SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — It’s election season and the country is predictably divided over political issues again—so why not stop arguing over politics and close out election night by bickering over which of our most recent U.S. presidents had the best culinary taste?
Sink your teeth into John F. Kennedy’s waffles, Jimmy Carter’s peanut butter pie and Barack Obama’s chili, then visit the other side of the political buffet to serve yourself a few conservatively-sized scoops of Ronald Reagan’s favorite macaroni & cheese and Donald Trump’s meatloaf before giving current President Joe Biden’s wife Jill’s chicken parmesan a try.
These tried and true recipes aren’t just delicious. They’re national treasures.
Jackie and John F. Kennedy’s waffles
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 7/8 cup milk or one cup buttermilk
- 1 cup plus 1 tbsp sifted cake flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 stiffly beaten egg whites
- 4 tsp baking powder
Cream butter and sugar, add egg yolks, and beat. Add flour and milk alternately. This may be done at any time. When ready to bake, fold in egg whites and add baking powder. The mixture should be thick and fluffy. Cook on a waffle iron and serve with hot maple syrup and melted butter.
This recipe was a favorite recipe of Senator John F. Kennedy.
Jimmy Carter’s peanut butter pie
- 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 c. crunchy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 (9 oz) package of cool whip
- 2 graham cracker pie shells
Whip the cream cheese until soft and beat in peanut butter. Add sugar and milk. Slowly add the frozen topping and pour into the crust. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of crushed nuts on top; cover with plastic and place in the freezer. Once frozen, remove from freezer, slice, and serve.
President Obama’s chili
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 lb ground turkey or beef
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground basil
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- One 28-ounce can of peeled tomatoes (I prefer San Marzano)
- One 29-ounce can of dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Heat olive oil in sauté pan on medium-high heat, adding onions, green pepper and cooking about 5 minutes until soft. Add meat to pan and once browned, add spices. Add red wine vinegar and tomatoes. Mash down whole tomatoes with a potato masher and stir in kidney beans. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on medium-low. Serve over white or brown rice, garnishing with cheddar cheese, chopped onions, sour cream, tortilla chips, scallions, cilantro, avocado, or cornbread crumbles.
President Reagan’s favorite mac & cheese
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 lb. macaroni
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 3 cups grated, sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 beaten egg
Boil macaroni until tender; drain and stir in butter and egg. Mix mustard, salt, and 1T hot water. Add to milk, and add cheese, saving some cheese to sprinkle on top. Pour mixture into buttered casserole dish. Add milk, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350°F until the top is crusty, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly, and serve.
President George Bush and Laura’s deviled eggs recipe
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. (plus) soft butter
- 1 tbsp. (plus) mayonnaise
- salt to taste
- 1tsp. Yucatan Sunshine Habanero sauce
- 12 large eggs, boiled hard, peeled
Cut eggs in half. Put egg yolks in a food processor and add all ingredients except egg whites, processing for 20 seconds until the mixture is blended. Taste and add ingredients as desired. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe the mixture into the egg halves, then sprinkle the egg halves with paprika and chopped parsley. Chill before serving. Tabasco sauce can be substituted for habanero.
Clinton family chocolate chip cookies
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup vegetable shortening, room temp
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- 2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Position oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Combine shortening, sugars and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer and beat until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated.
Add flour mixture and then oats on low speed, beating until incorporated to form a dough. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand and drop teaspoons of dough onto baking sheets. Spacing cookies an inch apart.
Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. After removing from the oven, let sit for 2 minutes, then allow cookies to rest on racks to cool before serving.
Donald Trump’s mother’s meatloaf
- 2 lbs. fresh ground beef
- 1 Spanish onion, diced finely
- 1 red bell pepper, diced finely
- 1 green bell pepper, diced finely
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large beefsteak tomato, seeds removed, diced finely
- 2 extra large eggs
- 2/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 2/3 cup tomato puree
- 1/2 tbsp salt and pepper
In a large saucepan, cook peppers, onion, garlic, and tomato until onions turn translucent. Let cool. Add ground beef, cooked cool vegetables, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, and pepper to a large mixing bowl and mix well. Remove mixture from bowl and place in ceramic baking dish, forming mixture into a loaf. Top loaf with tomato puree. Bake at 350 degrees until brown, for approximately 45-55 minutes. Allow meatloaf to rest for 10 minutes before slicing, then serve with mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes.
Joe and Jill Biden’s chicken parmesan
MARINARA SAUCE
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- ¼ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cans whole peeled tomato, 28 oz.
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
- extra basil on the side
- black pepper to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tbsp. milk
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups seasoned Italian bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 3/4 cups grated mozzarella cheese, kept separate
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, kept separate
- olive oil
- 2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, butterflied, 1/4 inch thick
- salad
- rigatoni, cooked
- Italian bread
Preheat oven to 350°F. In large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat, add onion and garlic, cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 3–5 minutes. Drain one can of tomatoes, adding tomatoes and salt to pot. Break up tomatoes with a potato masher, simmer for 20 minutes. Remove garlic cloves and stir in basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
While the sauce simmers, set out square baking dishes. In one, whisk together eggs, milk, and salt. In the other, mix bread crumbs with Parmesan and mozzarella. Coat the chicken in the egg mixture, shaking off excess, and roll it in the breadcrumbs. Press in the breading if needed.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and add chicken to oil; cook until golden brown on both sides; transfer the cooked chicken to a surface where it can drain. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Add a layer of marinara sauce to the bottom of a baking dish. Layer fried chicken over the sauce, topping with half of the mozzarella. Repeat. Finish with a layer of sauce and parmesan. Bake until the cheese melts. Remove from oven and let sit until it cools slightly, topping with basil. Serve with rigatoni, salad, and Italian bread.
These presidential recipes are perfect for either donkey or elephant-themed parties this election night as you’re waiting for the polls to close, but be careful about promising your fellow constituents that you’ll do all the cooking. Political recipes are notoriously easy to burn if election night dinner guests or politicians turn out to be fickle.
But rest assured that whether you’re having a donkey or elephant-themed party, these recipes are sure to keep folks entertained on election night.
