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Other Books by Marg Ruttan

Grandma's Best Comfort Food

Grandma's Best Casseroles

Grandma's Best Soup Recipes

Grandma's Best Chocolate Recipes

Grandma's Best Cookie Recipes

Grandma's Best Cake Recipes

Grandma's Best Muffin Recipes

Grandma's Best Cupcake Recipes

Grandma's Best Christmas Recipes

Grandma's Best Holiday Candy and Fudge

Grandma's Best Recipes

Contents

Other Books by Marg Ruttan ...................................... 3

Introduction ......................................................................... 6

Salmon Remingtons ............................................................ 7

Quick and Easy Kabobs ...................................................... 9

Stuffed Cucumber ............................................................. 10

Stuffed Celery ................................................................... 11

Stuffed Tomatoes .............................................................. 13

Sausage Rolls .................................................................... 14

Cheddar Tarts .................................................................... 15

Tiny Quiche ...................................................................... 16

Pizza Quiche ..................................................................... 17

Shrimp Ball ....................................................................... 18

Onion Cheese Ball ............................................................ 19

Potato Skins ...................................................................... 20

Ham Roll ........................................................................... 21

Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings ........................................ 22

Spiced Nuts ....................................................................... 23

Mom’s Devilled Eggs ....................................................... 24

Snow Peas and Crab.......................................................... 25

Layered Crab Spread......................................................... 26

Shrimp Spread ................................................................... 27

Carrot Spread .................................................................... 28

Salmon Spread .................................................................. 29

Roast Beef Roll Ups.......................................................... 30

Bruschetta ......................................................................... 31

BLT Cucumbers ................................................................ 32

Berry Dip .......................................................................... 33

Introduction

As many of you know, I have a whole series of books,

“Grandma’s Best Recipes” that focus on recipes my own

grandmothers, my mother, I and my daughters all use.

These recipes, for the most part, are old-fashioned and

almost all the recipes are made from scratch.

That series of cookbooks has been well received and people

seem to like the idea of having food that is made from

scratch. However, so many women today are busy, busy,

busy. And many don’t have the time it takes to spend hours

in the kitchen. Now, many of the recipes in the Grandma’s

Best Recipes series don’t take forever, but they weren’t

written with speed in mind.

For that reason, I have decided to create a second series of

cookbooks, this one to be titled Grandma’s Quick & Easy

Recipes. This new series will use all kinds of newer recipes

that very well may include such things as cake mixes,

Pillsbury™ crescent rolls and other such conveniences.

I have come to realize that many of these products help us

create tasty and wholesome meals that don’t take as long to

make as some of the more traditional recipes.

So this new series of books will be written to accommodate

those recipes that are truly quick and easy and yet are

bursting with flavor.

I hope you enjoy the new series!

Salmon Remingtons

My Mom talked for years about Grandma making Salmon

Remingtons and how good they were. Unfortunately, Mom

didn’t have a recipe, but every time she talked about them,

my mouth watered. Finally, I convinced her to figure out

how they were made and she did. I’m glad I nagged her to

do so as these are a really delicious treat. Here’s her recipe,

which I’m sure you’ll like as much as we do.

12 large tart shells, baked

1 tbsp. butter

2 celery stalks, finely diced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp. flour

1 ⅓ cups milk

4 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. white pepper

½ tsp. dry mustard

2 cups cooked, flaked salmon (use fresh salmon if possible)

chopped green onion

Paprika

Method: I use Tenderflake frozen tart shells for this recipe.

In a frying pan, over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté

the celery and onions for about 6 – 7 minutes. Add the

flour, and stirring constantly, cook for a minute. Gradually

add the milk, stirring constantly. The milk will gradually

thicken to form a sauce. Add the seasonings and mustard.

Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring constantly. Add the

salmon and blend gently into the sauce. Spoon the filling

into the tart shells and sprinkle with chopped green onion

and paprika. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the

Remingtons are piping hot. Serve immediately.

Variations: Use tuna, crab, shrimp, scallops or lobster in

place of salmon. Add1/2 cup green or red pepper for a

totally different taste. Add 1 tsp. dillweed, basil or oregano.

Sprinkle the Remingtons with toasted sesame seeds.

Quick and Easy Kabobs

When my daughter, Stacy and I had our catering business

we used these often. They are easy to make and look great

and you can use such a wide variety of different food on

them.

You’ll need long toothpicks (about 3” ones) which you

should be able to buy at a grocery store. If not, try a party

store.

Then you need items to place on the toothpicks. You can

make any combination of items. We usually found that

three to four items on a toothpick were lots.

The quantities of each item you need will depend on the

number of people you are serving and how many additional

dishes you’ll be using.

So here are the things we used on the kabobs. Buy the

appropriate amount of each for the number of people to be

served.

Stuffed olives Ham cubes Cooked

sausage

Pineapple chunks Maraschino cherries Cheese cubes

Small shrimp Small piece celery Pickled onion

Cube of turkey Cube of roast beef Cube

cucumber

Use these in any combination and you’ll have kabobs fit for

a king!

Stuffed Cucumber

Here’s another quick and easy way to make some great

appetizers. These little bite-sized pieces of cucumber are

really yummy and you can make them in just a few

minutes. They can be made a few hours ahead and stored in

the fridge as well.

1 straight cucumber

4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

½ tsp. dry onion flakes, crushed

½ tsp. dried dill

Paprika

Score the cucumber all around by scraping from top to

bottom with fork tines. Cut ends off and cut cucumber in

half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds from the center. A small

spoon works well for this. Mash cream cheese and stir in

onion flakes and dill. Stuff cucumber. Wrap and chill. Cut

into bite-sized pieces when ready to serve and sprinkle with

paprika.

Variations: Stuff with peanut butter and tiny pieces of

banana. Stuff with chopped tomato and 1 tsp. dried basil.

Stuff with green onion and salsa.

Stuffed Celery

Here’s another really quick and easy way to make all kinds

of appetizers. There are as many ways to stuff celery as

there are celery stalks. You can use some of these stuffing

recipes for cucumbers as well.

For these recipes you will probably need 6 stalks of celery.

Shrimp Stuffing:

1 – 4 oz. can broken shrimp, drained

4 oz. cream cheese

¼ tsp. lemon juice

¼ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. finely chopped green onion

3 tbsp. mayonnaise

½ tsp. dried parsley flakes

¼ tsp. onion salt

Mix together well. Stuff celery stalks. Chill.

Olive Stuffing:

4 oz. cream cheese

2 tbsp. ketchup

2 tbsp. very finely chopped pecans

7 stuffed green olives, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients. Stuff celery stalks. Chill.

Green Onion Stuffing:

6 green onions finely chopped

4 oz. cream cheese

2 tbsp. finely chopped red pepper

½ tsp. oregano

Paprika

Mix all ingredients except paprika. Stuff celery stalks.

Sprinkle with paprika. Chill.

Stuffed Tomatoes

I first made this recipe a while back and fell in love with it.

It only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish and you

can make it ahead and just add the filling to the tomatoes

when you are ready to serve it. It is awesome!

10 Roma tomatoes

1 – 6 oz. can crabmeat

½ cup finely chopped celery

⅓ cup plain yogurt

2 tbsp. minced green onion

2 tbsp. finely chopped red pepper

½ tsp. lemon juice

¼ tsp. salt

⅛ tsp. pepper

2 tbsp. finely chopped green onion

Method: Remove shell and cartilage from crabmeat. Drain.

Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out

centers of tomatoes. Discard pulp. Invert on paper towels.

Combine all remaining ingredients except second amount

of green onion. Mix well. Fill tomato halves with crab

mixture. Refrigerate 2 hours. Sprinkle with second amount

of green onion.

Sausage Rolls

Doesn’t everyone love sausage rolls? They are quick and

easy to make and I use Pillsbury® Crescent rolls to make

mine.

1 tube of Pillsbury® crescent rolls

16 sausage links, cooked

½ tsp. ground sage

Method: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lay crescent rolls out and

cut into triangles. Place a sausage on each crescent roll

triangle and sprinkle with just a hint of sage. Roll up from

the wide side of the triangle with the sausage in the middle.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 20

minutes until crescent rolls are browned. Cool. Store in

refrigerator.

To serve: Arrange sausage rolls on a cookie sheet. Preheat

oven to 400ºF. Heat rolls for about 10 minutes or until hot.

Serve immediately.

Cheddar Tarts

These are so easy to make and they are also yummy to eat.

They take just a few minutes to make and then while they

are cooking you can be busy doing something else. Best

served warm.

24 tart shells (I use Tenderflake ones)

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 egg

½ cup milk

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. onion salt

Method: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Divide cheese evenly

among tart shells. Beat egg until frothy. Mix in milk, salt

and onion salt. Spoon into shells. Bake for about 25

minutes or until filling is set.

Makes 24 tarts

Tiny Quiche

I love quiche in all kinds of formats but I especially love

this particular recipe. It is quick and easy to make and the

taste is awesome.

24 tart shells (I use frozen Tenderflake ones)

8 slices bacon cut in bite-sized pieces

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

3 eggs

1 ½ cups half and half cream

¼ cup finely chopped green onion

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

Method: Place unbaked tart shells on cookie sheet. Preheat

oven to 350ºF. In a frying pan cook bacon until crisp.

Remove and place on paper towel to drain off excess fat. In

a medium-sized bowl combine bacon, cheese, eggs, half

and half, onion and salt and pepper. Pour evenly into tart

shells. Bake for about 35 – 45 minutes or until eggs are set

and crust is golden brown.

Makes 24 tarts.

Variations: Add ½ cup finely chopped shrimp to the

filling. Add ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes with seeds

removed to the filling.

Pizza Quiche

These are so good and everyone loves them. We like to

have lots when I make them because they disappear so fast.

24 frozen tart shells (I use Tenderflake)

½ cup pizza sauce

1 cup finely diced ham or pepperoni or other deli meat

½ cup finely diced green pepper

½ cup finely diced mushrooms (optional)

½ cup grated Cheddar cheese

3 eggs

1 cup milk

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. oregano

¼ tsp. garlic powder

½ cup grated mozzarella cheese

Method: Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a medium-sized bowl

combine pizza sauce, meat, green pepper, mushrooms, and

Cheddar cheese. In a small bowl combine eggs, milk, salt,

pepper, oregano and garlic powder. Stir well. Pour over

veggie mixture. Spoon evenly into tart shells. Bake for

about 35 – 45 minutes or until eggs are set and crusts are

golden brown.

Makes 24 tarts.

Shrimp Ball

The first time I made this recipe I couldn’t believe how

good it was. We made it many, many times while we were

catering and it always disappeared in a hurry. Serve with a

variety of crackers and you’ve got a real treat.

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup softened butter (not margarine)

2 – 4 oz. cans broken shrimp

2 tbsp. minced green onion

⅛ tsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. lemon juice

Parsley, chopped

Paprika

Method: Cream mayonnaise and butter. Add shrimp,

onion, garlic powder and lemon juice. Mix and form into a

ball. The butter firms up once you chill the ball. Gently roll

the ball in the fresh chopped parsley and some paprika.

Chill thoroughly before serving.

Onion Cheese Ball

We used to serve a lot of cheese balls when we were doing

the catering and this one was a favorite with everyone.

You’ll find the flavor is really appealing. Just serve with a

variety of crackers and you’ve got it made.

2 – 8 oz. tubs cream cheese at room temperature

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

½ cup finely diced green onion

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. onion flakes

1 tsp. lemon juice

⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper

⅛ tsp. salt

Finely chopped pecans or parsley

Method: Mix all ingredients except pecans or parsley.

Form into a ball. Roll ball in the chopped pecans or parsley.

Chill well before serving.

You can also form this into individual tiny cheese balls if

you would like something a bit different.

Potato Skins

Doesn’t everyone like potato skins? I don’t know one

person who doesn’t like them. They are a really welcome

appetizer at most gatherings. And these are really easy to

make too!

6 medium potatoes, baked and cooled

6 tbsp. butter, melted

¾ cup grated Cheddar cheese

½ cup bacon bits

¾ cup sour cream

Method: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Cut each potato into 4

lengthwise sections. Scoop out pulp, leaving a shell about

¼” thick. Don’t leave shell too thick or it won’t be crisp

enough. Brush shells on both sides with melted butter.

Arrange on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for about 12

minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with cheese and

bacon bits. Return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese

melts. Put a dollop of sour cream on each piece to serve.

Ham Roll

This is another of those awesome recipes we used to make

when we were catering. We have also made it often for our

own family. I’ve also included a couple of variations for

you.

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 tbsp. mayonnaise

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

¼ tsp. onion salt

6 cooked ham slices

Method: Mash first four ingredients. Mix well. Spread on

ham slices. Roll as for a jelly roll. Chill. Cut into slices

when chilled. These can either be placed on a plate or

directly on a cracker.

Variations: Roll a thin slice of dill pickle up inside the

ham and cheese. Chill and slice. Wrap the spread ham

around a thin round of pepperoni. Chill and slice.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings

If you like chicken wings you’ll love this recipe. It’s easy

to make and the flavor is exceptional. We use this recipe

often.

3 lbs. chicken wings

Sprinkle of salt and pepper

1 cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup water

¼ cup vinegar

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tbsp. ketchup

Method: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place chicken wings on a

foil-lined baking sheet with sides. Sprinkle with salt and

pepper and bake for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, put

sugar and flour into a small pot. Stir thoroughly. Add

water, vinegar, soy sauce and ketchup. Stir and cook over

medium heat until mixture boils and thickens slightly.

Remove from heat. When wings have cooked for 30

minutes, brush liberally with sauce. Bake 10 minutes more.

Brush with sauce again and bake for another 10 minutes.

Brush with sauce when chicken is finished cooking.

Makes about 36 pieces.

Spiced Nuts

This is a recipe that is really easy to make and it is always

yummy. So long as there is no one around who is allergic

to nuts it’s a winner.

1 egg white, slightly beaten

2 cups mixed nuts

6 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tbsp. cinnamon

⅛ tsp. nutmeg

⅛ tsp. cloves

1 cup raisins

½ tsp. salt

Method: Preheat oven to 325ºF. Beat egg white until

smooth consistency. Add nuts. Stir to coat each nut. Mix

sugar and spices together. Stir into nut mixture. Spread on

baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring 2 or 3

times. Remove from oven. Stir in raisins and salt right

away. Allow to cool. Store in an air tight container.

Makes 3 cups

Mom’s Devilled Eggs

I can’t begin to think of the number of times I have made

this recipe. It is easy to make and always delicious. You’ll

want to make more eggs if you are feeding more people.

This recipe will provide you with 12 pieces.

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half lengthwise

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 tsp. mustard

½ tsp. salt

⅛ tsp. pepper

¼ cup finely shredded carrot

1 tbsp. finely chopped green onion

Paprika

Method: Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks to a

medium-sized bowl. Mash thoroughly. Add all ingredients

except paprika to the yolks. Mix well. Spoon into egg

whites and sprinkle with paprika.

Snow Peas and Crab

These are a little bit fiddly to make, but they are so good

that they are worth the effort. They are really tasty and they

disappear in a hurry.

1 small pack fresh snow peas

6 oz. can crabmeat with cartilage removed

1 hard-boiled egg, mashed

2 tbsp. mayonnaise

2 tbsp. finely chopped celery

2 tbsp. finely chopped green onion

¼ tsp. Dijon mustard

Method: Pour boiling water over pea pods and let stand for

10 seconds. Drain. Rinse with cold water until cold. Slit

peas open on top side, which is the least curved side. Set

aside. In a small bowl mix crabmeat, egg, mayonnaise,

celery, onion and mustard. Stuff each pea pod until it looks

like it is overflowing.

Makes about 2 ½ dozen.

Layered Crab Spread

This is awesome served with crackers or tiny slices of

bread. It is easy to make and the flavor is absolutely

fabulous. People will come back for more of this recipe

every time.

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. dry onion flakes

¾ cup chili sauce

2 – 4 ¾ oz. cans crabmeat, membrane removed

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Paprika

Fresh chopped parsley

Method: Mix first 5 ingredients. Spread over a 12” pizza

pan. Spread chili sauce over cream cheese mixture. Layer

crab then cheese evenly over top. Sprinkle with paprika.

Garnish with parsley. Cover and chill.

Shrimp Spread

This has become an all time family favorite at our house

and we also used it many, many times when we were

catering. The recipe has a little bit to it and the flavor

combinations are just amazing.

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup mayonnaise

3 – 4 oz. cans small shrimp, drained and rinsed

1 cup seafood cocktail sauce

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1 green pepper, finely chopped

3 green onions, finely chopped

1 large tomato, seeds removed, finely diced

Method: Mix first three ingredients together. Spread over a

12” pizza pan. Scatter shrimp over cheese mixture. Add

layers of seafood sauce, mozzarella, green pepper, onions

and tomato. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Serve with

a variety of crackers or small bite-sized pieces of bread.

Carrot Spread

Here’s another one of those recipes that people seem to

love no matter when you serve it. It’s simple to make and

can be used with crackers or bread cubes or could also be

used to stuff cucumber or celery.

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

¼ tsp. cinnamon

1 cup finely grated carrots

¼ cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place pecans on a shallow baking

dish. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly toasted,

stirring occasionally. Cool slightly and chop finely.

Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, juice and cinnamon in

a bowl until well blended. Stir in carrots, pecans and

raisins. Serve spread on crackers.

Salmon Spread

This is absolutely delicious and it will disappear quickly

once your guests try it out. We use this recipe often and just

love it. It’s also really attractive with the pink salmon

coloring.

1 – 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

½ lb. cooked, flaked salmon

2 tbsp. minced green onion

1 tbsp. chopped celery

1 tsp. lemon juice

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

Paprika

Method: Beat cream cheese in a medium bowl with

electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add salmon,

green onion, celery, lemon juice, salt and pepper and mix

gently with a spoon. Refrigerate until ready to use. When

ready to use, sprinkle with paprika This is great served in a

bread bowl with chunks of bread surrounding it.

Roast Beef Roll Ups

These are so quick and easy to make and they are attractive

on a plate. And to top it all off, they have great flavor too!

6 tbsp. mayonnaise

3 tsp. horseradish

3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

6 thin slices red onion, quartered

6 thin slices dill pickle

6 slices deli roast beef

Method: In a small bowl combine mayonnaise,

horseradish, and mozzarella. Mix well. Spread evenly over

the 6 slices of beef. Top with the onion and dill pickle.

Wrap beef up around the pickle. Secure with a toothpick if

necessary.

These can be cut into slices to make more bite-sized pieces

if desired.

Bruschetta

I love bruschetta and this is one of my favorite recipes for

it. It is quick to make and tastes delicious. These little two-

bite-sized appetizers are a real winner.

2 large tomatoes, pulp and seeds removed, finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil OR 1 tsp. dried basil

½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

8 small slices French bread

Method: In a small frying pan sauté onion over medium

heat for about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in tomato. Cook for

about 3 minutes more. Preheat broiler. Combine garlic,

olive oil and basil with tomato mixture. Heap onto bread

slices. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil for about 3 minutes or

until cheese melts.

BLT Cucumbers

These little bite-sized snacks are really tasty and it seems

people can never get enough of them. You’ll want to make

them often.

3 slices crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled

½ cup finely chopped lettuce

½ cup finely diced tomato (seeds removed)

2 tbsp. mayonnaise

⅛ tsp. salt

⅛ tsp. pepper

1 large straight cucumber

Minced fresh parsley or green onion

Method: Combine first six ingredients in a small bowl.

Mix well. Slice cucumber lengthwise and remove center

pulp and seeds. Divide bacon mixture between the two

cucumber halves, mounding in the hollowed out area.

Garnish with parsley or green onion. Cut into bite-sized

pieces. Chill.

Berry Dip

This dip is fabulous and so easy to make. It has an

awesome flavor and is colorful as well. Serve it with

chunks of pineapple, apple, cantaloupe, honeydew,

strawberries, grapes or other fruit. It’s a great way to add a

sweet element to appetizers.

1 cup chopped fresh or frozen strawberries

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ cup sour cream

1 tbsp. sugar

Orange peel, optional

Method: Place strawberries in blender. Process until

smooth. Beat cream cheese in a small bowl until smooth.

Stir in sour cream, strawberry purée and sugar. Cover. Chill

until ready to serve. When ready to serve garnish with

orange peel.