Soup Kitchen Cookbook Project

[Lisa Shock]

Here's a recipe for high water produce, it does use up bread -if they can get sourdough, baguettes, or some other crusty old-fashioned artisan type loaf. It's not going to be very good with the cheap bread.

 

Panzanella Salad

Serves 20

 

1 loaf of Italian bread, sourdough, etc. cut into 1" pieces -include the crusts (about 8 cups)

4 tablespoons vegetable oil (olive oil, if you can get it)

1 teaspoon salt

 

½ cup vegetable oil (olive oil, if you can get it)

¼ cup vinegar

1 teaspoon prepared mustard (whole grain is better, but, regular yellow is fine)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dry basil or about a ½ cup of fresh leaves cut into small ribbons

1 teaspoon black pepper (freshly cracked really shines here, if you can get it)

1 clove garlic, minced or use ½ teaspoon garlic powder

 

5 large ripe tomatoes (core, squeeze juice into the salad dressing, dice into 1" chunks)

2 large cucumbers, peeled if waxed, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, sliced into ¼" half-moons

1 onion (preferably red) small dice, or thinly julienne

2 bell peppers, seeded and diced (can be omitted, substitute another tomato or more cucumber)

Optional: One 12 oz can of garbanzo, white, or pinto beans, drained

 

Place bread on a sheet pan and sprinkle with oil and salt. Bake for 20 minutes, until partially dry.  Allow to cool.

(Bread may also be prepared on a stovetop: combine first 2 ingredients and saute for 15-20 minutes, flipping frequently, until partially dried.)

(Bread may also be grilled: slice, brush with oil, sprinkle with salt while turning, pull from the fire, dice and cool.)

 

In a large bowl, everything will wind up in it, mix oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, basil and pepper. Add vegetables as they are prepared, being careful to retain as much tomato juice as possible. (Core the tomatoes, then squeeze out the juice into the dressing, then dice.) Toss the vegetables to coat with dressing. Add bread cubes, toss. Serve about an hour later, tossing again just prior to service.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

An easy recipe for your circumstances, since you say you get plenty of donated chicken, that can be made up and baked in hotel pans:

 

A minimum of sliced potatoes and onions as a bed under bone-in, skin-on chicken parts. Mix up a vinaigrette with whatever herbs/garlic you can get and drizzle over and bake. Even dried herbs work here. Don't forget the salt and pepper, of course. The beauty part is, you can add carrots, parsnips, peppers or whatever produce you have. This is based on old French recipes where families would carry their dishes to the village baker's oven to cook, and my inspiration comes from "The Joy of Cooking". I have made this myself, and my husband and I both liked it a lot. It is a very nice return for minimal effort.

 

Also, and this is just totally me, thinking about it, because I have never heard of a chicken cacciatore casserole like this, much less tried it myself. What about a bed of tomatoes, onion, garlic, peppers, perhaps zucchini or eggplant under chicken parts baked off in hotel pans? Salt and pepper, maybe some oregano. Maybe drizzle with a little oil before baking, and it wouldn't have to be expensive olive oil? Serve with pasta, rice or just the bread you say is in such oversupply.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I also just thought of another idea for stuffed bell peppers. I make a recipe I got from "Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook" that calls for stuffing halved bell peppers with succotash made from butter sauteed onion, cooked lima beans, corn and tomatoes. I started adding a little dried oregano and topping the baked peppers with shredded cheese in the last five minutes of baking and eat them as an entree. Some might prefer them as a side dish to meat, but either way, they are delicious. The original recipe calls for blanching the peppers, but I did away with that after the first time. The thirty or so minute baking time is plenty to soften raw peppers and they don't get slimy or overcooked. You could riff on this with blackeyed peas or other legumes, and I have used both frozen and fresh corn cut off the cob. I don't cook either form of corn before stuffing and baking, but I do thaw the frozen kind. This is better with fresh diced tomatoes, but I have made it with canned ones during winter. Again, salt and little pepper.

[Rebel Rose]

On 4/9/2017 at 0:11 PM, Lisa Shock said:

Here's a recipe for high water produce, it does use up bread -if they can get sourdough, baguettes, or some other crusty old-fashioned artisan type loaf. It's not going to be very good with the cheap bread.

 

Panzanella Salad

Serves 20

 

 

Great idea, thanks! I'll probably share recipes like this with my gleaning volunteers too. So, double duty!

[Rebel Rose]

15 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

An easy recipe for your circumstances, since you say you get plenty of donated chicken, that can be made up and baked in hotel pans:

 

A minimum of sliced potatoes and onions as a bed under bone-in, skin-on chicken parts. Mix up a vinaigrette with whatever herbs/garlic you can get and drizzle over and bake. Even dried herbs work here. Don't forget the salt and pepper, of course. The beauty part is, you can add carrots, parsnips, peppers or whatever produce you have. This is based on old French recipes where families would carry their dishes to the village baker's oven to cook, and my inspiration comes from "The Joy of Cooking". I have made this myself, and my husband and I both liked it a lot. It is a very nice return for minimal effort.

 

Also, and this is just totally me, thinking about it, because I have never heard of a chicken cacciatore casserole like this, much less tried it myself. What about a bed of tomatoes, onion, garlic, peppers, perhaps zucchini or eggplant under chicken parts baked off in hotel pans? Salt and pepper, maybe some oregano. Maybe drizzle with a little oil before baking, and it wouldn't have to be expensive olive oil? Serve with pasta, rice or just the bread you say is in such oversupply.

 

Great ideas, as is the veggie/beans version of stuffed bell peppers. Exactly the kind of veg-centric recipes I need!

[ChocoMom]

Wow! What a fantastic endeavor!    As a young kid, our church youth group held a soup kitchen on Cass Ave in Detroit. I was stunned at the hunger and desperation I witnessed. And, deeply moved by it.   Years later, I volunteered as a worker, then as a kitchen captain for the SA soup kitchen. Made a lot of food, but in particular  I remember making about a bazillion meatballs- but they were porcupine meatballs which has rice added as a way of stretching the beef and increasing the number of mouths to feed.  They had a cookbook designed exactly for this purpose. However, not a lot of fresh produce was incorporated.  The people there didn't care...they just needed a hot meal and warm smile.  But, fresh produce was always in short supply. 

 

With warm weather around the corner, I'd think some kind of refreshing salads might be appealing. I was shown how to put together a basic recipe of Chopska salad by a dear friend from Bulgaria.  I've stretched it and done all kinds of things to morph it into a main dish.

 

Here is foundation:

 

Cukes- diced

tomatoes- diced

onions-finely diced

parsley- chopped

Crumbled Feta cheese

balsamic vinegar +olive oil+ salt+pepper for the dressing. 

This, all by itself, is a wonderful salad!  

 

I've added:

Black olives

Chick peas.  I buy these dry, in bulk, and reconstitute them in salt water.  They are high in protein and fiber, and some other essential nutrients. So....its a great addition. 

Chopped Kale

Roasted peppers

Tuna

Artichoke hearts

Palm stems (canned)

mushrooms

You can come up with a pretty hearty salad / main dish  by experimenting and using what produce you've got on hand. 

 

I like the idea of storing broth for future use. Wish I could ship you some of the soup bones I've got!   I have an abundance of pie pumpkins almost every year, and its easy enough to freeze the flesh. It makes a great, nutritious base for soups, (and for pumpkin bars and pies), later on in the year. 

 

Beets won't work for this, but, if you have an abundance of other root veggies like potatoes, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, turnip, carrots, and onions....pasties are the norm in this neck of the woods. Relatively speaking, meat is only a small portion of the ingredients and the kind/amount you add is up to you.  Pie crust is not the healthiest ingredient, and rarely does anyone eat all of it, but it is inexpensive and holds everything together nicely.  Typically, I dice up equal amounts of potatoes, carrots, rutabaga and onion. Add in ground beef and/or diced chuck or whatever. salt, pepper. Scoop into one half of a pie crust, add a pat of butter, and fold the rest of the crust over and seal it well. Bake for about an hour at 350-375.

Some folks use a combination of pork and beef, others use chicken and add in broccoli and peas.

 

One of the resources I've gone to, just for approximate measurements for groups of people is AllRecipes.com.   I'm not saying a use a lot of the recipes there, but if you were looking for say, the portion of elbow noodles needed for 70 people, you can find a mac -n- cheese recipe, and type in the number of servings needed, then the recipe will calculate out the needed amount.

 When the oldest kid was still single, going to MTU, we'd have his house-mates and pals over frequently for meals. Cooking for 15-20 college age kids (12 boys!) plus the three kids I still had at home- took some serious calculating and creativity.  So, I used this tool ALOT.   

 

Wish I could be of more help, but that is smattering of the things I've used over the years. Hopefully, there is something there you may be able to use. Bless you for your kind heart and desire to help so many!!! =)

 

[JohnT]

This curry vegetable recipe serves 10 to 12 - it contains French or green beans, no dried beans.

 

VEGETABLE CURRY

Ingredients:
2 small cauliflower, divided into florets
4 medium zucchini, diced
4 medium carrots, diced
4 sticks celery, chopped
450g green beans, sliced
2 green peppers, cut into small chunks
4 medium onions, chopped
8 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped
30ml turmeric
6 tablespoons curry powder (medium)
2 tablespoons flour
2 400g cans chopped tomatoes with juice
10ml ground coriander
15ml salt

 

Method:

• Fry the prepared vegetables in the oil for about 4 minutes then remove all the vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon and keep in a separate bowl.
• Add the apples to the pan and cook gently for 5 minutes.
• Add the turmeric, flour and curry powder and continue to cook for about 3 more minutes.
• Add the coriander, salt, tomatoes with their juice and the vegetables and continue to cook, on a low heat, for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked, stirring every now and then - they should still be crisp!
• Add a bit of water if the sauce becomes too thick.

[Smithy]

Would salads using raw vegetables be welcome in the summer?  I'm thinking, for example, of a salad of raw broccoli.  There's a classic with chopped broccoli, chopped walnuts, a bit of onion, raisins (which I omit), and crumbled cooked bacon, all tossed with a slightly sweetened and thinned mayonnaise dressing.  I don't know that it would lend itself to ground meats, but chopped cooked chicken would go well with it.  

 

I hesitate to post it because (1) it's hardly my recipe (don't most people have a version?) and (2) I have the idea you're looking more for main-course or one-course dishes. On the other hand, it makes a lot of salad with only a few heads of broccoli and it makes converts of some cooked-broccoli haters.  If it would be useful, I'll be glad to post it.

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I don't think Shepherd's pie has been mentioned. This is another recipe that lends itself well to institutional style service. We eGulletters know that it is cottage pie when made with ground beef, but most people don't. It tends to be expensive at restaurants around here, but it is cheap to make and can be easily made in hotel pans and baked off. At a minimum, you want cooked and seasoned ground beef in the bottom of the pan topped with corn and then topped with a layer of mashed potatoes. I always like to add onion and some shredded carrot which I saute off with the raw ground beef.

 

There are many ways to add other vegetable to this dish, though. I have one recipe that adds broccoli, carrots, onions, English and sugar snap peas. I have another from "The Ultimate Vegetarian Cookbook" copyright 1994 by Roz Denny that my stepmom gave me when she was no longer able to cook and before she passed. The author calls it "Shepherdess Pie". 

 

The recipe is completely vegan and for 6 servings calls for:

 

2 lb. potatoes

3 T. EVOO (but you could use a cheaper oil or (better) butter)

salt and ground black pepper

1 lg. onion, chopped

1 green pepper chopped

2 carrots, coarsely grated

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3 t. sunflower oil or margarine

4 oz. mushrooms, chopped

2 x 14 oz. cans adzuki beans, drained

2-1/2 c. vegetable stock (bouillon will do)

1 t. vegetable yeast extract

2 bay leaves

1 t. dried mixed herbs (now that is flexible!)

 

Boil potatoes in skins, reserving some of the potato water. Peel and mash potatoes mixing in olive oil and seasoning and enough potato water for desired consistency. Fry onion, pepper, carrots and garlic in sunflower oil or margarine until soft. Stir in mushrooms and beans and cook until hot. Add bay leaves, mixed herbs, stock and yeast extract, simmer for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves and empty vegetables into your baking pan. Spoon on mashed potatoes and smooth out over the casserole. They say broil until golden brown, but baking at 375 or 400 F might be better for making large pans, because stuff will cool off more as you assemble large pans of it. You can always hit it with the broiler for a few minutes, once everything is hot again to brown.

 

This recipe as written would probably not be very popular with the mainstream audience, but I included it to show how flexible shepherd's/cottage pie is as far as incorporating random produce or herbs. Also note, that it gives a way to make mashed potatoes for the topping where you do not need any milk, that you said is in short supply. You might also use the idea to include some legumes to stretch your ground meat supplies.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

6 minutes ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

This recipe as written would probably not be very popular with the mainstream audience, but I included it to show how flexible shepherd's/cottage pie is as far as incorporating random produce or herbs. Also note, that it gives a way to make mashed potatoes for the topping where you do not need any milk, that you said is in short supply. You might also use the idea to include some legumes to stretch your ground meat supplies.

 

 

As someone who has dined at the county soup kitchen I am a little troubled at the assumption.  Nonetheless, food is better than no food.  I am still impressed that that at the soup kitchen there was lots of food that folks could carry home, including just recently expired stuff from local grocery stores...except, of course, for those of us who do not have transportation.

 

Maybe because this is one of the wealthiest counties in the nation, if not the world, our soup kitchen is a bit upscale.

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

2 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

As someone who has dined at the county soup kitchen I am a little troubled at the assumption.

 

I've been hungry too, Jo. While we are confessing, I'll add that I have food in my pantry from a food bank and ate some tonight. It was a Hunt's marinara sauce with garlic and herbs. It comes in a 24 oz. can, and I used 1/3 of it on my angel hair with a little grated parm and red pepper flakes. I froze the other two portions in 8 oz. sour cream containers for later use.

 

I also currently receive an EBT (food stamp) allotment after my husband had his stroke. It is actually more generous than I have ever spent on food. I've not eaten at a soup kitchen, but if there was one nearby, I might try to volunteer, and then not feel bad about eating there. That would actually be great, as it might bring me out of my depression.

 

Tonight's dinner was thin-sliced rib eye on a sandwich. I did not want to eat this, but I bought a thick rib eye, which is rich in B12 and grilled it off the other day. In order to get a steak for one that is thick enough to cook up rare, like I like it, I had to buy one that provides me four servings. I ate the third serving tonight as a bargain to myself, that as soon as I choked it down I would make angel hair with food bank marinara. That is what I really wanted. Tomorrow I will eat the remaining steak. I know, I am such a snowflake, but if I wind up repeatedly eating things I do not want, I get depressed. I hate to waste stuff, though, especially expensive B12 loaded stuff, so I'll eat the rest of the steak tomorrow, although I will not want to. Obviously, I'm not hungry enough yet to get a good perspective on having leftover rib eye. Excuse me, but food is the only highlight in my days anymore. So I want what I want.

 

I'm a little defensive about suggesting vegetarian or vegan food, though, because I used to get shot down for it constantly by my husband, especially. He was very resistant to it, although he admitted it was good and ate it. A lot of people feel shorted if they do not have meat in a meal. For me, unless it's top quality meat, perfectly prepared, I'll pass. I don't really like meat that much, but I eat it to get B12, and you can't get that from plant foods. People eating from soup kitchens can't afford B12 injections, just sayin'. I agree though, when you are hungry, you take what you can get, and beggars can't be choosers. Still. If I were running the soup kitchen, I would prefer to please my audience and not make them feel like beggars as much as possible within limited resources. People in the U.S. are meat eaters in the vast majority.

[Rebel Rose]

19 hours ago, Smithy said:

Would salads using raw vegetables be welcome in the summer?  I'm thinking, for example, of a salad of raw broccoli.  There's a classic with chopped broccoli, chopped walnuts, a bit of onion, raisins (which I omit), and crumbled cooked bacon, all tossed with a slightly sweetened and thinned mayonnaise dressing.  I don't know that it would lend itself to ground meats, but chopped cooked chicken would go well with it.  

 

I hesitate to post it because (1) it's hardly my recipe (don't most people have a version?) and (2) I have the idea you're looking more for main-course or one-course dishes. On the other hand, it makes a lot of salad with only a few heads of broccoli and it makes converts of some cooked-broccoli haters.  If it would be useful, I'll be glad to post it.

 

 

Salads are not big in soup kitchens (although I think the Panzanella recipe would be useful in safe houses). They aren't filling and don't provide the dense nutrients that starving people need. BUT ... any way to give steamed vegetables a lift with some creativity would probably be very welcome. Most of these cooks just boil vegetables up, and that's it. The idea of tossing in some bacon, raisins, nuts, seeds, grated carrots or beets, etc. makes the vegetables more appealing, especially to children and adults who need vegies but habitually skip them.

[Rebel Rose]

On 4/12/2017 at 9:43 AM, JohnT said:

This curry vegetable recipe serves 10 to 12 - it contains French or green beans, no dried beans.

 

VEGETABLE CURRY

 

 

Love this idea of an all vegetable, flexible curry. Especially since we have LOTS of apples around here.

[Rebel Rose]

13 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

I don't think Shepherd's pie has been mentioned. This is another recipe that lends itself well to institutional style service. We eGulletters know that it is cottage pie when made with ground beef, but most people don't. It tends to be expensive at restaurants around here, but it is cheap to make and can be easily made in hotel pans and baked off. At a minimum, you want cooked and seasoned ground beef in the bottom of the pan topped with corn and then topped with a layer of mashed potatoes. I always like to add onion and some shredded carrot which I saute off with the raw ground beef.

 

There are many ways to add other vegetable to this dish, though. I have one recipe that adds broccoli, carrots, onions, English and sugar snap peas. I have another from "The Ultimate Vegetarian Cookbook" copyright 1994 by Roz Denny that my stepmom gave me when she was no longer able to cook and before she passed. The author calls it "Shepherdess Pie".

 

 

Excellent suggestions! I've been working on a version that incorporates a lot of spinach--but I hadn't thought of many of these substitutions! This is a dish that is made a lot in soup kitchens. I'm also working on a version that uses a blend of taters and mashed pumpkin.

 

So keep the variations coming, everyone. Thanks!

[Kerry Beal]

I recall a very nice broccoli casserole my aunt made - no recipe I can find though. Nice and filling as I remember. Suspect any of the cheesy broccoli casseroles online would work.

[Rebel Rose]

12 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

I'm a little defensive about suggesting vegetarian or vegan food, though, because I used to get shot down for it constantly by my husband, especially. He was very resistant to it, although he admitted it was good and ate it. A lot of people feel shorted if they do not have meat in a meal. For me, unless it's top quality meat, perfectly prepared, I'll pass. I don't really like meat that much, but I eat it to get B12, and you can't get that from plant foods. People eating from soup kitchens can't afford B12 injections, just sayin'. I agree though, when you are hungry, you take what you can get, and beggars can't be choosers. Still. If I were running the soup kitchen, I would prefer to please my audience and not make them feel like beggars as much as possible within limited resources. People in the U.S. are meat eaters in the vast majority.

 

Yeah, these places really have to be able to provide at least one meaty choice. People who are starving are often cold, ill or frail as well and really need the meat. Some work out-of-doors and desperately need the fat and protein.

 

But if a gleaning organization is bringing in crates of fresh produce, there's no reason a hunger mission can't ALSO serve up hotel pans of cooked vegetables and bean salads filled with fresh crunchy veggies as extra sides. So I'm gladly accepting all-vegetable recipes.

[Dani Black]

Love this challenge, it's right up my alley! Did a 'cooking without a net' gig at a local prison the other day, great way to teach people to make things nice with what's on hand/donated! I'm working on some recipes for you! 

 

I also met yesterday with some people who are pondering how to use/freeze/cook/market 'ugly' produce so that nothing goes to waste, more on that later.

 

Meanwhile, I'll suggest two other cookbooks for inspiration/mining of simple seasonal recipes (also available inexpensively used : )  

 

Simply in Season Expanded Edition (World Community Cookbook)

and

The Complete Tassajara Cookbook

 

Please feel free to pm if you want organizational help, I've done lots of recipe development work, and specialize in making it work/making it fit! 

Edited April 14, 2017 by Smithy
Adjusted links to be Amazon-friendly (log)

[Rebel Rose]

On 4/14/2017 at 6:50 AM, Dani Black said:

Love this challenge, it's right up my alley! Did a 'cooking without a net' gig at a local prison the other day, great way to teach people to make things nice with what's on hand/donated! I'm working on some recipes for you! 

 

I also met yesterday with some people who are pondering how to use/freeze/cook/market 'ugly' produce so that nothing goes to waste, more on that later.

 

Meanwhile, I'll suggest two other cookbooks for inspiration/mining of simple seasonal recipes (also available inexpensively used : )  

 

Simply in Season Expanded Edition (World Community Cookbook)

and

The Complete Tassajara Cookbook

 

Please feel free to pm if you want organizational help, I've done lots of recipe development work, and specialize in making it work/making it fit! 

 

 

Thanks for the links! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

 

[Smithy]

Here's something to do with excess eggplant, onions and tomatoes, if they should come one's way.  It should scale up or down nicely; it's easy to make; and although stew beef would make it better I think this would do very nicely with ground meat.

 

The recipe is from @FoodMan's eGCI Course, Introduction to Lebanese Cuisine, right here on eGullet. If it looks like a candidate for the book, perhaps he'll give you permission to use it.

 

Quote

Eggplant Stew

6 Servings

• ½ lb (450g) Stew beef cut into cubes

• 1.5 lbs (670g) eggplant

• 1 large onion, diced

• 2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic

• ½ lb fresh tomatoes, diced

Peel and cut the eggplant into 1 inch dice.

Season the beef with salt and pepper.

In a large heavy pot, heat some olive oil and brown the beef. Add the onions and garlic.

Cook till soft then add the eggplant.

Cook for a few more minutes until the eggplant is covered with the aromatics and oil and meat drippings. Add the tomatoes and season with more salt and pepper.

Stir everything together, add water to barely cover everything and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about one hour or until the eggplant is cooked through and very soft.

Correct the seasoning if necessary.

Serve over rice or burghul.

 

[Nyleve Baar]

At the soup kitchen where I volunteer, we often make a sort of quiche with whatever veggies and cheese might be available. For one large, shallow catering pan, saute or steam a whole mess of vegetables - onions, broccoli, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, anything - and spread them in the bottom of the pan. If you happen to have some ham or bacon or sausage, chop it up and sprinkle over the veggies (we usually don't have any - it's good without). Sprinkle with a goodly amount of shredded cheese (this is like gold in our soup kitchen, so not always available unless someone donates). Next, beat together a dozen eggs, 3 cups of Bisquick (or other biscuit mix) and 6 cups of milk. Add some salt and pepper and pour over the veggies and cheese in the baking pan. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes to an hour. This amount can be cut into about 24 serving size squares. Today we made 6 pans and it all went.

[chromedome]

On 13/04/2017 at 4:01 AM, Thanks for the Crepes said:

 

I've been hungry too, Jo. While we are confessing, I'll add that I have food in my pantry from a food bank and ate some tonight.

 

I'll cop, too. It's been a while, but I've needed them off and on over the years despite my desperation-induced ingenuity where food is concerned (I routinely fed my family of four for a month on what our friends spent in a week, even during the good times).

 

I've said for years that time and money exist on a continuum...the more you have of one, the less of the other you need to expend on your food. Over the past decade I've come to recognize that basic cooking skills are often a part of the equation as well, and when I moved here to open my restaurant I thought I might volunteer a few hours to teach those skills at a group home or some other charitable organization. That was before I realized my regular work week would total 110-120 hours, of course.

 

I've been teaching basic kitchen skills to my GF's daughter and a few others who fall within my social orbit, but perhaps it's time to revisit the notion and see whether I can make something of it now that I'm self-employed and have flexible hours. 

 

[Rebel Rose]

On 4/18/2017 at 2:45 PM, Nyleve Baar said:

At the soup kitchen where I volunteer, we often make a sort of quiche with whatever veggies and cheese might be available. For one large, shallow catering pan, saute or steam a whole mess of vegetables - onions, broccoli, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, anything - and spread them in the bottom of the pan. If you happen to have some ham or bacon or sausage, chop it up and sprinkle over the veggies (we usually don't have any - it's good without). Sprinkle with a goodly amount of shredded cheese (this is like gold in our soup kitchen, so not always available unless someone donates). Next, beat together a dozen eggs, 3 cups of Bisquick (or other biscuit mix) and 6 cups of milk. Add some salt and pepper and pour over the veggies and cheese in the baking pan. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes to an hour. This amount can be cut into about 24 serving size squares. Today we made 6 pans and it all went.

 

Awesome. Is 'Nyleve Baar' your real name? Can you provide or PM the name of your soup kitchen so I can give you both proper credit in the cookbook?

[Nyleve Baar]

Hello Rebel Rose - glad you are able to use my sort-of-recipe. Since there are a group of us who work together to make this meal once a week, how about if you call us "The Church Ladies". We're not all ladies and we don't all go to church but we're The Church Ladies anyway. Let's call the soup kitchen The Lighthouse. I'm not trying to be cagey - I just think I'd rather not be too specific.

 

Hope this is ok with you. If I have time, I may be able to put together a few more recipes that we use regularly.

 

Good work you're doing!

 

 

 

 

[Rebel Rose]

20 hours ago, Nyleve Baar said:

Hello Rebel Rose - glad you are able to use my sort-of-recipe. Since there are a group of us who work together to make this meal once a week, how about if you call us "The Church Ladies". We're not all ladies and we don't all go to church but we're The Church Ladies anyway. Let's call the soup kitchen The Lighthouse. I'm not trying to be cagey - I just think I'd rather not be too specific.

 

This will work fine, thank you!

[kayb]

Today was my team's turn to cook and serve at the soup kitchen. We did the big meat loaf I'd posted here before...and it wasn't big enough! Had to warm up beef stew to finish out the day.

 

Someone had donated a BUNCH of very-nearly-overripe canteloupes, which went well, as well as a lot of salad greens. The patrons LOVED having salad! One of our volunteers brought a ginormous peach cobbler, which was gobbled right up. 

 

Thinking we may do baked chicken and dressing for the next time out. That was a hit before. Chicken thighs, industrial-sized pans of dressing, green beans, sweet potatoes.