15 of Our Favorite Community Cookbook Recipes (2024)

Salem-College-Style Iced Tea
This recipe is from the Heart & Hand cookbook and was published in the July 2011 issue of Our State. To order a copy, contact Home Moravian Church at (336) 722-6171.

Yield: 1½-gallon.

4 sprigs mint
8-12 whole cloves
3 quarts water
1 family-size tea bag
2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup lemon juice
1 (12-ounce) can frozen orange juice, undiluted
1 (46-ounce) can pineapple juice

Place mint, cloves, and water in a 1½-gallon kettle, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Turn off heat. Add tea, and steep 15 minutes. Strain mixture, and discard solids. Add sugar, and stir to dissolve. Add juices. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving to blend flavors. Serve over ice, and garnish with fresh mint. Do not use a strong mint like peppermint or wintergreen. The ideal mint is julep mint.

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Nana’s Cornbread
This recipe is from the North Carolina Elks: Our Favorite Recipes cookbook and was published in the July 2012 issue of Our State.

Yield: 1 pan.

3 eggs
½ cup corn oil
2 boxes corn muffin mix
1 tablespoon salt
1 (15½-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream

Blend together the eggs and oil.

Add the remaining ingredients, and mix well.

Bake in a greased and floured 8-inch x 11-inch pan for 35 minutes at 350º.

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Buttermilk Biscuits
This recipe is from the Tupelo Honey Cafe: New Southern Flavors From the Blue Ridge Mountains and was published in the April 2014 issue of Our State.

Preheat oven to 425˚ and position oven rack slightly below center of oven. Lightly butter a round cake pan or cast-iron skillet.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar, and salt. Snap pieces of shortening with your fingers until they’re no larger than peas.

Make a well in the mixture and pour in cream and ⅔ cup of buttermilk. Using your hands, sweep in the flour and turn dough until dry ingredients are moistened and dough resembles cottage cheese, adding just enough of remaining ⅓ cup buttermilk to reach this consistency.

Sprinkle rolling surface with flour. Turn dough out onto the surface and sprinkle top with flour. With floured hands, fold dough in half and pat it into a ⅓- to ½-inch-thick round, using additional flour as needed. Flour again if necessary and fold dough in half a second time. If dough is still clumpy, repeat folding process for a third time. Pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round. Dip a 2-inch biscuit cutter into the flour and cut out biscuits, ensuring you don’t twist the cutter.

Place biscuits in pan, sides slightly touching. Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter and bake for 15-20 minutes, until light golden brown, rotating pan 180 degrees after 6 minutes. Remove from oven and brush biscuits again with melted butter.

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Pimento Cheese
This recipe is from the Southern Delights cookbook and was published in the July 2013 issue of Our State. This cookbook is no longer available for purchase.

8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
8 ounces Vermont Cheddar cheese, grated
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
10 drops Texas Pete (or Tabasco)
¼ teaspoon Spice Islands Beau Monde seasoning
White vinegar
7-ounce jar chopped red pimientos
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Dash of cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a food processor. Start with 1 teaspoon vinegar, add up to 1 tablespoon, to taste. Use pimento juice to soften mixture. Enjoy your Southern pimento cheese.

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Wrightsville Beach Oyster Stew
This recipe is from the Seaboard to Sideboard Entertains cookbook and was published in the January 2014 issue of Our State. To order a copy, purchase online here.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4 small onions, chopped
1 bunch celery, chopped
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
¼ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 (2-ounce) jar pimientos
1½ teaspoons thyme
1½ teaspoons pepper
1¼ teaspoons salt
8 cups milk
8 cups heavy cream
1 gallon shucked oysters with oyster liquor

Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions, celery, mushrooms, and garlic, and sauté until tender. Reduce heat to low. Add flour, undrained pimientos, thyme, pepper, and salt. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add milk, cream, and undrained oysters. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the edges of the oysters curl. Do not boil. Ladle into soup bowls.

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Boss Strong’s Collard Sandwich
This recipe is from the The Scuffleton cookbook and was published in the December 2011 issue of Our State. To order a copy, contact Gloria Gates at (336) 437-2749 or globird2@bellsouth.net.

Collards
Cornbread
Fried fatback

The secret to a good collard sandwich is really simple: Take some collards, chop fine, and place between two pieces of fried cornbread. The cornbread should be fried crispy. On top of the collard sandwich, place a couple of pieces of fried fatback. Wrap in tinfoil until ready to eat.

Collard sandwiches are good with a tall glass of buttermilk. The sandwich can be served cold or hot.

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Savory Summer Pie
This recipe is from the Revolutionary Cooks cookbook and was published in the July 2011 issue of Our State. To order a copy, contact Ramona Collins at (336) 874-2302 or ramocolli3@aol.com.

Yield: 1 pie.

1 piecrust
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
½ medium purple onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
4 large eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 (8-ounce) package Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
3 plum tomatoes, sliced

Fit piecrust into a 9-inch deep-dish pan. Prick bottom and sides with a fork, and bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside. Sauté bell pepper, onion, and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in basil. In separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Stir in sautéed vegetables and cheese. Pour into crust. Top with tomato slices, and bake at 375° for 45-50 minutes or until set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Tip: Cover edges of crust with aluminum foil during baking to prevent them from getting too brown.

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Chicken Salad
This recipe is from the Hopewell Heritage Cookbooks cookbook and was published in the April 2012 issue of Our State. To order a copy, contact the church office at hopewell@hopewellpresby.com.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

1 (4- to 5-pound) chicken
2 cups celery, chopped
¾ to 1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
¼ cup pickle relish
2 tablespoons minced onion (optional)
1 apple, chopped
¼ cup toasted almonds or pecans
½ cup seedless grapes, halved
½ teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper

Boil chicken; then bone and chop it. Combine chicken and celery. Combine remaining ingredients, stirring well. Add ingredients to chicken mixture, and toss well. Cover, and chill.

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Squash Casserole
This recipe is from the Memories of Food, People, & Places cookbook and was published in the June 2011 issue of Our State. This cookbook is no longer available for purchase.

2 pounds squash, sliced
1 carrot, grated
1 (10-ounce can) cream of chicken soup
8 ounces sour cream
Salt
Pepper
Herb-seasoned dressing mix

Boil and drain squash. Combine squash, carrot, soup, and sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into greased casserole dish. Cover with herb-seasoned dressing mix. Bake at 350° until bubbly.

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Fried Chicken with All the Fixins
This recipe is from the Recipes from Our Front Porch cookbook and was published in the February 2013 issue of Our State. To order a copy, purchase online at hemlock.inn.com.

For the chicken batter:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons paprika
4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

For the chicken gravy:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk

For the chicken batter: Mix ingredients together, and put in paper bag. Shake damp chicken in bag. Use breasts, legs, or thighs. Place chicken in cast-iron skillet with ¼ inch of vegetable oil. Cook on medium heat for 1 hour. Serve with chicken gravy.

For the chicken gravy: Leave ¼ cup hot grease in skillet after frying chicken. Add flour, and stir constantly over medium heat until base begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Slowly add milk, and stir with whisk until gravy thickens.

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Peggy’s Flank Steak
This recipe is from the Cooks a’ Bruin cookbook and was published in the May 2012 issue of Our State. This cookbook is no longer available for purchase.

Yields: 8 servings.

1 cup vegetable or canola oil
¾ cup soy sauce
½ cup lemon juice
¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
¼ cup prepared mustard
1-2 teaspoons coarsely cracked pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
3 pounds flank steak

Combine all ingredients except steak, and pour into ziplock bag. Add flank steak. Refrigerate 24-36 hours, turning occasionally. Cook on grill 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Carve in very thin slices diagonally across grain. Skewer slices for beef kebabs.

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Moravian Chicken Pie
This recipe is from the North Carolina Elks: Our Favorite Recipes cookbook and was published in the July 2012 issue of Our State. To order a copy, call (919) 777-8724.

Yield: 6 servings.

1 (3-pound) chicken
2 whole chicken breasts (or 4 halves)
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 stalk celery, quartered
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cube or package of chicken bouillon seasoning
3 tablespoons butter, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons flour
1 (2-crust) box refrigerated piecrusts, divided

Preheat oven to 450º.

Place chicken in stockpot, and cover with water. Add onion, celery, bay leaf, garlic salt, and bouillon cube. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high, and continue to cook for at least 1 hour.

The chicken is done if meat falls from the bone when lifted with fork. Remove chicken from pot, and cool.

Strain broth, save it, and do not remove fat. Discard vegetables.

When the meat is cool enough to handle, remove skin and bone, and discard. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces.

Place one pastry round in a 9-inch pie pan. Put chicken into pan, and pour broth over pieces to almost cover. Include floating fat.

Cut up 2 tablespoons butter, and dot over chicken. Add salt and pepper. Sprinkle chicken with flour.

Place the second crust on top, and seal the edges. Cut slits in top crust.

Skim off 1 tablespoon fat from remaining broth, and spread over the top. Dot crust with 1 tablespoon butter.

Bake at 450º for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375º, and continue baking for 1 hour.Tip: If the crust begins to brown too quickly, cover it gently with aluminum foil.

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Dody’s Chocolate Cake
This recipe is from the Recipes from Our Front Porch cookbook and was published in the February 2013 issue of Our State. To order a copy, purchase online at hemlock.inn.com.

Yield: 18 servings.

For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
8 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup buttermilk
2 eggs
½ teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
¾ cup chocolate icing

For the icing:
4 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
8 tablespoons butter
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake:Preheat oven to 350˚. Combine flour and sugar in mixing bowl. Put 1 cup water, oil, butter, and cocoa into heavy boiler. Bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add mixture to sugar and flour, beat well. Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and salt. Mix until smooth. Pour batter in 9-inch x 13-inch baking pan and bake for 40 minutes. Ice with chocolate icing while still hot.

For the icing:Mix milk, cocoa, and butter together, and bring to a boil. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, stirring until well mixed, with no lumps.

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Banana Pudding
This recipe is from the You’re Invited Back cookbook and was published in the July 2014 issue of Our State. To order a copy, purchase online here.

Yield: 8 servings.

½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 egg yolks
2 cups milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) package vanilla wafers
5 or 6 ripe bananas, sliced
3 egg whites
¼ cup sugar

Mix ½ cup sugar with flour and salt in a double boiler. Add egg and egg yolks. Stir in milk.

Cook over boiling water until thickened, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Alternate layers of the pudding, vanilla wafers, and bananas in a 1½-quart baking dish until all ingredients are used, ending with a layer of pudding.

Preheat oven to 425˚. Beat egg whites in a mixing bowl until frothy. Gradually add ¼ cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.

Spread over the pudding. Bake for 5 minutes.

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Coconut Cake
This recipe is from the Meals & Memories cookbook and was published in the August 2011 issue of Our State. This cookbook is no longer available for purchase.

For the filling:
2 (8-ounce) cartons sour cream
2 cups sugar
1 (6-ounce) package frozen coconut, thawed

For the cake:
2 boxes Duncan Hines Yellow Cake mix

For the frosting:
½ pint sweetened whipped cream
1 (6-ounce) package frozen coconut, thawed

For the filling: Mix above ingredients. Cover, and store in refrigerator for 24 hours.

For the cake: Prepare 2 layers using Duncan Hines Yellow Cake mix. When cool, divide the layers, making 4 layers. Stack, spreading filling on top of each layer, including the top layer.

For the frosting: Frost sides and top with sweetened whipped cream. Sprinkle with coconut. Cover finished cake with foil, and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving. The filling will be juicy, but that’s OK.

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