A few days ago, when I saw that "dinner" was to be the subject of today's picture, I immediately ran to the menu for the week to see what we were having! And I was a little disappointed to realize that February 5th was a Monday, which means Men's Bible Study, which means we either have something fast and early or something late and easy. On the menu for tonight: Mommy Joes.
In its earliest manifestation (before it underwent decades of recipe-evolution), this Bennett family crock-pot favorite was called Jenny Joes. Who is this Jenny? No idea! But you can tell it's a great recipe based on the scuzziness of its page in the cookbook!
I became enamored of Jenny Joes because (prepare yourself) I've never been a huge fan of tomato-based Sloppy Joes. (Please don't call my patriotism into question.) And, you will note, Jenny's recipe has only the tiniest hint of tomato...and I don't know if ketchup really counts anyway.
In real life, Mommy Joes bear only a skeletal resemblance to Jenny's classic recipe. I do use 2# browned ground beef (which, truth be told, was a 50/50 beef/deer combination this time), and I certainly add an onion (preferably red), seasonings, a big squirt of ketchup, and a smaller squirt of mustard...but from there, it's really never the same thing twice.
Do you have recipes like that? And sometimes your family asks you to make a favorite dish just like you did last time...only you have no idea what you did last time? I hope I'm not the only one!
At any rate, I decided a long time ago that this dish really required two cans of soup (two different kinds is best, of course!)...and that really turns it into a grab-bag affair! What do I have in the pantry...what's on sale...what sounds good while I'm standing in the soup aisle?
I've tried it with cream-of-everything. It's all good!
But tonight, I think we really hit the bullseye! One can of golden mushroom and one can of cheddar cheese! And, of course, there is our favorite secret ingredient: chopped dill pickles!
Blessings!
Missy
In its earliest manifestation (before it underwent decades of recipe-evolution), this Bennett family crock-pot favorite was called Jenny Joes. Who is this Jenny? No idea! But you can tell it's a great recipe based on the scuzziness of its page in the cookbook!
I became enamored of Jenny Joes because (prepare yourself) I've never been a huge fan of tomato-based Sloppy Joes. (Please don't call my patriotism into question.) And, you will note, Jenny's recipe has only the tiniest hint of tomato...and I don't know if ketchup really counts anyway.
In real life, Mommy Joes bear only a skeletal resemblance to Jenny's classic recipe. I do use 2# browned ground beef (which, truth be told, was a 50/50 beef/deer combination this time), and I certainly add an onion (preferably red), seasonings, a big squirt of ketchup, and a smaller squirt of mustard...but from there, it's really never the same thing twice.
Do you have recipes like that? And sometimes your family asks you to make a favorite dish just like you did last time...only you have no idea what you did last time? I hope I'm not the only one!
At any rate, I decided a long time ago that this dish really required two cans of soup (two different kinds is best, of course!)...and that really turns it into a grab-bag affair! What do I have in the pantry...what's on sale...what sounds good while I'm standing in the soup aisle?
I've tried it with cream-of-everything. It's all good!
But tonight, I think we really hit the bullseye! One can of golden mushroom and one can of cheddar cheese! And, of course, there is our favorite secret ingredient: chopped dill pickles!
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| Now that's good eatin'! |
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| Especially with deviled egg potato salad and baked beans with bacon! And as an added bonus, our good friend and Kitchen Cooked chip man Les Schwass sent the boys home from Bible study with chips! Perfect timing! |
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| And because the Bible study guys didn't hit the cookies very hard, we even had dessert! Were you aware that you can make cookies out of virtually any old box of cake mix?! |
Ah, Mommy Joes...it's a Bennett Family Favorite! Right up there with Breakfast Burritos and Macaroni-and-Cheese-in-a-Cube! And you've gotta love a meal that's sooo easy and sooo universally adored! But you know my favorite thing about tonight's dinner, dontcha?
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| The table full of zanies with whom I shared this fabulous meal! |
Blessings!
Missy
A meal of bread and water in contented peace*
is better than a banquet spiced with quarrels.
Proverbs 17:1 (The Message)
*Contented, definitely. Peaceful is questionable. Some translations use the word joy. Let's run with that one!
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