I hope I am not coming on too strong when I say there is nothing like a vintage Pillsbury Bake-Off Cookbook. Nothing. They are pretty much great from cover to cover. The awkward pictures. The hilarious food combinations. The desperate need to have “Mrs.” in front of every contestant’s name. The fluff-filled, saccharine “backstories” behind every triple-bleached goo-filled entry. Every yearly edition is a gold mine.
This particular book is no exception. The 1970 Bake Off was filled with hope, references to fat husbands, and copious amounts of flour.
Oh, and needless improvements on classic, standby meals.
Why would someone want to put Sloppy Joes into a pie? It makes no SENSE!
Now, I have made Sloppy Joes a couple of hundred times in my life. And I am pretty darn sure it takes less than 25 mins to throw them together. Even less if you use a can of Manwich. Why would I want to turn Sloppy Joes into an hour-long ordeal?
“Wow, Honey! You know how much I love a dinner that looks like a multi-eyed space monster who is about to devour me!”
No, that foil ball isn’t drugs. It’s frozen meat. I swear.
You only WISH it was drugs!
And now I wish it was drugs, too.
Okay, whose idea was it to put soup in the crust?
Oh.
Mrs. Doster.
Right.
By the by, this crust may look fine, but it smelled AWFUL!
Okay, whose idea was it to put three eggs into condensed tomato soup?
Oh.
Right.
The contest.
Notice, no extra seasonings in the meat.
Oh, here is all the flavor. In this slimy, snot-like layer.
Yummy.
A circle of olives makes it aaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll better.
Fresh from the 10 minute rest.
Oh God! Someone ate our pie already and then barfed it back into the shell!
What? It’s supposed to look like that? Who in the heck would want to serve a pie that looks like it has been pre-chewed?
Oh, that Mrs. Doster.
What a card.
This is indifferent shrugging, not involuntary gagging.
The Verdict: Okay. The tomato soup layer was gross. If two of those eggs were left out and the tomato soup snot would have been mixed into the meat it would have been a lot better. The crust was surprisingly good. After the way it smelled in prep I thought it would taste like smelly socks, but it was the best part of the “pie”. The crumbled crust and cheese on top was actually a good touch, too.
So close, Mrs. Doster! Maybe next year?
Awww. How can you not love a face like that???
Something wrong with saying the word “snot” when talking about any recipe!
If it’s any consolation, yours looks JUST like the picture! She really does look like a sweetheart of a lady. Think about how tickled she must have been to get in the book!
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Will let you know the results!
I am laughing hysterically. Multi-eyed space monster and tomato soup snot. That Mrs. Doster, who’da thunk it.
Since this is a PB-O recipe, I’ll tell you this story. My Aunt Ruth (Mrs. Molloy) entered the 1964 PB-O with Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake. She won Honorable Mention, or some such. She was so incensed by not winning first prize that she told Art Linkletter (the host in those days) that she never did like that crappy old Pilsbury flour anyway.
Aunt Ruth was brilliant, talented, and a little dingy. And, yes, her cake is in the 1964 PB-O cookbook regardless of her opinion of the flour.
Gosh, yes it does seem SO much easier to make the regular Sloppy Joes doesn’t it? Maybe Mrs. Doster just really loved pies? Maybe everything tasted better to her in pie form? 🙂 Sorry it did not work out that well. Let’s just remember last weeks MCM Menu – the Deluxe Hot Chicken Salad – there that makes things all better now! 😉
You are not coming on too strongly – I LOVE my 1971 Pillsbury Bake-Off Dessert Cookbook. Love every bit of it, including the hokey pictures and ridiculous recipes…one of which is a “cobbler” consisting of pouring cherry pie filling into a pan and topping it with canned Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. I have made a few things out of it that were really good, including “Top Me Twice Cake” and “Blueberry Boy Bait”. : D
Ma – I know, that’s what makes it funny. 🙂
Eartha – I guess it is some sort of consolation. Although, instead of “just like the picture” I would have preferred, “good”. ;p
Martha – Snap me a pic and I will put it on the blog!!! 🙂 There is a vintage cookbook in it for you! Good luck to you and yours.
Annie – Hooray! You know I love to make you laugh. And you made me laugh with that story! I am going to keep my eye out for that year and if I find it I am totally making your Aunt’s Cake!!! (Plus her name was Ruth!)
Sara – I think it must be something like that. What should we call it? “Pie Syndrome” sounds kind of boring. How about “Pie-jecting” or “Pie-eyed”? Hmmm..I will have to think about this! And yes, the chicken salad does give me comfort when I am upset.
Becky – Your comment is both filthy and hilarious. I am keeping my eye out for Blueberry Boy Bait. Maybe two eyes. And if you feel like scanning and sending it to me or (even better) making it and taking pics, I will send you great vintage cookbook! Do we have a deal? 🙂
LOL, kinda turns you off of sloppy joes!
I know Sable, doesn’t it????
Ruth – I will try to hunt it down and scan it for you today (I think it’s in a box somewhere), deal! Alas, I cannot bake it and take pics as we’re currently camera-less. It’s just a basic, blueberry coffee cake but the name is priceless.