Welcome to another week of the Mid-Century Menu! Honestly, I am surprised this feature has gone one as long as it has. I thought for sure that it would become too disgusting for us to continue, but Tom and I have persevered through all the stinky, nasty dishes and even found a few good ones. One of these days I need to make a Best and Worst list of the Mid-Century Menu. Sigh. So many things to do.
In any case, this week’s menu comes out of Betty Crocker’s Bisquick Cook Book, published in 1956. I love this cookbook, not just because of some of the crazy recipes, but for all the great pictures as well. I think this is one of the better photographed cookbooks, just for the fact that they take a lot of pictures of the finished dishes. With most of these older cookbooks you just have to use your imagination when it comes to picturing the end result of the recipe. And that has put me off more than a few recipes, let me tell you. I can imagine some pretty horrible stuff.
Of course, the pictures also have drawbacks.
What in God’s name is oozing out of that waffle sandwich on the right? What?!?!? It looks like someone on the photo shoot was so nauseated that they threw up on a waffle.
“Awww, someone bring me another waffle, Bill justyaked on this one.”
“Should we clean-up the plate and reset everything?”
“Nah, the cream on the shortcake will run. Just throw it on top of the other one and we’ll pretend its filling.”
Gah.
Another thing, has anyone else noticed that the picture of Betty Crocker has yellow eyes? Yellow eyes, I swear to God, yellow eyes! Just like Scut Farkas.
Anyway, all kidding aside, here is the dish I picked for this week.
Really? Really?!?!? On what planet is a hot dog, cheese and ketchup considered pizza??? Even if you used chili sauce, it would be closer to chili than pizza. Not even the dumbest 1950’s kid would be fooled by this.
Pizza. Bah.
In any case, I was off!
I got chicken hot dogs because they were less fat. I didn’t think it would make that much of an impact in whether or not the boats actually tasted like pizza.
Milk, melted butter and Bisquick.
The dough, all stirred together.
Here it is on the floured board after it kneading it 8 times.
Here it is after being rolled out and divided. I didn’t bother trimming the dough to make it even!
The hot dog halves, all in place.
And no, it isn’t pizza yet.
Putting the cheese strips in place. I thought they would besafer under the hot dog than on top of it.
Nope, not pizza yet!
Ketchup on top of the hot dogs.
Still not pizza!
Here they are, all boated up and ready for the oven. You know, at first I thought this was going to be an easy recipe, but from the last picture until this picture took…me…forever! They were so fussy! Oh well, I suppose I shouldn’t complain. At least they look semi-appetizing, which is agood thing after all that work.
And no, Sara, they aren’t pizza yet.
Here they are, straight from the oven. They don’t look like pizza, but you never know. I didn’t put pudding or even milkinto the dessert and it came out with pudding on the bottom. I was really confused, and I wondered if Bisquick was some kind of miracle ingredient.
The first bite.
“So, is it pizza?”
“Nope,” Tom said, “It’s not pizza, but these things are really good.”
I took a bite. They were really good. Sickeningly good, actually.
But they didn’t taste like pizza. Nuts. I guess Bisquick isn’t magic after all.
The Verdict:
Pizza Boats: Good, but not a bit like pizza. The biscuit is very rich and is a little sickening after the second one, but is still pretty tasty. Would be a good party snack if cut into smaller pieces.
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake: Really good. How the mystery layer of pudding came about I have no idea, but it was really good. Tom ate himself sick on it, and didn’t care about the mystery.
Sara in AZon November 11, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Well nuts! I was waiting for the Pizza Boats to somehow magically turn themselves into some form of Pizza while in the oven!!! Like the hot dogs will fall into pepperoni like discs all on their very own – he he! I might try these, you make them sound so good. And, I will DEFINITELY try the Hot Fudge Pudding – my Mom will go nuts for that. Ruth, I have to say, I always love the pics of Tom at the end. 🙂 Hooray for a good MCM meal! I am glad the MCM Menu is still around, I love the MCM meals.
Alexon November 11, 2009 at 1:23 pm
I’m going to try these! They are cute. I love that you referenced Scut Farkas. He’s part of my Christmas Eve tradition. Back in college, I always had people on my dorm floor or in classes that had nowhere to go for the holidays. Some were vagabonds and some were international students. I started inviting them home. My sister started doing the same thing. Now, it’s a Christmas Eve tradition to have a mish-mash of folks gather at my sister’s house for holiday libations and a marathon of A Christmas Story. I can’t wait for this year! Maybe I’ll make these little boats to share.
Inkyon November 11, 2009 at 1:58 pm
hmm, the pizza boats looked like cootchies and then you said weiner and i was lost for good from the laughing. yep, right now i’m 12.
Alexon November 11, 2009 at 2:09 pm
OMG, Inky, they do! LOL! Maybe these would also be good to serve at a bachelor/bachelorette party.
RetroRuthon November 11, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Ha ha! Inky, I totally thought that too, but was too chicken to say it! Thanks for being the first one to point the pervert finger… 🙂
Annie B.on November 11, 2009 at 3:02 pm
I’m thinking they look a bit like seed pods…….you know, from the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I swear I wouldn’t go to sleep with those things in the house!!
Oh…Ruth, I love your Fiestaware. Your stirring spoon even looks a little Danish modern, too.
RetroRuthon November 11, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Thanks, Sara! If you are going to make the Hot Fudge Pudding, I would suggest adding some more chocolate chips. It could have been a little more chocolate-y. And I was totally waiting for the hot dogs to turn into pepperoni as well. 🙂
Alex! Jean Shepherd is one of my favs and I adore Christmas Story. I watch it at least once every Christmas. Have you ever read Scut Farkas and the Murderous Mariah? It is a great short story, you should try and get your hands on it.
Seed Pods! Body Snatchers! Annie, how am I going to eat the leftovers now?? 🙂 I am glad you like the Fiesta and silverware. I tried so hard to find a set that tapered in on the end instead of getting wider. I found our set in the clearance section at Target!
Sara in AZon November 11, 2009 at 4:36 pm
P.S. Forgot to say before that I love Christmas Story too!!! We always watch the marathon, so it is playing over and over and over……………
Retromodgirlon November 11, 2009 at 5:32 pm
You and your hubby are brave troopers! But that dessert sounds heavenly!
I adore your posts, keep up the great work!
AmberDusickon November 11, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Yay, something actually tasted good! I’m so happy for you guys! I cringe at most of your experiments.
sablemableon November 11, 2009 at 6:47 pm
A Christmas Story! I triple dog dare ya!
LOL, yeah, I don’t know where BC got the idea those would taste like pizza, however, the hot dog “boats” would be good.
Let’s see, you’ve made Bologna Sacks, Ham Stacks and now Pizza Boats!
Leahon November 11, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Yum! My nana used to make pizza w/bisquick pizza dough. It was delish!
Annie B.on November 13, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Hmmm…..just re-viewed the “straight from the oven” photo of the dog boats; I think the one in the lower right corner of your pan is giving us the raspberries…or maybe auditioning for the next Rolling Stones tour. Whatch think?
Mary Jo Hamiltonon May 5, 2014 at 2:31 am
We made Pizza Boats when I was in school in Elgin, IL in the late 60’s, in Home Ec class. It was fun and we thought they tasted really good. We flattened out a canned biscuit and sliced the hotdog in half and put a piece of cheese on top of the dog and the sauce over that, then pulled up the sides of the biscuit around the dog and put toothpicks through to hold it together when baking. I had been looking online just to see if that recipe was still around so it was neat finding the recipe on here!!!
Tami Fields Rudyon August 4, 2014 at 11:48 pm
We had these a lot when I was a kid! The pizza boats, I mean. I love that yours looked exactly how ours looked. We totally loved them as kids. I made them once for my kids and the biscuit was really wet inside and gross. LOL! Great throw back!
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