Five great Amish Recipes that can be made simple with ingredients from any supermarket. To get the full flavor of each dish, all recipes must use non-processed and natural ingredients. Since most American’s do not have the time or desire to prepare a meal in this fashion, there are a few shortcuts that can be taken. The end result will still be satisfying.
Sheppard’s Pie is one of the old standards that many Amish families have. It all starts by browning 2 pounds of ground beef, ½ large onion and seasoning it with garlic, salt and pepper. Then drain the fat off and place the contents in a bowl. Add a small can of brown gravy, 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup, 2 ½ cups of water, 1 ½ cups of sliced carrots and ¾ cup of peas. Season this to taste and place in casserole dish. Top this with mashed potatoes and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes.
One of the most versatile foods the Amish make is the dumplings or spaetzle. These are simple to prepare and can be used with many different types of meat including chicken and pork. This Amish recipe for this is simple but delicious. 1 cup of milk and 2 cups of flour are mixed together in a bowl. Add two eggs, one at a time while beating the mixture. Salt should be added to taste. To cook the dumplings, salt water or meat broth should be used. The mixture is poured into the boiling liquid in small amounts. Depending on the size of the dumplings, the cooking time is 3 to 5 minutes.
One of the easiest soups is the split pea soup. This requires a ham bone, 1 pound of split peas, 3 quarts of water, 2 carrots sliced thin and one large onion sliced thin. All of the contents are simmered for 3 hours. At the end of that time the ham bone is removed and the soup is feed thru a course sieve. This Amish recipe is simple, easy and filling.
Apple butter is one of the all time favorites of men who work in the fields. This is great on bread and toast. Either prepare applesauce or obtain 16 cups of it. Place it in a bowl then combine the applesauce with 3 pounds of brown sugar, 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon. These ingredients then need to be placed in an over at 350 F for 3 hours. Be sure to stir the mixture every 20 minutes or so. When done about 5 quarts of apple butter will be made.
Baked beans are an all around favorite. This starts with soaking 1 pound of navy beans in 6 cups of water overnight. The following morning boil the beans for about 20 minutes. This process is called parboiling since the beans are not to be fully cooked at this time. Drain the water out and cool the beans. Place ¼ pound of bacon along with a large onion sliced in the dish you will be baking the beans in. Add the beans, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup molasses, 2 teaspoons of dry mustard, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 2 cups of water and salt and pepper to taste. Place in oven at 300 for 6 hours. Periodically add water to keep the beans moist.
These are just 5 Amish recipes you can make at home for your family to enjoy. Remember the more natural the source of ingredients you use, the more authentic the taste will be. So with that great delicious smell of home Amish cooking going on, why not get started with your first custom Amish Quilt?