Recipe Club and Potluck: February 2026

From decadent peanut butter cup cheesecake to cozy vegetable casserole and nacho dip, our foodie friends from this month's Recipe Club & Potluck program brought wonderful recipes to share! See their recipes below, and don't forget to register to join us for our upcoming Recipe Club program on Friday, March 20 @ 1:00 pm! We meet in the beautiful Youth Program Room to sample dishes, and we each get a copy of all the recipes brought to the program. We can't wait to see you at our March installment to share some fun spring recipes! 

No-Chop Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

• 2 15.5 ounce cans chickpeas, no salt added is best 
• 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, torn into pieces 
• 1/2 cup capers, drained 
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, torn into pieces 
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, more as needed 
• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar, more as needed 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta or cotija cheese 
• 4 cups arugula

Directions 

• Drain and rinse chickpeas and dump into a large bowl. Add the torn olives, capers, and torn parsley and mix to combine. Dress the salad with the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Then add in the crumbled cheese and toss again. 
• If you're serving the whole salad at once, toss in the four cups of arugula. If you're having individual portions over the course of a few days, add a serving of arugula to each serving of chickpea mixture as you go, to avoid the salad getting soggy in the fridge. 

Vegetable Casserole 

Ingredients 

• 16 ounces frozen cauliflower thawed (1 package)
• 16 ounces frozen broccoli thawed (1 package)
• 8 ounces canned sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 8 ounces canned bean sprouts, drained
• 10.5 ounce cream of mushroom soup (1 can)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese

Details 

This comforting side dish is perfect for entertaining, or for enjoying as a cozy weeknight meal! Enjoy the savory flavors of cauliflower and broccoli with creamy mushroom soup, cozy veggies, and plenty of cheddar and mozzarella cheese. See the full recipe and details from Julie's Eats and Treats! 

Nacho Dip

Ingredients 

• 1 can refried beans 
• 1 pint sour cream, divided 
• 1 packet taco seasoning 
• 1 can black olives 
• Toppings: tomatoes, shredded lettuce, cheddar or Mexican shredded cheese 

Directions 

1. Mix beans, sour cream (use less than a pint), and seasoning. Add this to an 8"x9" baking dish. 
2. Layer with olives, tomatoes, lettuce, and shredded cheese. 
3. Serve with nacho chips or corn chips! 

Grape Salad

Ingredients 

• 2 pounds grapes, red or green 
• 8 ounces sour cream 
• 1 block cream cheese 
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract 
• Candied pecans 

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla extract, and sugar. Whisk together until smooth. Set aside. 
2. Wash grapes and cut them in half. 
3. Combine grapes with cream cheese mixture and fold in. Top with candied pecans. 

Blueberry Amish Friendship Bread Muffins 

Ingredients 

• 1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• ½ cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• 1 box vanilla instant pudding
• 1 cup blueberries
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar mixture

Details

Receiving a cup of Amish friendship bread is so special, and there are so many wonderful recipes that you can use it for! These blueberry muffins are the perfect treat, with fresh berry flavor and a wonderful golden dough. See the full recipe and details from Friendship Bread Kitchen! 

Hawaiian Coffee Cake 

Ingredients 

• 1 cup brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts 
• 1/4 cup softened butter 
• 2 cups, plus 1 tablespoon flour, divided 
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided 
• 2 cups starter**
• 1 cup sugar 
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil 
• 2 eggs 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup raisins 
• 1 cup drained, crushed pineapple 

Directions 

To make topping: 

1. In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, nuts, margarine, 1 tablespoon flour, and one tablespoon cinnamon. Mix until well blended, then set aside. 

To make cake: 

1. In a large bowl, combine the remaining two cups of flour, remaining one teaspoon cinnamon, the starter, sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Beat until well combined. Fold in raisins and crushed fruit. 
2. Pour into a well-greased and floured bundt pan, large-ring mold, or a 9"x13" baking pan. Top with reserved topping. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes. 

**To make the starter: 

• 2 cups all purpose flour 
• 2 cups warm water 
• 1 package active dry yeast 

In a glass or plastic bowl, mix flour, water, and yeast with a wooden or plastic spoon. Don't use a metal container or spoon. Let stand overnight in a warm place. In the morning, feed one batch of starter food. You will feed another batch of starter food on the fifth day, and another batch on the tenth day, when the process begins again. 

Starter food: 

• 1 cup flour 
• 1 cup milk 
• 1/2 cup sugar 

1. Mix the flour, milk, and sugar to make one batch of starter food. 
2. Mix starter food with starter (mixture will be lumpy). Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and store the mixture in the refrigerator. Stir daily. 
3. On the fifth day, add another batch of starter food. On the tenth day, use two cups of the prepared starter mixture for baking and give one cup to a friend. Feed the remaining cup with another batch of starter food and return to the refrigerator to start the process again. 

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake 

Ingredients 

• 35 peanut butter pie Oreos; regular Oreos are fine to use as well
• ⅓ cup butter, melted
• 4 packages cream cheese: 8 oz. each, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 ½ cups semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Peanut butter chips and mini peanut butter cups, for decorating

Details 

This delicious, homemade Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake starts with a crust made with Oreos, is filled with peanut butter cheesecake, and features a chocolate frosting. It's topped with peanut butter cups and peanut butter chips! Get the full recipe and details from Julie's Eats and Treats! 

Valentine Kisses Dark Chocolate and Strawberry Fudge 

Ingredients

For the Dark Chocolate Fudge: 

• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk 
• 12 ounces dark chocolate chips 

For the Strawberry Fudge: 

• 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk 
• 12 ounce white chocolate chips 
• 2 teaspoons strawberry Jello powder 
• 1/4 cup strawberry preserves 

Directions

1. Line an 8"x8" baking dish with parchment paper, and run down with butter. 
2. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, combine 14 ounces of sweetened condensed milk and 12 ounces of dark chocolate chips. Microwave for two minutes, removing and stirring every minute, and microwave for an additional minute if necessary to completely melt the chocolate chips. 
3. Pour the fudge mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly with a spoon or spatula. Set aside. 
4. In another large, microwave-safe bowl, combine 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk with 12 ounces white chocolate chips. Microwave for two minutes, removing and stirring every minute, and microwave for an additional minute. Stir again. White chocolate is more finicky and more likely to burn, so stirring is preferred to extra time microwaved. 
5. Let cool slightly and mix in the 2 teaspoons of strawberry Jello powder. Pour the strawberry fudge mixture on top of the chocolate fudge mixture. 
6. Using a small spoon, dot bits of strawberry preserves on top. Using a toothpick, swirl the preserves into the fudge until wispy. Try to avoid adding large chunks of strawberry, as it doesn't stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, to set. 
7. Remove the fudge from the pan by pulling out the parchment paper lining. Cut the fudge using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, and serve.