New Year's Eve Food

I know, I seldom post here on weekends, and yet this is the third weekend in a row I'm posting. This will probably be the last weekend post for a while.

Here are six recipes you can fix for this evening's New Year's Eve celebration...or, really, any time. Enjoy!

CROCK POT PUDDING (RICE)

This came from a long-since-forgotten-emailing-list.

2 1/2 c. cooked rice

1 1/2 c. scalded milk

2/3 c. white or brown sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 c. raisins

3 tbsp. soft butter

Combine all ingredients. Pour into lightly greased crock pot. Cook on high 1 to 2 hours. Stir during first 30 minutes. Recipe can be doubled.

MEATLESS-BALL SUBS

1 package Meatless Balls (see note)

1 26 oz. Jar spaghetti sauce

4 hoagie rolls

cheese slices

Place spaghetti sauce and meatless balls into a good-sized saucepan. Stir, and cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.





Open hoagie rolls, add cheese, cover with meatless balls and sauce.



Makes 4 meatless ball subs.

Note: I use Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs, though really, you can use any brand you like. I had used another brand for a number of years, but unfortunately, I can no longer find that particular brand anywhere now. Whatever brand you buy is fine, as well as the jarred spaghetti sauce.

ORANGE BREAD

This came from a long-since-forgotten-emailing-list.

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. oil

2 tbsp. milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. fresh or frozen orange juice.

Glaze

2 tbsp. orange juice

1/4 c. sugar

Mix together. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake 350 degrees 50-55 min.

While cake is still warm, make glaze: Mix 2 tbsp. orange juice and 1/4 c. sugar. Pour over warm cake.

RAINBOW SPRINKLE CAKE

This is from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “In the 1990s, when home bakers started putting rainbow sprinkles in their cakes, as well as on their cakes, the Funfetti craze was born. Pillsbury introduced its Funfetti cake mix in 1989, and the idea was quickly adopted by home cooks for waffles, pancakes and cupcakes. Now, as seen on photo-friendly social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest, rainbow sprinkles are decorating everything from morning smoothie bowls to late-night martinis. But the Funfetti layer cake is still the most fun. You can buy premixed rainbow sprinkles, but professionals mix their own to get just the right color combination. (Coming up with a signature "house blend" is a good Saturday morning project for kids.) And though it may be tempting, do not use any sprinkles made with natural colorings in the cake -- they fade away, instead of leaving beautiful streaks of color.” Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling.

This was featured in “The Funfetti Explosion” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), slightly softened, more for pans

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, more for pans

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

2/3 cup whole milk

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

1 whole egg plus 2 egg whites

1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles (not pastel, or naturally colored)

For the Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, slightly softened

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), slightly softened

1/8 teaspoon fine salt, more to taste

3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted, more to taste

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup rainbow sprinkles (see note)

Preparation

Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees and place a rack in the center. Butter and line the bottoms of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Butter the parchment. Flour the pans, coating the bottom and sides, then tap out any excess flour.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, stir together milk and vanilla.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and, with mixer running, slowly add egg and whites and beat until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down bowl. Add half the flour mixture, then the milk mixture, then the remaining flour mixture, beating to blend after each addition. Scrape down bowl and blend once more. Remove bowl and use a spatula or spoon to mix in sprinkles by hand.

Divide batter evenly between the pans and bake until the tops are just dry to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through baking. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool completely, at least 4 hours, before turning out.

Make the frosting: In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, butter and salt together at medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and, with mixer running, slowly add sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla just until incorporated. Taste frosting; you should be able to taste the cream cheese and a little bit of saltiness, as well as the sweetness. If desired, add more salt or sugar. Keep refrigerated.

Turn cooled cakes out of pans. Using a bread knife, cut off any domed or uneven parts of each cake to make flat surfaces. Place one of the cakes on a platter or a cake stand, cut side up. Using an offset spatula, frost the top. Stack the other layer on top, cut side down. Place remaining frosting on top of the cake and, working from the center outward, frost the top and sides of the cake.

Place a baking sheet under the platter or cake stand, to catch any fallen sprinkles. Sprinkle the top with a layer of sprinkles. Toss remaining sprinkles at the sides of the cake, or press handfuls of sprinkles gently up the sides to make a thicker coating. Gather fallen sprinkles and repeat until coated to your liking.

Refrigerate cake 30 minutes or longer to set. Serve cool.

Tip

Julia's house blend: 2 parts blue, 1 part yellow, 1 part orange, 1 part bright pink. It's best not to use white, light pastel or "natural" sprinkles. They just disappear (poof!) into the cake after baking.

CROCK POT BROCCOLI & RICE CASSEROLE

This came from a long-since-forgotten-emailing-list.

1 sm. onion, diced

1/4 c. butter, melted

2 c. quick cooking rice

2 c. water

1 (10 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 tsp. salt

Pepper to taste

1 (5 oz.) jar sharp cheese spread

2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen chopped broccoli, partially thawed

1/4 lb. Velveeta cheese

Corn flake crumbs, browned in butter (opt.)

Combine all ingredients except corn flake crumbs in crock pot. Stir thoroughly. Cover. Cook low 7 to 10 hours or high 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle crumbs over top. If crock pot comes out of your crock pot, brown under broiler for extra crispness. I double this in my large crock pot. Great for pot luck.

CREAMED CORN CASSEROLE

This came from a long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. Makes 6 servings.

1 T butter

1 T flour

1/2 C milk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 1/2 C cooked corn

3 T chopped onion

3 T chopped green pepper

1 tsp marjoram

Chopped fresh parsley

Make white sauce of butter, flour, & milk. Mix with remaining ingredients except parsley. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Turn into greased casserole. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes.

Ring with parsley and serve.