directs you to use a crockpot.  It makes a delicious roast and a hearty gravy, but I felt it was a little salty for my preference.  The aroma greeting you after coming home from church is certainly inviting.  

My take on this recipe is this:  Use it on a busy, hot summer day (in a crockpot) when you don’t want to take the time to measure out individual spices & ingredients.  If you use it in the middle of winter, it is even better in a heavy ceramic baking dish covered tightly with foil.  The gravy turns out a little thicker and the flavor richer than the crockpot version.

For the adapted recipe, photos, and links to the source(s) - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

(No Hassle) Hasselback Potatoes

If you are weary of traditional potatoes, but still want more than a baked potato - Hasselbacks are a great compromise.  These will work almost 100% of the time if you pay close attention to one very simple tip in the preparation.  You can dress these up or down, but either way - they aren’t ‘boring’ potatoes.  (I have this fun little "potato" scrubber that I've almost thrown away with the peelings on occasion... it still takes me by surprise when I reach in the drawer for it)

Hasselbacks are the Swedish equivalent of baked potatoes.  They were popularized as the namesake dish served at the restaurant in the Hasselbacken Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden.  

Their version has a seasoned crispy crust - giving one the impression that it took a great deal of preparation.  It may look fancy, but it’s actually very easy to do.  If you’re looking for unique potatoes - these fit the bill.

My version is practically ‘steamed’ as I covered them with a ventilated lid for three hours at a low temperature.  If you want a crispy crust, you can do so by topping with a mixture of bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and seasonings of your choice.  Change the baking temperature to 450° for 45 minutes to one hour.

Kids might be fascinated with these because they resemble a cross between a dinosaur and an anteater (that’s an appetizing comparison, no?)  I remember going to great lengths being creative as I tried to get my children to enjoy their vegetables.

This potato worked well as a “Sunday gone-to-church” recipe.  When we walk in the door after 3 hours at church - we aren’t in the mood to wait for dinner.  These cooperate nicely with our qualifications for a fast-on-the-table Sunday dinner.

For the directions & step-by-step photos, go to:

www.changeabletable.com