I post a lot of mayo-centric things to Twitter. Probably more than most people. Whether it be a dollop of Hellman’s atop a fruit “salad” or several cups blended into a Jell-O “salad,” you bet I’ll find it. And you sure as hell know I’ll post it. Mayonnaise is just too good and too versatile not to share. Plus, let’s be honest, earlier eras used it dare I say . . . too much? Nah. Not possible.
Also, if you’re wondering why salad is in quotes; well, that’s because there’s no way any of those things are salad. They’re just chaos labeled as salad because, apparently, “a mess” is not appropriate to describe food. I think it works just fine, but I didn’t make the rules. Some weirdo in the early 1900s did.
Anyways, my obsession with mayonnaise recently got to a point where I ended up buying a cookbook entirely related to it. Titled That Amazing Ingredient: Mayonnaise, Hellman’s legitimately made a cookbook completely about mayo. From simple sandwiches and dressings to something called a “Pink Cloud Mold,” this book has it all.
Being the brave soul I am . . . I completely avoided all the scary dishes and started with an easy one: Cheddar-Onion Bread. I’ve heard mayo works well in breads and desserts in a way sour cream does, so why not give it a go? I mean, I suck at baking. I’m a pretty decent chef, but baking and I don’t see eye-to-eye, which is weird considering I worked in a bakery for four-and-a-half years. I guess frying donuts and making giant batches of brownies doesn’t constitute as legitimate baking. Then again, neither do half the recipes in this book.
Without further ado, here’s Hellman’s (or Best Foods’) recipe for Cheddar-Onion Bread:
· 2 ½ cups unsifted flour
· 1 tbs baking powder
· ½ tsp salt
· ½ cup Hellman’s or Best Foods mayo
· 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
· ½ cup minced green onions
· 1 egg
· ¾ cup milk
The steps are as follows:
1. Grease a 1 ½ quart casserole
2. In a large bowl stir together first three ingredients
3. Stir in mayonnaise until mixture resembles coarse crumbs
4. Add cheese and onions; toss
5. Beat together egg and milk; stir into cheese mixture until moistened
6. Spoon into casserole
Here’s what mine looked like before it went in the oven. It was sort of crumbly, but I just mashed it down because nobody said I couldn’t.
7. Bake in 425F oven for 35-45 minutes
The finished product after about 35 minutes.
It came out a little flaky, but didn’t fall apart. I added some butter after the picture was taken and oh man . . . it was delicious!
It seems now I need to go make a crazy mayonnaise recipe that makes me question my sanity. This one was unfair to all those who prefer to see me go insane. So, I guess next time I’m making the pink cloud mold.