Vintage Eats, Family Treats

Food is good. But food with a story is even better!

By Lisa Payne

I have been watching all kinds of cooking shows in my downtime. My new favorite is a show on Discovery+ called “Family Table.” The host, Andrew Zimmerman, travels across America to visit families and explore their culture and traditional family meals. It fascinates me and inspires me to keep old family recipes alive in my own family.

Do you have recipes that have been in your family for generations? Maybe you have family dinner every Sunday? Or, you have traditions around food that you hold on tight to? Don’t ever let them go!

Years ago when my grandma was getting older, I sat down and made a copy of all of her recipes. I put them together in a “cookbook,” made lots of copies, grandma signed each one, and we passed them out to everyone in the family. After she passed it was such a treasure to have.

Today I am sharing recipes that are easy peasy and that kids love to eat too!

Taco Pie

• 1 package crescent rolls

• 1 lb. ground beef

• 1 package taco seasoning of your choice

• 1 bag Doritos, crushed

• 8 ounces sour cream

• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

• Lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, salsa as toppings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Why were recipes that involved Jell-O always called a salad? I mean there were some interesting concoctions out there. Jello-O mixed with peas? Awful.

I did always love this Jell-O salad – it reminds me of potlucks and grandma’s house. It’s not too sweet, and the mix with the salty is fabulous. When I bring it to parties someone always says, “Oh my gosh my grandma used to make this!” A good vintage recipe to keep forever.

• 2 cups crushed pretzels

• ¾ cup butter, melted

• 3 tablespoons white sugar

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

• 2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry flavored Jell-O®

• 2 cups boiling water

• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen strawberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Stir crushed pretzels, melted butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar together until well-combined; mix well and press mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake in preheated oven until set, about 8 to 10 minutes; set aside to cool.

Place cream cheese and 1 cup sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth; fold in whipped topping. Spread mixture onto cooled crust.

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in still-frozen strawberries and allow to set briefly. Pour and spread over cream cheese layer; refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.

Taco Pie

• 1 package crescent rolls

• 1 lb. ground beef

• 1 package taco seasoning of your choice

• 1 bag Doritos, crushed

• 8 ounces sour cream

• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

• Lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, salsa as toppings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Brown beef into crumbles and season with taco seasoning. Spray a pie pan with canola oil and press the crescent rolls to make a solid crust.

Layer into the crust the ground beef, crushed chips, sour cream, and cheese. Layer until filled to the top.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until crust is nicely browned. Top with any toppings you wish or eat as is.

Lisa Payne writes about food, family, and home. You can reach her at paynefam6@gmail.com.