Meatloaf seems to be the key to many April Fool’s pranks. From Rice Krispie “meat loaf”to Meat loaf cooked in a cake pan or cupcake pan-they all seem fair game for the meatloaf magic in your April Fool’s day.

This is a tasty retro jell-o way to use up the last of the ham and hard boiled eggs from Easter. Sort of a tomato aspic meets ham salad. I prefer using V-8 in this dish. In fact, I am doing just that later today. Watch for pics.

Chopped Ham Salad Mold

1 tbsp unflavored gelatin
1/4 c. cold water
1 1/2 c. tomato juice, heated
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
3 hard cooked eggs, chopped
1 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. chopped cucumber
1/2 c. bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp chopped onion
1/2 c mayonnaise

Soften gelatin in cold waater. Add hot tomato juice; stir until dissolved. Add lemon juice and salt; chill until partially set. Soak cucumbers in salted water; drain. Combine with all remaining ingredients; fold into thickened gelatin. Pour into mold; chill until firm. Yield: 6 servings

~Daphne Smith
Winnsboro, TX

Favorite Recipes of America, Salads

I thought about a traditional tuna egg salad since it is Egg Salad week but hey, this one seemed much better. No there is no comma between American and Swiss. Retro, easy, light, frugal, and edible!

Protein Salad Bowl

1 lge head lettuce, torn into large pieces
4 hard-cooked eggs, quartered
4 tomatoes, peeled and quartered
4 thick slices American Swiss or Bleu cheese, cut into bite size chunks
6 dill pickles sliced
1/2 c halved walnuts
1 lge red or white onion sliced into rings
2 cans chunked style tuna, drained
Salad dressing to taste

Toss all ingredients; serve chilled. Yield-4-6 servings

Favorite Salads, 1946

This retro favorite is a great way to use up a few of those extra hard boiled eggs, and if you want…use some leftover ham in place of the prosciutto and leftover tomato sauce. The thrifty use of leftovers makes this a frugal find. I know the hard boiled eggs sound odd..but they are a treat.

Sicilian Meatloaf

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 small onion, finely minced
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
2 eggs
salt & pepper to taste
2-3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
2-3 slices prosciutto

SAUCE FOR TOPPING

1 tablespon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup stewed tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine beef and pork. Mix with a fork. Add onion, bread crumbs and fennel seeds. Mix lightly. In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add to meat. Season with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, blend all ingredients together. Divide meat mixture in half. Shape meat into two rectangles about 7 x 5 inches. Place in baking dish. Make a shallow depression in the center of the loaf. Wrap each egg,in a slice of prosciutto. Place in hollow of loaf . Push sides of meat in firmly to hold eggs.  Place second half of meat on top of eggs, pushing edges together to seal eggs into the loaf. Place in middle shelf of oven. Bake for 90 minutes at 350° F.

If you are looking for a lovely brunch egg dish…particularly one in a nest…this is the one to try. Use a nice sharp cheddar cheese. Maybe a shade more brandy and half and half in place of the evaporated milk. (though evaporated milk can be a healthier, richer choice for this dish) You can get away with less cheese and go with toast if you don’t want to fuss with croutons, but the croutons make a nice festive nest for the dish.

Eggs a la Atlanta

4 poached eggs
2 cups buttered, toasted croûtons
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup Brandied cream sauce

Poach eggs and place in a nest of toasted croûtons. Top with grated cheddar cheese and brandied cream sauce. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and sprig of parsley.

Brandied Cream Sauce
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup evaporated milk, heated
1/4 cup chicken broth, heated
2 tablespoons brandy
salt
Melt butter, stir in flour, cooking until bubbly. Gradually add heated evaporated milk and chicken broth, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Add brandy and season to taste.

~Mrs Harry G. Haisten, Jr.
Atlanta Cooks For Company, 1968

Why yes, I did snicker like a child when I saw it. Of course, I might should borrow some cocks from nuthinfancy in order to have such a setting this Easter.

Also from the 1959 Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Cook Book

This retro appetizer from the 1959 Better Homes and Gardens Holiday cookbook is a wonderful 50s creation for when a cheese ball just isn’t enough. I must warn you this is one of those creepy looking 50s appetizers with a cream cheese “frosting” on the outside of the ham ball.

Interestingly, deviled ham is one of the tastes of spring for me. My mother often made egg salad with it for Easter lunch or the day after Easter.

Appetizer Ham Ball

2 4 1/2-ounce cans deviled ham
3 tablespoons chopped stuffed green olives
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
Tabasco sauce to taste
1 3-oz package cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons milk

Blend deviled ham, olives, mustard, and Tabasco. Form in ball on serving dish. Chill.  Combine cream cheese and milk, and frost ball with mixture. Keep chilled; remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving time. Trim with parsley. Makes about 1 cup.

Because sometimes you just want a super easy savory quick bread for dinner.  Truly, what could be better than cheese bread?

2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups milk
7 1/2 cups Bisquick
1 1/2 cups sharp cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans WELL. Blend together eggs and milk. Stir in Bisquick and cheese. Blend well, but don’t give in to over-beating it. Pour into loaf pans. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

This is a classic or retro cookery-Green Jell-o with cottage cheese and pineapple. If that isn’t enough to tickle you-it also has marshmallows and Dream Whip!

1/2 c. crushed pineapple
1 pkg lime gelatin
1/2 c. water
1 c. cottage cheese
1 c. marshmallows
1 c. dessert topping mix, prepared (Dream Whip)

Drain pineapple, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine gelatin, water, and juice. Boil for 5 minutes. Cool. Add pineapple, cheese and marshmallows. Allow to thicken slightly. Fold in topping mix. Chill.

This one just because separating out all those courses can be rough on the retro woman. Nice combo of potato and tuna salad too.
1/2 head lettuce, broken in small pieces
1 9 1/4 oz can flaked tuna
1 No. 303 can peas, drained
3 cooked potatoes, diced
2 sweet pickles, chopped
1/2 medium onion chopped
1/2 c. chopped celery
salt to taste
Salad dressing or mayonnaise

Reserve 1/2 of lettuce. Combine remaining lettuce with other ingredients. Toss lightly. Chill. Serve on reserved lettuce. 6 servings