Grandmother's Mexican Cornbread

**NOTE: This recipe was added prior to this site becoming DFEFPF. I've left it here just for reference.**


This is another recipe I inherited from my mother-in-law. Jeff likes his Mexican cornbread really spicy and I don't. If it was just me, I'd use about 2 Tbsp jalapeños, for Jeff, probably 4 - 5 Tbsp.

3 Cups Self Rising Cornmeal
3 eggs
3 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 can cream corn
3 Tbsp sugar
2 medium chopped onion or 1 large
3 Tbsp jalapeños

Grease and flour 13x9 pan. Bake at 450 for a little under 30 minutes.

Super Soup

This is great for your leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. The recipe calls for turkey legs, but I've used anything I had left over and it's great.

From www.allrecipes.com submitted by Melody

Super Soup

• 2 turkey legs
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 1/2 cups diced potatoes
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 pound processed cheese, cubed
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
• 4 cups water

Boil turkey in water until tender. Cut up meat, and add back into turkey broth. Add onions, potatoes, carrots, and celery. Boil until tender. Add frozen vegetables, and cook 15 minutes more. Stir in cream of chicken soup and cubed cheese. Cook over medium-low heat until cheese melts, stirring often.

Quick & Easy Fudgey Brownies (Dairy Free)

These are my FAVORITE BROWNIES!! Yummm. This recipe came from off the box of Hershey's Unsweetened Baking Chocolate bar (Kosher OU).

4 bars (4 oz) HERSHEY'S Unsweetened Baking Chocolate, broken into pieces
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) dairy free margarine (I added the dairy free part)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c all-purpose flour (watch labels)
1 c chopped nuts (optional, and I opt to not include them)

Heat oven to 350. Grease 13x9x2 inch baking pan.

In large microwave-safe bowl, place chocolate and better. Microwave at HIGH 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Add sugar; stir with spoon until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add flour and nuts, if desired; stir until well blended. Spread into prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares. About 24 brownies.

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If you don't have chocolate squares on hand, but do have cocoa powder, try this recipe instead.
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Dairy Free Bratwurst Stew

From www.allrecipes.com by Deborah Elliott

Bratwurst Stew

• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth (check your labels for dairy free)
  
• 4 medium carrots, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
• 2 celery ribs, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 cups chopped cabbage
• 2 (15.5 ounce) cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 5 fully cooked bratwurst links, cut into 3/4 inch slices (check label for dry milk)

In a large saucepan, combine the broth, carrots, celery, onion and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the cabbage; cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in beans and bratwurst; heat through.

Dairy Free Spinach Salad with Dressing

I believe I got this recipe from a Taste of Home magazine. I don't know which issue, though. Sorry.

8 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 lb fresh sliced mushrooms
4 green onions
1/2 jar Real Bacon (or you can make your own bacon pieces)
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
3 hard-cooked eggs cut into wedges


Combine spinach, mushrooms, and onions in salad bow. Heat lemon juice, water, mustard, and pepper until heated through. Add bacon to heated mixture, pour over salad immediately. Toss salad. Top with eggs.

Frosting for Cut-Out Cookies (Dairy Free)

This is not a very precise recipe. I have to play with it every year to get it "just right".

2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs melted dairy free margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c dairy free shortening
4 tsp Soy milk
prepared coffee to cut sweetness (optional)
food coloring as desired

I use my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer to stir this up. You want it to be smooth and spreadable. It will take about 5 minutes of beating to get the right consistency. Yield: frosts approximately 75 cookies

Add the coffee a little at a time and taste test to your desired sweetness (that's the fun part!).

We found that with the food coloring it's best to just make the given colors of red, yellow, and blue, and green first. Then take what you need from each to make orange, purple, etc.

Cut Out Cookies (Dairy Free)

There is a story I have to tell with this recipe. When I was in 7th grade, I wanted to make the cut out cookies for Christmas. I had helped numerous times and mom left me in the kitchen on my own. The recipe card said in parenthesis DOUBLE RECIPE. I thought that meant to double the recipe. Oh no, the recipe had already been doubled. I had flour all over me and all over the kitchen! Mom laughed and laughed. I don't think there has ever been a time since then that I don't think about that when I make these cookies. Good memories! :)

(DOUBLE RECIPE)
1 cup dairy-free margarine
1 cup dairy-free shortening
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs (replace with 1 cup applesauce to make egg-free)
5 cups all purpose flour (check your labels, here! I was surprised)


Mix all ingredients in a LARGE bowl (remember, this is a doubled recipe). Flour working surface and rolling pin lightly. Take a portion of the dough and roll flat with a rolling pin to desired thickness. Use cut-outs to make shaped cookies. Transfer cookies to a greased cookie sheet. Cook for about 10 minutes at 375. Yield: approximately 75 cookies.

While the first batch is cooking, make more cut-outs for the next batch.

Use my Frosting for Cut-Out Cookies for fun and to sweeten the cookies up a bit. They are not a very sweet cookie on their own.

Dairy Free Deviled Eggs

This recipe comes from the Sugar Busters! Cookbook. I've altered it just a bit; the original recipe says to add 1/4 tsp paprika into the egg yolk mixture, but I like to sprinkle mine on top.

6 hard boiled eggs
2 Tbsp mayo
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
paprika to taste

Cut hard boiled eggs in half. Scoop out the hardened yolk. Combine yolk with all ingredients except the paprika. Assemble eggs onto platter. Sprinkle with paprika.

Orange Dream

Great dessert for a summer day after eating Beefy Rice Salad Sandwiches.

From The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook p. 286

1 1/2 c fresh orange juice, chilled
1 c vanilla soy milk, chilled
1/3 c silken tofu
1 T honey
1 t grated orange zest
1/2 t vanilla extract
5 ice cubes

In a blender, combine all ingredients. Blend until smooth and frothy, about 30 seconds. Pour into tall chilled glasses.

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My Notes:
If I wasn't dairy-free, I'd put a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream in this! :) This will probably be as close as I get to an orange cream popsicle in a while, though.

Dairy-Free Spaghetti Sauce

This is another recipe I adopted from my MIL. I believe she received it when she was taking Home Economics in high school. It is a great basic recipe. Add onions, peppers, etc to make it your own. I know it sounds strange to add mushroom soup, but it cuts the acid from the tomatoes and makes it a richer sauce.


1 pound ground beef (turkey and venison also work well)
1 cup dairy-free cream of mushroom soup
1 26.5 can Hunts Spaghetti sauce (check label for cheeses)
(I liked Traditional Ragu, but it has cheese in it)

Brown meat. Drain off grease. Stir in soup and sauce. Simmer 5 minutes. Serve over spaghetti noodles.

Beefy Rice Salad Sandwiches (Dairy Free)

Beefy Rice Salad Sandwiches from www.allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups rice, cooked
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
3 pita bread rounds, cut in half
lettuce leaves
tomato slices

Rinse rice in a fine mesh strainer under cold running water until no longer cloudy. Transfer to a medium saucepan and cover with 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, remove from heat and let stand for at least 10 minutes, or until all liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool.

Cook onion and bell pepper in 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat until tender. Add ground beef and thyme, and cook until well browned, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if necessary.

In a bowl, stir together cooked rice, meat mixture, avocado, and parsley. In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, rice vinegar, and desired amount of salt and pepper. Pour over rice mixture, and toss lightly. Line each pita half with lettuce and tomato, and fill each with rice mixture. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!

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My notes: This was a great light meal. It would be a wonderful summertime lunch. I think I will add cucumber and the whole avocado next time.

Grandmother's Chicken Stew (Dairy Free)

I inherited this recipe when I married my husband. This was one of his favorite stews growing up and I love it, too!

1 whole chicken, cooked
3 - 4 cups peeled, diced potatoes
1 large onion chopped
1 can whole kernel corn blended in food-processor (or use cream corn if dairy free isn't an issue)
1 1/2 T salt
pepper to taste
1 T sugar
1 T Heinz Worcestershire sauce (it's Kosher/dairy free)
1 T Tobasco sauce
14 oz can diced tomato, blended


Skin the chicken and cook it in the crock-pot with about 3 cups of water until it is almost falling off the bone (about 5 hours on low). (My MIL cooks her chicken with a pressure cooker, but I'm too "chicken" to use one!)

Remove the chicken when it is done and allow it to cool enough to pick it off the bones. Strain the broth to remove any small bones.

While the chicken is cooling, begin the stew. In a large pot, bring the broth from the chicken to a boil. Put potatoes, onion, and corn in the boiling broth. Add more water or broth if necessary to cover the vegetables. Boil until potatoes are at desired tenderness, about 12 -15 minutes. (While potatoes are boiling, pick chicken from the bones and tear into bite-sized pieces.)

Add salt, pepper, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and Tobasco sauce. Add blended tomatoes and then add the chicken. Simmer at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. So good and it's even better the next day!


(We used to eat this with a slice of Velveeta cheese on toast.)

Dairy-free Sheppard's Pie

1 lb ground beef, cooked
1 c dairy-free cream of mushroom soup
Dairy-free mashed potatoes
1 can of whole kernel corn, drained

In a 9x12 casserole dish, mix the cooked ground beef and dairy-free mushroom soup. Top with mashed potatoes and then top with corn. Heat 350 for about 25 minutes until warm throughout.

Corn doesn't agree with Jeff, so I usually serve the corn and other veggies on the side.

Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes

5 - 8 medium baking potatoes
1/2 stick dairy-free margarine
salt and pepper to taste
plain soy milk

Boil salted water in a medium to large pot. Peel potatoes and slice into chunks. Boil potatoes until tender (about 20 minutes or so). When potatoes are tender (can be broken easily with a fork) drain potatoes. Mix boiled potatoes with 1/2 stick of dairy-free margarine and salt and pepper to taste. Add plain soy milk slowly after margarine has melted into potatoes. Add more plain soy milk until potatoes are fluffy the way you like them.

Dairy-Free Cream of Mushroom Soup

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THIS recipe is the #1 search request and the #1 reason most people stumble upon my recipe blog. Please, please, let me know what you think of it... how you might have tweaked it to make it better... etc. With so many people trying it, I would love some feedback! Thanks!
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One of my first concerns when I found out we were going dairy-free was that I wouldn't be able to make the casseroles and dishes that my family loves the most because they contain cream of mushroom soup (FULL OF DAIRY!!). I found this wonderfully flavorful recipe for dairy-free cream of mushroom soup:

For 1 cup of soup:

Microwave***  1 1/4 c plain soy* milk for about 3 minutes to get it hot while you:

Saute':
3 T dairy free margarine
1/4 cup canned mushrooms, chopped (or use fresh)
1 T onion, chopped

Whisk in:
3 T flour **
1/4 tsp salt
dash pepper

Cook over medium heat until bubbly, stirring constantly. While slowly adding in the hot soy milk, whisk until a thick creamy texture. This also thickens upon cooling, so take that into consideration for how thick you want it.

So good! I don't know if I'll be able to go back to canned cream of mushroom soup!

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*UPDATE: I have also substituted Rice Milk for the Soy Milk (1:1). While it does work well, it is a little thinner and not quite as flavorful (in my opinion).

*UPDATE2: I have also substituted Almond Breeze Original for the soy milk (1:1) and it is just as good/thick as the soy (IMO).

**UPDATE3: Any thickener should work in place of the flour. I have used AP flour, WW flour, and arrowroot.  All work equally well.

***UPDATE4: I no longer use the microwave step for this recipe.  Step 1: Sauté. Step 2: Whisk. Step 3: Pour in the cold "milk". Stir until thick over medium heat.
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If you are cooking dairy-free or egg-free, PLEASE read your labels. Just because I have listed something here as dairy-free does not mean that your brand is dairy-free. Some well known name brands contain dairy, but the generic store brand may be dairy-free (and vice versa). Just be sure to check.

This is not an "I hate milk" site. I know there are lots of them out there. I in fact, love to drink milk. Prior to the allergy update, our family would go through at least 3 - 4 gallons of it in a week! We have hopes that the baby will outgrown this allergy, as 80% of children do.

I generally do not make up recipes or adjust them too much with extra spices and the like. I'm not allowed to! :) They just don't turn out too great when I do. I enjoy cooking and when I follow a recipe, it usually turns out well.

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Thank you very much! :)