The FFA Cookbook: Favorite Recipes from FFA Members & Alumni across America

By Erin J. Petersilie

Celebrate the legacy of the Future Farmers of America with these recipes from members and alumni that serve up healthy great tastes of the nation.

For almost a century, the National FFA Organization has helped young students learn about agriculture and life sciences. From the earliest members of young men who planned to be farmers to today’s boys and girls in all fifty-two states and territories, hundreds of thousands of Americans have learned about farming, science, technology—the basics of life—through the FFA. This cookbook brings together over 200 recipes from current members and alumni of FFA—recipes that hold true to the organization’s healthy living credo while serving up great tastes from America’s heartland. Illustrated throughout with photos from the organization’s past and present, the book is a rich source of recipes for hearty home-cooking and a delightful look at the spirit of America’s past and future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Sep 18, 2009
• ISBN: 9781616731830

Book preview

Bacon-Wrapped Club Crackers

Club Crackers

Parmesan cheese, with or without Romano, in can

Bacon, thin, cut in half lengthwise

Place 1 tsp. of cheese on a cracker. Wrap a slice of bacon around the cracker; be sure to wrap and cover each end. Place on a baking sheet with a rack. Bake at 200°F for 2 hours.

Rose McCollum

Junior Class President 2008–2009

B. J. Skelton Career Center FFA

South Carolina

Brew Pub Pretzels

¾ c. milk

4 tsp. cooking oil

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. bread flour

½ tsp. granulated sugar

2½ tsp. salt, divided

1 tsp. active dry yeast

1 beaten egg white

1 tbsp. water

Coarse salt or poppy seeds

1 8-oz. pkg. processed cheese spread

¼ c. strong ale or beer

¼ tsp. celery seed or caraway seed

Dash of pepper

Add milk, oil, all-purpose flour, bread flour, granulated sugar, ½ tsp. salt, and yeast to a bread machine. Select dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough and punch down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll the dough into a 10x6-inch rectangle and cut into 12½-inch-wide strips. Gently pull each strip into a rope about 16 inches long.

Shape each rope into a pretzel by crossing the rope’s ends over each other to form a circle with 4-inch tails. Twist once at the crossover point. Fold the tails over the circle. Moisten the ends and press to seal.

Place pretzels ½ inch apart on greased baking sheets. Bake in a 475°F oven for 4 minutes. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Dissolve 2 tsp. salt in 2 quarts boiling water. Reduce heat. Gently slide pretzels, a few at a time, into the simmering water. Simmer for 2 minutes, turning once. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack.

Place ½ inch apart on a well-greased baking sheet. Combine egg white and water. Brush pretzels with egg white mixture; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt or poppy seeds.

Bake in the 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly on wire racks. Meanwhile, combine processed cheese spread, ale or beer, celery seed or caraway seed, and a dash of pepper in a saucepan. Heat and stir over medium-low heat until cheese is melted. Serve with pretzels. Makes 12 servings.

Carol A. Corman

Regional Director

Pennsylvania FFA Alumni Association

Pennsylvania

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 small cans of chicken, cooked

2 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese

½ c. Colby-Jack cheese, shredded

½ c. ranch dressing

6- to 12-oz. buffalo wing sauce (depends on how spicy you want the dip)

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Stir occasionally until all ingredients are mixed. May take several hours. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Holly Grams

Chapter President

Anthony Wayne FFA Alumni

Ohio

Cottage Blue Chip Dip

1½ c. small curd-style cottage cheese

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

6 drops hot pepper sauce

3 scallions, sliced

¼ c. red peppers, diced

3 tbsp. heavy cream

⅓ c. (2 oz.) blue cheese, crumbled

In a food processor, purée cottage cheese until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. More cream can be added for a thinner dip. Chill 2 hours or more to allow the flavors to blend. Serve chilled with vegetables, chips, or crackers. Serves 32.

Note: Flavor will intensify over time. For stronger blue cheese flavor, prepare the dip 1 to 2 days prior to serving.

Kristin Gudex

Campbellsport FFA

Wisconsin

The Williamsburg (Kansas) FFA Chapter teaches an elementary school class about how food from the farm reaches the consumer through the Food for America program, circa 1993.

Dogs ’n’ Sauce

1 medium-size jar of peach preserves

1 small jar mustard

2 pkgs. hot dogs

2 pkgs. cocktail sausages

Gently mix the peach preserves and mustard together directly in the slow cooker. Slice the hot dogs and sausages into bite-size pieces and place in the sauce. Cook until the hot dogs and sausages are cooked throughout. Serve warm.

Cody Lamle

Columbia City FFA

Indiana

Dried Beef Dip

1 pkg. dried beef

½ c. sour cream

1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese

Minced onion and garlic, to taste

Mix all ingredients together well, refrigerate, and serve with crackers.

Cheryl Schlatter

Paulding FFA Alumni

Ohio

Fast and Friendly Meatballs

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 20-oz. pkg. ground turkey

1 egg, beaten

⅓ c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with the olive oil and place it in the oven while preheating. In a medium bowl, mix together the ground turkey, egg, and bread crumbs using your hands. Using an ice cream scoop, form the meat into golf ball–size meatballs. Place the meatballs about 1 inch apart in the hot baking dish. Press down on the meatball to slightly flatten the bottom.

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, turn the meatballs over, and continue baking for about 5 more minutes or until they are somewhat crispy on the outside.

Stephanie Fields

Tazewell FFA

Virginia

Gansen’s Big Game Snackers

1 pkg. smoked cocktail links

2 pkgs. bacon

Wrap each link with half a slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick. Place wrapped links in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Dip cooked links in mustard or BBQ sauce.

Tom Fitzgerald

Riceville FFA Alumni

Iowa

Grandma Jo’s Cinnamon Snack Mix

11 whole cinnamon graham crackers, broken into bite-size pieces (or 5 to 6 c. bite-size cinnamon bears or 10 oz. bite-size cinnamon crackers)

17.9-oz. box crispy corn and rice cereal

1½ c. pretzels

1½ c. pecan halves

⅔ c. butter, melted

½ c. honey

1 c. vanilla chips

Mix together crackers, cereal, pretzels, and pecans. Mix melted butter with honey and drizzle over the cracker mixture. Stir and bake in two greased roaster pans at 350°F for 12 minutes, stirring after 6 minutes. Add 1 c. of vanilla chips when mixture is completely cooled, and mix together.

Caleb Schlatter

Paulding FFA Alumni

Ohio

The floor of the 1948 National FFA Convention.

Grandma Jo’s Snack Pretzels

66 oz. pretzels (use squares, thin sticks, or twists), shake off excess salt in colander

12-oz. bottle popping and topping popcorn oil

1 pkg. ranch dressing dry seasoning mix

Combine oil and dry mix and pour over pretzels. Put in two large resealable containers for 10 hours. Turn the containers gently every hour or so to make sure the mixture covers the pretzels. Put the mixture in two large roasters and bake for 1 hour at 200°F, stirring carefully every 15 minutes.

Caleb Schlatter

Paulding FFA Alumni

Ohio

Hot Stuffed Dates

1 lb. dates, cut open

1 lb. almonds

½ lb. bacon, slices cut into half lengthwise

½ c. brown sugar

Stuff dates with almonds and wrap in bacon. Put a toothpick through the date to hold everything together. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 350°F until brown. You may bake before and refrigerate, or freeze first and then take out and bake. You can use fresh figs or prunes as variations.

June (Hunker) Obarr

Hopewell-Loudon FFA Alumni

Ohio

Jalapeño Cheese Spread

2 lbs. American cheese, grated

2 c. mayonnaise

1 onion, chopped

6 to 8 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped

Garlic salt, to taste

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate in a covered dish. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips. This spread is also great as a toasted sandwich. Makes 7 cups.

Lisa Wellman

Iowa Park FFA Booster

Texas

The national officers for 1928–1929.

Maple Praline Party Mix

5½ c. crispy corn and rice cereal

½ c. pecans, broken into pieces

⅓ c. maple syrup

3 tbsp. butter, melted

2 tsp. vanilla extract

¼ c. flaked coconut

1 tbsp. sesame seeds

In a 15x10x1-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray, combine cereal and pecans. Set aside. In a small bowl, stir together syrup, butter, vanilla extract, coconut, and sesame seeds. Pour syrup mixture over cereal, tossing until well coated.

Bake at 300°F for about 30 minutes, stirring twice. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Marilyn and Joni Ebenshade

Crestview FFA Alumni

Ohio

Parmesan Potato Wedges

½ c. flour

¾ tsp. salt

⅛ to ¼ tsp. paprika

⅛ tsp. pepper

½ c. grated Parmesan cheese

¼ tsp. garlic powder

6 large baking potatoes, quartered

⅓ c. butter, melted, or vegetable oil

Combine flour, salt, paprika, pepper, cheese, and garlic powder. Dip potatoes in water, then in the flour/cheese mixture. Place in a greased 9x13-inch pan. Mix butter or oil with remaining flour/cheese mixture and brush over potatoes at 15-minute intervals.

Bake at 375°F for 1 hour. Turn potatoes when browned on the bottom. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and/or parsley after baking for a while (optional).

Ed Schlatter

Paulding FFA Alumni

Ohio

Pea Dip

3 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese

16-oz. container sour cream

2 pkgs. dried beef, finely chopped

16-oz. bag frozen baby peas

1 bunch green onions, finely chopped

Beat cream cheese and add sour cream. Spoon in the last three ingredients. Serve with crackers.

Jessie Poulson

Pettisville FFA Alumni

Ohio

Sauerkraut Balls

2 tbsp. butter or margarine

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1 c. hot sausage, broken into small pieces

2 eggs, beaten

3 c. ground ham

2 tbsp. parsley

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

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