Recipes from the School Cafeteria

One of the best part about going to school, was eating hot rolls in the school cafeteria. The lunch ladies would fix the best homemade hot rolls. They would start making them early in the morning. Right before lunch time, the intoxicating aroma would take over the entire school. The rolls would always be huge and perfectly shaped. They were delicious. Another day to look forward to was "Cinnamon Roll Day". They were always gigantic and sometimes you would get seconds if they had any left over. I was a lunch lady for a short time. I had a lot of fun working in the lunch room; hanging around all the kids. Those were the days.

Here is a collection of some of the recipes collected by the lunch ladies from the school cafeteria. I hope they bring back good memories.

How To Make School lunch rolls
Easy Recipe Ingredients & Directions

This recipe came from the files of a retired cafeteria manager from Pascagoula, Mississippi.

2 ½ pounds plain flour
½ cup dry milk
½ cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1/4 cup instant yeast
3/4 cup melted, cooled butter or shortening (room temperature)
3 cups lukewarm water

Sift together all of the dry ingredients. Mix Well, Add yeast, lukewarm water and cooled melted butter. Beat 15 minutes (important). Let rise.
Roll out to 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick. Cut out rolls with cutter. Place on greased pans. Let rise again. Bake at 350 degrees F until done. Butter tops. Serves 65.

Cafeteria Yeast Rolls

3 packages yeast
2 cups warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cubes melted butter (3/4 cup)
7 cups flour
1/2 cup dry milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1. Put yeast & water in mixing bowl and add sugar. Let set until dissolved, then add melted butter.
2. Add flour, dry milk and salt. Beat well.
3. Shape into rolls, place on greased sheet & let rise till double in bulk.
4. Bake about 15 minutes at 425 º.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : This is an old cafeteria recipe that is so easy to make if you have a heavy duty mixer. It only requires one rising and it's impossible to mess these rolls up. If you don't have a heavy duty mixer, only add part of the flour so you can mix them well and then knead the remainder of the flour in.