By Sherrie Norris,
Father’s Day is just hours away and a time for families to honor “the big guy” around the house.
If your father is still alive, please make every possible effort to spend the day with him — and make every moment count. Your time will prove to be the best gift you can give him. (Unless, of course, you also take his vehicle to the corner station and fill it up with gas!)
Like most holidays, Father’s Day can be bittersweet for many, especially those children, regardless of age, who have lost a father this year, and those fathers who have lost a child. It is also hard for those who have not always had the perfect dad or a good relationship with their fathers.
I dedicate this column to my husband, Van Norris, who has been —and continues to be — the greatest father that anyone could possibly have hoped for. He stepped up to the plate many years ago to be the dad he didn’t have to be. He has been, and continues to be, the best there is.
Happy Day, Dads!
Breakfast Squares
1 egg
2 Tbs. milk
1 (16.3-oz.) can Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers Refrigerated Biscuits
1 pkg. precooked bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, beat egg and milk with whisk until smooth. Separate dough into 8 biscuits; cut each into quarters. Gently stir biscuit pieces into egg mixture to coat evenly. Fold in bacon and cheese. Spoon mixture into sprayed dish; arrange pieces in single layer. Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into squares.
Optional: For a buttery flavor, lightly brush melted butter over top when removed from the oven.
Dad’s Day Brunch Casserole
6 cups frozen shredded hash browns
1½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups diced cooked ham
½ cup sliced green onions
8 large beaten eggs
Two (12-oz.) cups evaporated milk
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Arrange potatoes evenly in the bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese, ham, and green onion. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture in dish. Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes.
Cornbread Salad
1 recipe cornbread
1 can corn niblets
1 can ranch beans, chili beans or kidney beans
1/2 cup sweet onion diced
1/4 cup green pepper diced
2 cups cheddar cheese grated
5-6 slices bacon fried crisp
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix blended with 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup sour cream.
Cut half of the cornbread in cubes. Place in bottom of a tall trifle dish or a large glass salad bowl. Drain the beans well and put over the cornbread layer. Next layer half the onion and green pepper. Pour half the dressing over this layer. Cut the rest of the cornbread in cubes and do another layer of cornbread.
Drain corn well and spoon over this layer. Sprinkle with remaining onion and green pepper. Finish the top with the remaining ranch dressing mix, grated cheese and bacon, crumbled. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
Note: This is best made early in the day and refrigerated for several hours to blend the flavors. I wouldn’t make it the day before though because it could get soggy.
7 Up Biscuits
4 cups Bisquick
1 cup sour cream
1 cup 7-up
½ cup melted butter
Mix Bisquick, sour cream and 7 up. Melt butter in bottom of cookie sheet pan, upon which shaped biscuit dough should be placed. Bake at 425 until golden.
Fudge Pecan Pie
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup Hershey’s cocoa
2/3 cup sugar
¼ tsp. salt
3 eggs, slightly beaten
¾ cup light corn syrup
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup pecan halves
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter over low heat; add cocoa and stir until smooth. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Stir in sugar, salt, eggs and corn syrup. Blend thoroughly. Stir in chopped pecans. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Place pecan halves evenly over top. Bake for 40 minutes. Cool. Let stand 8 hours before serving.
Garnish with whipped cream.
Little Handprint Cookies
1 pkg. refrigerated cookie dough, any flavor
All-purpose flour
Decorations: Cookie glaze, frostings, nondairy whipped topping, peanut butter and assorted candies.
Grease cookie sheets. Remove dough from wrapper. Cut dough into 4 equal sections. Sprinkle dough, working with one section at a time, with flour to minimize sticking, if necessary. Roll dough on prepared cookie sheet to rectangle. Place hand, palm-side down, on dough. Carefully cut around outline of hand with knife. Remove scraps. Separate fingers as much as possible using small spatula; pat fingers outward to lengthen slightly. Repeat steps with remaining dough.
(Mom, make sure you are available to cut around the outline of those little hands!)
Freeze dough 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350; bake 8-12 minutes or until cookies are set and edges are light brown. Cool completely on cookie sheets. Decorate as desired.
Repeat until all dough is used up.