Best Recipes: From The Backs Of Boxes, Bottles, Cans And Jars

Recipes from the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans, and Jars

by Ceil Dyer

More than 600 pages of beloved and classic recipes, all tested and proven in the kitchens of your favorite food manufacturers.

These are the recipes you meant to clip and the ones on that jar label, those cans, on the back of the box. They come from the test kitchens of America's food manufacturers--Kraft, Borden, Libby's and more--and every dish has become one of the nation's favorites. Everybody loves these Kellogg's® Crunchy Baked Chicken, Campbell's® Scalloped Potatoes, the original Chex Party Mix, Rice Krispies Marshmallow Treats, Vanilla "Philly" Frosting. There's even a recipe from the Tabasco® hot pepper sauce people for Irish Stew that was developed by James Beard. In addition to being delicious, they're fast and easy to make, with detailed instructions for perfect results every time.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Reference, Food, Food and Drink, How To

589 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Joy]

Lots of old recipes from various food companies like Hershey and Quaker before they became part of the behemoth corporations of today. It's not what I expected at all. Some recipes that my mom made from memory turned out to be back of the box from the 1930s and 1940s. It was good to find them. I'm going to try making my Thanksgiving dinner from the recipes in this cookbook!

[Sophie Crane]

I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this cookbook. Not only is it chock full of recipes I remember my Mom making, it's got some others I'd never tried but had only heard of them. Once you toss that jar or can, the recipe on the back is gone. No.... wait.... it's here!!! A must-have for any home cook. My very favorite recipe is Hollandaise Sauce made in a blender. It's no-fail, delicious.

[Debby]

Reading and collectin recipes has been a hobby of mine for many years. This cookbook is one of my all-time favorites. I have given this cookbook as a bridal shower gift several times and it gets passed around the room so everyone can look throuhg it. Anyone who likes to cook shoul own a copy of this cookbook.

[Gina]

The basics: Best Recipes is a huge collection of recipes featured on the packaging of a wide variety of food products. And I do mean huge with 608 pages, multiple recipes per page, and no photographs to take up space. Over the last 3 months, I've tried recipes from every section - well organized by course, i.e. main dish, dessert, etc. - but haven't come close to trying every one. While most of the recipes are presented as is with no additional information or instructions, a few have a small explanatory paragraph giving basic additional information such as it being the most requested from a particular company or the first recipe printed on a particular label.

The good: There are many classic recipes contained within, original Chex Mix for example, and I found every recipe I tried at least pretty good. I would imagine companies test and re-test recipes on their products in order to drive sales, so I didn't expect any truly bad ones. Every recipe I tried was very easy to make using easy to find or on hand ingredients. The main dishes and sides were good, but it is the easy to make desserts (original banana pudding) or appetizer recipes (lots of dips) that made this one worth buying and making it to the keeper shelf.

The neutral: I should note that I didn't always use the specific brand or product listed as the origin of the recipe. Some are no longer in production (specific brands of baking powder or canned brands) or aren't available in my area. I had no trouble substituting similar products but admit this could have affected the final products in ways I wouldn't know. Also, there are no dates with any of the recipes, and packaging size has changed through the years. As with older cookbooks I've used, I had to do a lot of googling to try and find package sizes to make sure I was using an equivalent product. Many of the recipes would simply say, use the box, or can, or package - I'm assuming the one the recipe was printed on, but didn't give the specific oz or lb size. That got a little tricky a few times, but as I had mostly good results, I'm going to assume this isn't a huge issue.

The bad: This isn't a health food cookbook. The use of fresh ingredients is close to non-existent. The recipes focus primarily on pre-packaged, processed, or convenience foods, obviously, but I was surprised how few fresh ingredients are included. As mentioned above, the year would have been very helpful in determining good substitutes for out of production products. Even with most of the recipes being pretty easy and straightforward, I found the directions on some limited. Someone who cooks even a little wouldn't have too much trouble, but a novice might not get good results due to lack of clear directions/assuming cooking knowledge. Even as more experienced cook, I went to google again to try and find photos of a few finished products. Some of the layered Jello or other salads or cakes had unclear assembly instructions that I found a visual reference necessary, i.e. Stained Glass Window cake.

This is a fun cookbook with lots of great recipes. It would make a great gift for someone who likes to cook.

[Nancy Baker]

Who can't love a good cookbook? I'm forever seeing a recipe on the side of a can and thinking "I should tear that off and save it," and now someone has done it for me. I try to keep meals as fresh as possible, but sometimes you just can't help opening a can or a jar. This is a great go-to book to have on hand for just those moments.

Thanks for the ARC reading copy -- this book will get plenty of "open" counter space time.

[David Webb]

Just before my grandmother passed away a few years ago she gave me a box full of her cookbooks---she & I shared a love of cookbooks, and she knew I collected them. This book was among them. I love it----there are some terrific little gems in here! It's not haute cuisine by any stretch, but there are some usable recipes that are easy to make and tasty. A sentimental favorite for me.

[Sunday]

This book contains all the tried and true recipes listed on bottles, cans, and jars. Preparing and enjoying them is a bit nostalgic!

[Brandy Lohman]

Best cookbook for a meatloaf recipe

[Josette]

just briefly looked through. already found a recipe. I will be preparing

[Rebecca]

OK...so I did not read every recipe. I skimmed. About the only time I read an entire recipe book is those who were born out of book series I love. HOWEVER, I did look at a good many recipes from each section, and loved the fact that the instructions were very clear, and most were fairly simple. That, I almost expected, mainly because if you want to add 59 spices to a glaze, you're not looking on the back of a bottle to do it. Me, I'd rather let the company that made the steak sauce/oriental sauce/ect do all of the measuring for me!

[Amy3745]

Went to a potluck dinner party with everyone using recipes from this book. I was asked to bring a dinner and dessert. I brought the Dutch meatloaf and also a lemon meringue pie. The party was fun, many Items for all taste. A large bowl of Hunts spaghetti with meatballs arrived had many people laughing.

[Lynn]

I've had this book for years and find it so helpful as most of the recipes I used to use off of products I use, aren't printed on the box, can any more - very helpful and handy to use! I often find one I've never done before, try it and we like it!

[Kellee Mc Clellan]

This book is Awesome. Many good recipes. One I love and still use. Beef enchiladas made with tomato
Soup and cream of mushroom. I buy the red enchilada sauce. This recipe is a family favorite.
Some are quick & easy to make. That's a blessing for working Mom's & Dads. I highly recommend.

[Brandon]

Some of the recipes date back to the late 50’s - fascinating in its nostalgia - certainly able to recognize many from my childhood - possibly good for those with tight budgets and large families. The rise of fresh foods, organic, and cultural influences makes much of this obsolete.

[Devon Brugh]

Outdated but fun to look through all the unique recipes

[Katie]

Great cookbook for everyday dishes. No company wants a bad recipe on their label!

[Dray]

Quite a collection and you know it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

[Jane]

A trip down memory lane! Lots of recipes I would still make today, even though they seem dated. A fun little cookbook!

[Stephanie]

I was so disappointed in this book. I have another name brand cookbook that is so amazing that I ordered this one. The one I own that made me want another one was named The Great American Name Brand Cookbook and is so much far and away better than this tiny little book that has only very few recipes that would even be used in someone's home. What a waste!

My recommendation, pass it by!

[Teresa Kuhns]

This cookbook is not really worth buying. You can find many of these recipes online. There are a number of recipes that can be located in other cookbooks. Save your money. Look online or borrow from a library!

[Lynda]

This is a great cookbook.

[Laura]

Really like this one. There are some great classic appetizer recipies here as well as some really good main dish ideas.

[Chris]

If you want to sell more of your product, you'll make sure the recipes on the package are fabulous and play up your product to its best advantage, right? Right! One of my go-to cookbooks.

[Abraham Ray]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11498356

[Charles]

Excellent book, buy it!

[Nancy Jones]

I love this cookbook.

[Jinjer]

Mine is 1979 Book Club Edition

[Cws]

641.8 Dye