# Anyone use the recipes on the box? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 27, 2016, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876 "2016-10-27T19:56:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876/41 "2025-12-16T18:06:50Z")
Kinda like @Joey_P , my mom always made Oatmeal Scotchies, which was the recipe on the back of the Nestle Toll House Butterscotch Morsels package. She made them for us when we were kids, all the time, as pan cookies instead of drop cookies. When I got older I decided to start making these myself at Christmas. I asked my mom for her recipe and she just said “It’s on the bag.” I would make like 3 pans worth or something, and give them away. I started making more and more each year, just following the recipe on the bag. Up to 10 pans, to give out at City Council meetings. But every year the cookies seemed to get worse. More crumbly, less melty. I tried different temps of butter. Different ovens. Different mixers. Turns out the recipe on the bag changed, for the worse. Internet sleuthing led me to an old version of the recipe - less oatmeal, brown sugar only, baking powder + baking soda, orange extract! Someone also recommended butter flavored Crisco instead of butter. I printed that old recipe and now that’s the one I use. It’s much much better than what’s on the bag now (you can read complaints online!) I feel special because when people ask about the recipe I can tell them “it’s on the bag but don’t use that one! I’ll send you a copy!” Also I’m always surprised at how many people have never had oatmeal scotchies before. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876/42 "2025-12-16T18:37:35Z")
My Aunt used a cookie bar recipe from the Bisquick box. Or maybe Pioneer baking mix? I haven’t found it again. They were yummy. They were cut into bars similar to a brownie and had a similar chewy texture. Except the cookie bars didn’t use any chocolate. I’ve searched for years and never found the recipe. I have fond memories of my Aunt bringing a pan to special family meals. Is there much difference in Bisquick and Pioneer baking mixes? I don’t know which my Aunt used. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876/43 "2025-12-16T18:53:16Z")
This seems close to what I remember my aunt making. I’ll make a pan. Maybe it will trigger a 40 year old, taste memory. ### Blondies - 2 cups light brown sugar, packed - 4 large eggs - 2 cups [Pioneer Original or Buttermilk Biscuit & Baking Mix](http://oldrecipebook.com/pioneerbrand.shtml) - 1/4 tsp Salt - 1 pinch Nutmeg - 1 tsp Vanilla extract - 2 cups Pecans, chopped -Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil a 9x13-inch pan. -Beat together light brown sugar and eggs. -Add Pioneer Biscuit & Baking Mix, salt, nutmeg and vanilla. Continue mixing until smooth. -Stir in chopped pecans. -Pour batter into baking pan. -Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool, cut into squares ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876/44 "2025-12-16T18:55:35Z")
I made hummus this weekend and checked the label on the chickpeas to remember my ratios. I still didn’t measure but, even as easy a recipe as that one, I didn’t remember 1/3 cup tahini:14 oz can chickpeas starting point. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876/45 "2025-12-16T20:09:35Z")
Two. Oven baked fried chicken from the Kellogg’s corn flake crumb box - modified. I can only find these things at the Mexican grocery these days. Meatloaf from Lipton’s onion soup mix. Again, modified slightly. It just struck me that I’ve never used that stuff to make onion soup, only for recipes. I think it will stay that way. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876/46 "2025-12-17T14:52:02Z")
> [@Tara57](#): > > Bisquick - quite a few - biscuits, impossible pies, oven fried chicken, coffee cake Yes! I make the oven-fried chicken quite often. It’s my husband’s favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876/47 "2025-12-17T15:30:20Z")
I just realized that I linked to the same book as **Silenus** back in 2016. D’oh! ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2025, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876/48 "2025-12-18T17:16:27Z")
Oh, I bought that long ago, at Borders bookstore. Lots of ‘retro’ recipes, very interesting to read. You may recognize some of grandma’s or mom’s specialties. A lot of our eating habits have changed so much now. Very similar is Peg Bracken’s “I Hate to Cook Book” (lots of processed foods). My mother used to buy volumes of “Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cookery” at the grocery store, a fascinating vast alphabetical compilation of recipes past and present. (Over 8000! and featuring regional specialties) . I remember she made “Chicken A’ La Orange” and that wet cake made with whole ground up oranges. I have a couple volumes I got from thrift stores I like to look at for nostalgia’s sake. I ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2025, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876/49 "2025-12-18T17:31:18Z")
> [@Haunted\_Pasta](#): > > I’ve bought many bottles of Heinz 57 for the specific purpose of making that recipe. I’ve done the same thing with some store brand French dressing. One day, a long time ago, I noticed the back of the bottle featured a recipe for baked chicken. Basically “bake at 350° for 20 minutes, turn over, spread some dressing over the chicken, 20 minutes, turn over, spread more dressing over the chicken, 20 minutes, serve”. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2025, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876/50 "2025-12-19T09:26:39Z")
I don’t roast whole turkeys any more, but when I did, I used a recipe from a booklet that came with a Butterball to use leftover turkey meat. Couple of cups of turkey scraps, a box of frozen spinach, a block of cream cheese, some chopped pecans, and nutmeg. Mixed all together and placed in the center of my (greased) glass pie pan. Pour on some popover batter, sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and diced (fresh) tomatoes and into a 350F oven for 30-45 minutes. It was when I made this for the first time that I realized that the Bisquik Impossible pie/quiche recipes really just used a glorified popover batter to make the “impossible” crust. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2026, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876/51 "2026-04-19T16:57:53Z")
Today I tried out the bran muffin recipe on the back of the Fiber One cereal box. They taste decent, but had a tenacious grip on the muffin wrapper and were a little moist in the center. Possibly they needed to cook a couple of minutes longer, but I didn’t want to burn them. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2026, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876/52 "2026-04-20T01:16:17Z")
I used the meatloaf recipe on the Quaker Oats box. Very simple. Hamburger, oats, egg, a small can of tomato juice. I think 12 oz? Salt,pepper. I added Worcester sauce. Always worked. Thanks Quaker Oats. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2026, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876/53 "2026-04-20T02:21:13Z")
I made pecan pie for the first time from the recipe on the Karo Syrup label. It came out famously. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2026, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876/54 "2026-04-20T02:32:46Z")
My fruitcake recipe is based on the one you find on the lid of those jars of mixed candied fruit peel that they sell around Xmastime. I’ve modified it to be denser and moister and less cakey and more like commercially-produced fruitcakes. I also bake them individually in a muffin pan instead of as a loaf. ---
**Author:** ![a6ka97](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@a6ka97](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a6ka97)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2026, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876/55 "2026-04-20T02:37:45Z")
When my mom passed away and I sorted through her cookbooks and found a whole slew of small “product” cookbooks that featured their product as a major ingredient. Most were from the 1950s to the 1970s. I also found several Kitchen Klatter magazines that she subscribed to that had stories and recipes that featured their product. As for recipes off the package that I didn’t modify? The macaroni and cheese recipe on the Velveta box and the Alfredo recipe on a Creamette’s linguine box. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-the-recipes-on-the-box/769876.md?page=2)