Cafeteria Lunches at home

We all remember school lunches - the one that were definitely not fit to be served to my worst enemy and the ones that were surprisingly delish). In Texas it's all about the choices (I don't remember having so many choices in Utah, Maryland, Mississippi or California) so today we are giving you 3 entree recipes and 2 dessert recipes, take a poll and serve the most popular or the one you remember best! Of course schools can't get away with not offering a veggie so serve your favorite!

To make dinner extra cafeteria-like eat from foam or plastic trays with plastic utensils (remember the spork?)

Entree:

School Style Sloppy Joes

(from recipegoldmine.com)

1 pound hamburger
Chopped onion
1/2 cup ketchup with water to make 3/4 cup
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Shake of Worcestershire sauce
1 can tomato soup (undiluted)
Brown hamburger with onion and drain. Add other ingredients and simmer until warm through. Serve over hamburger buns.

OR
City School Pizza
Source: Los Angeles Times - 9/23/82
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon instant minced onion
1 (8 ounce) can tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
3/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon oregano
Salt
3/4 teaspoon dried sweet basil
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 pound ground or chopped luncheon meat
French Style Pizza Crust
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
Brown ground beef and onion in a large skillet. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, oregano, salt to taste, basil, garlic powder and luncheon meat. Sauté until mixture comes to a boil. Simmer a few minutes. Spread sauce on prepared French-Style Pizza Crust in pans. Sprinkle each crust with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes or until cheese layer is bubbly and browned.

French-Style Pizza Crust:
2 packages dry or cake yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
3 1/2 cups lukewarm water
9 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt
Dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Add flour and salt. Knead until smooth. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. Cut into 2 portions. Let rest 15 minutes.

Pat or roll to even thickness in 2 (15 1/2 x 10 1/2-inch) jellyroll pans.

Serving size: 24

OR
High School Meat Loaf
1 pound hamburger
1/2 pound pork sausage
2 cups dry bread crumbs
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup onion, minced
Mix. Place in loaf pan. Bake 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees F. If desired: Remove loaf from oven 15 minutes early, cover loaf with catsup, continue baking.

Dessert:

Cafeteria Tapioca

1 quart milk
1/3 cup tapioca
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat milk until scalding. Stir in tapioca gradually. Cook mixture over boiling water or direct low heat 6 to 8 minutes, until tapioca is done.
Beat egg yolks until pale in color. Beat with 1/4 cup sugar and salt. Stir into tapioca. Cook and stir until mixture thickens slightly. Stir in vanilla. Cool slightly.
Beat egg whites and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until stiff. Fold into hot pudding. Cool thoroughly, covered with wax paper.
To serve, spoon into dessert or parfait dishes. Garnish with whipped cream and maraschino cherry, if desired.
Makes 12 (1/2 cup) servings.
This is a wonderful recipe! It is very easy and makes an especially creamy pudding.

OR
1952 City School Ranger Cookies
Source: Los Angeles Times - recipe provided by Los Angeles Unified School District.
These are also known as "Flying Saucers."
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, well beaten
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups cornflakes
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Cream butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.
Sift flour with baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir into butter mixture. Add vanilla extract, oats, cornflakes, coconut, chocolate chips and nuts and stir until blended.
Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheet. Flatten to 4-inch diameter. (Use square of wax paper to keep dough from sticking to fingers or whatever you're using to flatten dough.) For small cookies, drop by rounded teaspoon. Do not flatten.
Bake larger cookies at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cookies should be slightly soft when removed from oven. Bake smaller cookies at 375 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes.

22 large cookies or 6 dozen small cookies.
Each small cookie: 77 calories; 56 mg sodium; 13 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein