Cooking from the Back of the Box Packages are Still a Source of recipes 

Twenty years ago, you could amass a sizeable cookbook library just by writing away to companies who published their own recipe booklets to promote use of their products. Available for free—or for a nominal sum—these cookbooks were often mini works of art, with hard covers, spiral binding and mouthwatering color photographs or illustrations. Others were more modest but still very useful.

Of course, companies still pro-vide free recipes for their products, but most of the activity has migrated online. Any food company worth its salt—including the makers of Morton Salt!—has an attractive, user-friendly website with nutritional information, menu ideas and tested recipes.

However, if you scan your pantry and refrigerator, chances are that many containers have at least one recipe printed on the back. This decidedly low-tech approach is still a sure-fire way of accumulating new recipes.

Here are four selections culled from the packages of well-known everyday products. You do not have to use the specific brands to get delicious results; we’re just giving credit where credit is due!

Pasta with Tomato-Mint Sauce (Ronzoni Pasta)

one of the most recognized names in pasta products, Ronzoni is the official pasta of the Boston Marathon. This low-fat recipe makes a sprightly late-summer side dish, helping you use up the last of the local tomato harvest, along with mint from your garden.

1 (16 ounce) package Ronzoni rotini
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
6 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon salt

Prepare the pasta according to package directions, and drain. Meanwhile, cook the garlic in the olive oil in a large skillet over low heat until golden-brown. Stir in the remaining ingredients, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Toss with the pasta. Serves 6 to 8.

Sunshine Chicken (Perdue)

Boneless chicken breasts are the ultimate convenience food, and they lend themselves to an almost infinite variety of preparations. Frequently the folks from Perdue will tuck a recipe card into each package, which is where this healthy treatment comes from.

1 (1 pound) package Perdue boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
½ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons honey

With a small paring knife, cut 3 to 4 slashes in chicken pieces to allow marinade to penetrate. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add the chicken, turning to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Remove chicken pieces from the marinade, and grill or broil chicken 20 minutes, turning once, or until cooked through. Serves 4. Any leftovers can be cut into thin strips and tossed with a salad.

The Best Fudge Brownies Ever (King Arthur Flour)

Some of my all-time favorite recipes come from this legendary Vermont flour company. Their brownie recipe calls for both cocoa and chocolate chips, providing an intense, luxurious flavor and texture.

1 cup butter
2¼ cups sugar
1¼ cups Dutch-process cocoa
½ teaspoon salt (or 1 teaspoon if using unsalted butter)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 large eggs
1½ cups King Arthur unbleached
all purpose flour
1 (12 ounce) package semisweet
chocolate chips

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the sugar, stirring to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it’s hot but not bubbling. It will become shiny as you stir it. Heating the butter and sugar a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which yields a shiny top crust on the brownies. Transfer to a mixing bowl, and stir in the next 4 ingredients. Add the eggs, beating until smooth. Stir in the flour and chocolate chips until well combined. Spread batter in a spray-coated 9-by-13-inch baking pan, and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 28 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then loosen the edges with a table knife to keep brownies from sinking in the center as they cool. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Makes 2 dozen. (If baking half a recipe, use an 8-inch square baking pan.)

Jalapeño Cornbread (Hodgson Mill Cornmeal)

Hodgson Mill has a history of producing a wide range of flours and whole grains. This zesty bread is almost like a pudding and will go well with any Tex-Mex entrée, especially chili. Southern bakers may have a preference for white cornmeal, but the yellow variety has the added nutritional benefit of beta-carotene.

3½ cups Hodgson Mill yellow cornmeal
2½ cups milk
½ cup canola oil
3 eggs
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup cream-style canned corn
1½ cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 (4 ounce) can jalapeño peppers, drained

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal with the milk and oil. Beat the eggs, and add them to the bowl, along with the onion, corn and cheese. Rinse the jalapeños in cold water, drain them on paper towels and chop finely. Add to the batter. Pour the batter into a spray-coated 9-by-13-inch baking pan and bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. If desired, spread melted butter on top before cutting into squares. Serve hot. Serves 10 to 12. Leftover bread can be frozen and reheated.

Ginnie Manuel is a Midlothian-based freelance writer and cookbook editor whose food columns have appeared in The Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Columbia (MD) Flier and the Mid-York Weekly Pennysavers.

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