It's no secret that we like to riff on recipes. Case in point: These cookies with big chunks of bittersweet chocolate and flakes of sea salt turn a traditional chocolate chip cookie on its head. But what really makes our knees go weak? A true classic: Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip cookies.\nSome of the recipes that we feel most nostalgic about are from the backs of ingredient packages. Treats made from breakfast cereal, a pie with filling from a can, and boxed biscuits that'll put grandma to shame, to name a few. We polled our staff and readers on Facebook and Twitter about the best back-of-the-package recipes. These desserts, snacks, sides, and main dishes will always have a special place in our hearts. Here are the winners:\nNestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies\nThe recipe for Original Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies says it's a \"famous American cookie,\" and that's putting it mildly. Our staff and readers went bonkers over this soft and chewy sweet cookie. Meryl Rothstein, BA senior editor, says it perfectly: They're \"sweet and the right amount of chewy, with strong notes of middle school bake sale. \" Plus, the recipe makes five dozen cookies, which is just about enough to last through a Netflix marathon.\nQuaker Oatmeal Cookies\nWhether you add raisins or not, it's hard to deny these cookies a place at the table. Rochelle Bilow, BA associate web editor (who is pro-raisin), says Quaker's Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies were the first she ever baked. With almost a full cup of butter and three cups of old-fashioned oats, Bilow says they're the \"perfect combination of chewy and rich.\" Many of our Facebook users swap out the raisins for chocolate or butterscotch chips, or nuts (pecans and walnuts being favorites). @robertstjohn on Twitter sums it up, calling them \"The best. Period. End of discussion.\"\nCakes and Pies\nKaro Corn Syrup Pecan Pie\nThere are dozens of variations on the pecan pie on Karo's website (okay, around 40), but we've got a soft spot for the classic. Says Carey Polis, senior web editor at BA, says \"I use it every year. It is ridiculously simple and every year I get compliments about how great it is. Why complicate things?\"\nLibby's Pumpkin Pie\nYou know the saying: If it ain't broke, don't roast and purée your own pumpkin pie filling. Many cooks (including our Test Kitchen staff) prefer the canned variety for their pies. Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie recipe has been printed on the cans since 1950. Says Angie Kerns on Facebook: \"Libby's pumpkin pie (using their pure pumpkin) is the ultimate. It's the only one I use, and people are always blown away and ask for the recipe.\" The recipe has been appearing on cans since the early 1950s, and were promoted with this nice bit of prose: \"The can’t fail recipe is on the back of every Libby Pumpkin label. It gives you the perfect proportions of sugar, eggs, spice and evaporated milk to use along with this perfect pumpkin for a filling that’s *mellow as a harvest moon (*emphasis ours).\"\nPhiladelphia Cream Cheese Cheesecake\n@PenaltyK swears by Philly's cheesecake recipe, and \"add[s] whatever crazy flavors or ingredients to jazz it up.\" Philadelphia's website offers plenty of variations on the Classic Cheesecake, including Triple-Caramel and Peppermint Bark.\nKeebler New York Cheesecake\nCristina Martinez, BA production director, prefers the New York Cheesecake recipe on the back of the Keebler Graham Cracker Crumbs box: \"Those elves know what they’re doing! It was the first thing I baked and still my favorite cheesecake recipe.\" Stock up on the cream cheese—you need four packages to make the recipe!\nHershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake\nWe hear you, loud and clear: Our readers love the chocolate cake and chocolate frosting, found on packages of Hershey's Cocoa. Says Sheela Prakash, editorial assistant at Epicurious, \"My whole family swears by it.\" Readers extolled its no-fail reliability—one commented that it \"works even at 7,200 ft!\" According to Hershey's Test Kitchen manager Linda Stahl, the recipe originated in the early 1980s, and was originally called Hershey's \"Deep Dark Chocolate Cake.\" The cake gained popularity in a promotional ad campaign in 1982 titled \"Hershey's Easy Does It,\" which promoted one-bowl recipes.\nSwans Down Cake\nStacey Rivera, BA's digital director, says the Swans Down chocolate cake with cake flour is a big hit at birthday parties—and simple to make, to boot. Facebook fan Katherine Jester says all of Swans' recipes are \"awesome,\" citing the \"1-2-3-4 cake, Simple Chocolate Cake, and Classic Carrot Cake\" as no-fail.\nOther Sweet Treats\nRice Krispie Treats\nDon't mess with an original. Jackie Ourman, Test Kitchen contributor at Bon Appétit, says, \"I bring them in for school celebrations. HUGE hit with the kiddos and allergy-friendly.\" Kristen Lemire, editorial business manager at BA says, \"There’s nothing not to love about gooey marshmallows, butter, and some snap-crackle-pops.\" She'll also admit to snacking on the treats before they're set, although depending on her mood, Lemire sometimes makes it as far as \"spreading them out and cutting them into squares with perfect right angles.\"\n\nNow that's nostalgia. Photo: Flickr/stephcookie\nBaker's Chocolate Brownies\nQuite a few readers cited the One Bowl Brownies recipe from Baker's as their go-to, with comments like \"I get more compliments on those brownies than any other,\" and \"Shh. The brownies are my secret recipe.\"\nSnacks, Sides, and Mains\nBisquick Biscuits\nAccording to Andrew Knowlton, BA restaurant and drinks editor (and biscuit enthusiast), \"I love scratch biscuits as much as the next Southerner, but sometimes when I'm short on time or simply lazy I'll reach for box of Original Bisquick Mix. It's hard to admit but I think my kids like them more than the scratch ones. And dammit if they may be right!\"\nLipton Onion Soup Dip and Meatloaf\nThis one-package-wonder is a powerhouse of flavor. Our readers use Lipton onion soup mix for everything from \"Souperior\" Meatloaf (@Swimman79 says it's a favorite comfort food) to potatoes and, of course, a scoopable, spreadable, guilty-pleasure onion dip. That dip, by the way, is made with just two ingredients—sour cream and an envelope of onion soup. Well, three ingredients if you found the entire bag of potato chips consumed alongside.\nJiffy Corn Muffins\nA darling retro logo and muffins that come together in a, well, jiffy? BA food director Carla Lalli Music has a soft spot for Jiffy's Corn Muffins. Come on, who doesn't have a box of Jiffy cornmeal lurking in a cabinet somewhere?\nOcean Spray Cranberry Sauce\nIf you've ever used Ocean Spray's recipe for cranberry sauce, you're not alone. Dawn Perry, BA digital food editor says, \"For years after my grandmother died we tried to figure out which one of us had her cranberry relish recipe. Only a couple of years ago did we realize it was just a less-sweet version of the one on the back of the Ocean Spray bag.\" If it's variety you're looking for, Ocean Spray's website has plenty of variations on the traditional Thanksgiving side, including a jellied sauce, a relish, and a chutney.\nWhile we're on the subject of packaged goods: The Foods You Just Don't Mess With","isBasedOn":"https://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/pop-culture/article/back-of-package-recipes","articleSection":"culture","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Rochelle Bilow","sameAs":"https://www.bonappetit.com/contributor/roc"}],"dateModified":"2014-12-21T03:00:00.000-05:00","datePublished":"2014-12-21T03:00:00.000-05:00","headline":"Our Favorite 'Back of the Package' Recipes, From Cookies to Meatloaf","image":["https://assets.bonappetit.com/photos/57d6efc3ba8aad80646fc0f4/master/w_2000,h_1333,c_limit/TOLL-HOUSE-RECIPE.jpg"],"keywords":["culture","web"],"thumbnailUrl":"","url":"https://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/pop-culture/article/back-of-package-recipes","isPartOf":{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Bon Appétit"},"isAccessibleForFree":true,"alternativeHeadline":"Some of our favorite recipes come from the backs of ingredient packages. From cookies to meatloaf, here are our staff's and reader's picks.","description":"Some of our favorite recipes come from the backs of ingredient packages. From cookies to meatloaf, here are our staff's and reader's picks.","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/pop-culture/article/back-of-package-recipes"},"publisher":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","name":"Bon Appétit","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.bonappetit.com/verso/static/bon-appetit/assets/logo-seo.png","width":"479px","height":"100px"},"url":"https://www.bonappetit.com"}}
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Some of our favorite recipes come from the backs of ingredient packages. From cookies to meatloaf, here are our staff's and reader's picks.
By Rochelle Bilow
Alex Lau
</head>It's no secret that we like to riff on recipes. Case in point: These cookies with big chunks of bittersweet chocolate and flakes of sea salt turn a traditional chocolate chip cookie on its head. But what really makes our knees go weak? A true classic: Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip cookies.
Some of the recipes that we feel most nostalgic about are from the backs of ingredient packages. Treats made from breakfast cereal, a pie with filling from a can, and boxed biscuits that'll put grandma to shame, to name a few. We polled our staff and readers on Facebook and Twitter about the best back-of-the-package recipes. These desserts, snacks, sides, and main dishes will always have a special place in our hearts. Here are the winners:
Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
The recipe for Original Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies says it's a "famous American cookie," and that's putting it mildly. Our staff and readers went bonkers over this soft and chewy sweet cookie. Meryl Rothstein, BA senior editor, says it perfectly: They're "sweet and the right amount of chewy, with strong notes of middle school bake sale. " Plus, the recipe makes five dozen cookies, which is just about enough to last through a Netflix marathon.
Quaker Oatmeal Cookies
Whether you add raisins or not, it's hard to deny these cookies a place at the table. Rochelle Bilow, BA associate web editor (who is pro-raisin), says Quaker's Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies were the first she ever baked. With almost a full cup of butter and three cups of old-fashioned oats, Bilow says they're the "perfect combination of chewy and rich." Many of our Facebook users swap out the raisins for chocolate or butterscotch chips, or nuts (pecans and walnuts being favorites). @robertstjohn on Twitter sums it up, calling them "The best. Period. End of discussion."
Cakes and Pies
Karo Corn Syrup Pecan Pie
There are dozens of variations on the pecan pie on Karo's website (okay, around 40), but we've got a soft spot for the classic. Says Carey Polis, senior web editor at BA, says "I use it every year. It is ridiculously simple and every year I get compliments about how great it is. Why complicate things?"
Libby's Pumpkin Pie
You know the saying: If it ain't broke, don't roast and purée your own pumpkin pie filling. Many cooks (including our Test Kitchen staff) prefer the canned variety for their pies. Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie recipe has been printed on the cans since 1950. Says Angie Kerns on Facebook: "Libby's pumpkin pie (using their pure pumpkin) is the ultimate. It's the only one I use, and people are always blown away and ask for the recipe." The recipe has been appearing on cans since the early 1950s, and were promoted with this nice bit of prose: "The can’t fail recipe is on the back of every Libby Pumpkin label. It gives you the perfect proportions of sugar, eggs, spice and evaporated milk to use along with this perfect pumpkin for a filling that’s *mellow as a harvest moon (*emphasis ours)."
So much easier than roasting a pumpkin. Photo: Libby's
Philadelphia Cream Cheese Cheesecake
@PenaltyK swears by Philly's cheesecake recipe, and "add[s] whatever crazy flavors or ingredients to jazz it up." Philadelphia's website offers plenty of variations on the Classic Cheesecake, including Triple-Caramel and Peppermint Bark.
Keebler New York Cheesecake
Cristina Martinez, BA production director, prefers the New York Cheesecake recipe on the back of the Keebler Graham Cracker Crumbs box: "Those elves know what they’re doing! It was the first thing I baked and still my favorite cheesecake recipe." Stock up on the cream cheese—you need four packages to make the recipe!
Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake
We hear you, loud and clear: Our readers love the chocolate cake and chocolate frosting, found on packages of Hershey's Cocoa. Says Sheela Prakash, editorial assistant at Epicurious, "My whole family swears by it." Readers extolled its no-fail reliability—one commented that it "works even at 7,200 ft!" According to Hershey's Test Kitchen manager Linda Stahl, the recipe originated in the early 1980s, and was originally called Hershey's "Deep Dark Chocolate Cake." The cake gained popularity in a promotional ad campaign in 1982 titled "Hershey's Easy Does It," which promoted one-bowl recipes.
The Perfectly Chocolate Cake. Photo: Hershey's
Swans Down Cake
Stacey Rivera, BA's digital director, says the Swans Down chocolate cake with cake flour is a big hit at birthday parties—and simple to make, to boot. Facebook fan Katherine Jester says all of Swans' recipes are "awesome," citing the "1-2-3-4 cake, Simple Chocolate Cake, and Classic Carrot Cake" as no-fail.
Other Sweet Treats
Rice Krispie Treats
Don't mess with an original. Jackie Ourman, Test Kitchen contributor at Bon Appétit, says, "I bring them in for school celebrations. HUGE hit with the kiddos and allergy-friendly." Kristen Lemire, editorial business manager at BA says, "There’s nothing not to love about gooey marshmallows, butter, and some snap-crackle-pops." She'll also admit to snacking on the treats before they're set, although depending on her mood, Lemire sometimes makes it as far as "spreading them out and cutting them into squares with perfect right angles."
Now that's nostalgia. Photo: Flickr/stephcookie
Baker's Chocolate Brownies
Quite a few readers cited the One Bowl Brownies recipe from Baker's as their go-to, with comments like "I get more compliments on those brownies than any other," and "Shh. The brownies are my secret recipe."
Snacks, Sides, and Mains
Bisquick Biscuits
According to Andrew Knowlton, BA restaurant and drinks editor (and biscuit enthusiast), "I love scratch biscuits as much as the next Southerner, but sometimes when I'm short on time or simply lazy I'll reach for box of Original Bisquick Mix. It's hard to admit but I think my kids like them more than the scratch ones. And dammit if they may be right!"
All flaky and golden brown… Photo: Bisquick
Lipton Onion Soup Dip and Meatloaf
This one-package-wonder is a powerhouse of flavor. Our readers use Lipton onion soup mix for everything from "Souperior" Meatloaf (@Swimman79 says it's a favorite comfort food) to potatoes and, of course, a scoopable, spreadable, guilty-pleasure onion dip. That dip, by the way, is made with just two ingredients—sour cream and an envelope of onion soup. Well, three ingredients if you found the entire bag of potato chips consumed alongside.
Jiffy Corn Muffins
A darling retro logo and muffins that come together in a, well, jiffy? BA food director Carla Lalli Music has a soft spot for Jiffy's Corn Muffins. Come on, who doesn't have a box of Jiffy cornmeal lurking in a cabinet somewhere?
The first Jiffy products hit shelves in 1930. Photo: Jiffy
Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce
If you've ever used Ocean Spray's recipe for cranberry sauce, you're not alone. Dawn Perry, BA digital food editor says, "For years after my grandmother died we tried to figure out which one of us had her cranberry relish recipe. Only a couple of years ago did we realize it was just a less-sweet version of the one on the back of the Ocean Spray bag." If it's variety you're looking for, Ocean Spray's website has plenty of variations on the traditional Thanksgiving side, including a jellied sauce, a relish, and a chutney.
While we're on the subject of packaged goods: The Foods You Just Don't Mess With
