Submitted by Dan Lowrance, Duncan, OK

This recipe was submitted for the 2007 MIO Recipe Roundup Contest and serves as a reminder that many of the old recipes continue to be some of the very best. Certainly in these economic troubling times this is the kind of recipe a frugal cook might choose to feed their family.

From the “Tastefully Oklahoma” cookbook is this description:

“This recipe was handed down from Florence Rachel McFarridge Lowrance. Born in 1875, she live in Loco, OK for 90 years. With a milk cow, some chickens and a little flour, she said she always had the ingredients for this recipe. On Sundays or fancy occassions, she would open a home-canned jar of bread-and-butter pickles to serve with it. She would say, ‘It’s the simplest and the best.’”

Ingredients For the Chicken

1 whole chicken (2 1/2 to 3 lb.) cut up
1 onion halved
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients For Dumplings

1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups Shawnee Best all-purpose flour
1/4 lb. (1 stick) Braum’s or Hiland unsalted butter
1 cup Hiland or Braum’s milk

Directions
Place the chicken, onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper in stock pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer until done. Remove chicken and spices, cool and de-bone. You may also opt to leave the chicken in cut up pieces without deboning, your choice. Reserve broth.

For the dumplings, combine salt, baking powder and flour. Cut in butter with pastry blender or better yet, your fingers. Add milk and mix well.

Turn out onto lightly floured board or countertop and knead lightly. Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into strips.

Drop strips into boiling chicken broth. Add cut up chicken. Cover and reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes.

Susan Allen with Dairy Max sent this recipe. Any kind of slider type sandwich seems to be all the rage these days. This recipe might be a welcome change at any Fourth of July party!

Makes 12

Ingredients
12 dinner rolls

For Meatballs:
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil
1 ½ Pounds 95% Lean Ground Beef
3 Sticks reduced fat string cheese, cut into 12 pieces
1 Cup Reduced Fat Cheddar or Jack Cheese, Grated
¼ Teaspoon Pepper

Sauce:
1-1/4 cups ketchup
1⁄4 cup mustard
1⁄4 cup brown sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon pepper

Garnishes:
1.25 cups grated reduced fat Cheddar cheese
5 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups cherry tomatoes

Optional Garnish: Sliced Pickle

Let’s Start Baking!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil and pour the olive oil onto pan. Tilt pan to coat the bottom with oil. Set aside.

1. Combine GROUND BEEF, GRATED CHEESE, SALT, and PEPPER in a large mixing bowl. Divide equally into 12 meatballs. Place meatballs on prepared sheet pan. Insert 1 piece of string cheese in the center of each meatball, reshaping the meatball if necessary. Place in pre heated oven and bake 15-20 minutes.

2. While meatballs are baking, combine all sauce ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 30 seconds. Stir and heat another 10 to 15 seconds. Remove from microwave and set aside.

3. Cut dinner rolls in half and toast them.

4. Place each meatball on bottom half of a toasted dinner roll, ladle with sauce, and garnish with cheese, lettuce and tomato. Add optional garnish of sliced pickle. Replace top half of roll and serve.

Recipe adapted by Barbara Beery for Dairy Max. From the University of Texas Longhorns Cookbook Text copyright ©2008 by Barbara Beery, reprinted with permission of Gibbs Smith.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size (172g)
12 Servings
% Daily Value
Calories 290
Total Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 50mg 17%
Sodium 720mg 30%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 11g
Protein 21g
Vitamin A 35%
Vitamin C 20%
Calcium 40%
Iron 15%