"Klett Family Comfort Foods" by Jan & Justin Klett

FROM JAN
This book has been talked about in our family for many years. When our family was young,
we had company from our church family often. Sometimes the kids would prepare menus
that would be given to the guests. They would greet them at the door and seat them at the
table. We were on a pretty limited budget, but the meals were always prepared with love
and served with joy.
Some of the recipes we used are in this book. Several came to me from my mother-in-law,
Millie Klett, who was a fabulous cook and an amazing lady who left us too soon. She and my
father-in- law, Bill Klett, liked to cook together and had sort of a dance that went on in the
kitchen as they weaved in and out preparing their favorite dishes. It was delightful to watch!
My mother, Pat Peetoom, was also a great cook and served great comfort food. She loved
to serve a new recipe and then share it with us. Much of her cooking was done without
measuring. She would say “That looks about right,” and it would come out perfect. Her
recipes tended to be very simple but really good and she taught me so much.
FROM JUSTIN
Food has always been a very important part of our family dynamic. Food is used to comfort,
to celebrate, and to bring us together. While I did want to have a way to record all of the
tasty recipes that I remember from my childhood, I had other reasons, too. First, I wanted
to have a small piece of my family to take with me as I go out into the world, and maybe one
day start my own family. Second, I wanted the chance to memorialize the people who wrote
these recipes. People who I either didn’t get to spend enough time with before they were
gone, or selfishly avoided spending time with until it was too late.
I miss you, Grandma & Grandpa Klett. I miss you, Grandma Peetoom.

RECIPES BY JAN KLETT, PAT PEETOOM & MILLIE KLETT

CHILI
Takes about 2 hours to make. Serves 4 people.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced (or 1 tsp onion powder)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (15 oz) (2½ cans is best)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 can chili beans, undrained
• 5 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup water
• 1 Tbsp flour
PROCEDURE
1 If using onion, sauté in 1 or 2 Tbsp of oil until tender.
2 Add ground beef, and season with salt and pepper.
3 Brown the meat well and drain off fat.
4 Stir in remaining ingredients (add onion powder
here), except water and flour.
5 Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for at
least one hour.
6 Blend flour and water and stir into chili.
7 Simmer another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8 Serve hot with sour cream and cheese, if desired.

NOTES
• I have always doubled this recipe. If beef is a little
too pricey, you can use ground turkey and add
some beef bouillon for flavor. I’ve also made this
with ground venison provided by a hunter who
needed to clear his freezer for the next conquest.
I didn’t care for the gamey flavor, but my men
loved it.
• The original recipe called for a quart of tomatoes,
as in home canned goodness. One quart is the
right amount, so choose the number of cans based
on the current size available in the store.
• This works well in a crockpot cooking overnight
or during the day while you’re away. Either add the
water and flour and cook for another 30 min. on
high or leave it out. It tends to be a little thicker
when cooked long and slow.
• Best advice: Cook the day before you need it. It’s
really good when you first take it off the stove,
but it actually tastes better after a day or two
when reheated. This also freezes well (one or two
months max) and holds its flavor.

SO EASY PEACH COBBLER
Takes about 1½ hours to make. Serves 6–8 people.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 stick margarine or butter
• 1 large can sliced peaches
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup peach juice
PROCEDURE
1 Set oven at 350° F.
2 Divide stick of butter in several pieces in 8 x 8 pan.
3 Place in oven until melted.
4 While butter is melting, mix sugar, flour, baking
powder, and juice.
5 Pour batter over melted butter.
6 Spoon peaches over top of batter.
7 Bake for 45–55 minutes or until golden brown.
8 Serve warm.

NOTES
• I’ve noticed that sometimes there isn’t enough juice
in the can. You do need the full cup of liquid, so be
creative. We’ve added water, milk, apple juice and
one time Benjamin added pickly pear juice!
• Best advice: You can serve as is or with whipped
cream or ice cream. We have liked it best served it
with vanilla or sometimes butter pecan ice cream.

POTATO SOUP
Takes about 1½ hours to make. Serves 6–8 people.
INGREDIENTS
• 6–8 potatoes (about one per person)
• 1 quart water
• ½ stick butter
• 2 stalks of celery (including leaves) or ½ tsp
celery salt
• ½ medium onion or 1 tsp onion powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 cup milk
PROCEDURE
1 Peel and dice potatoes and put in a big pot.
2 If you want to add celery and onion, add those with
the potatoes.
3 Add just enough water to cover the potatoes.
4 Add some salt and bring to a boil.
5 Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the
potatoes (and veggies) are tender.
6 Do not drain the potato water (the secret ingredient!).
7 Take a potato masher and mash some of the potatoes
(keep some of the chunks).
8 Add the butter, sour cream, milk and celery salt or
onion powder, if substituting the fresh veggies, as well
as salt and pepper to taste.
9 Stir and cook until heated through.

NOTES
• This was one of Grandma Peetoom’s comfort
foods served to our big family and sometimes
company after church. I remember standing by
the stove with Mama when I was in junior high
and having her tell me how she made it. I’ve
added a couple of things through the years (your
dad’s suggestions).
• Mama told me if someone drops by and you need
the soup to go a little farther, you can add extra
milk and adjust the spices accordingly (maybe a little
more butter and sour cream, too). She also told me
the smaller you cut the potatoes, the faster they
cook so you can feed your family sooner.
• This, like just about any soup, is best second day,
but Mama always served it fresh. Makes enough
for a family of four with leftovers!

MIXY TRIXY
Takes about 1 hour to make. Serves 4–6 people.
INGREDIENTS
• 4 potatoes, peeled & diced
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup chedder cheese, shredded
• 4 hot dogs, sliced
• 4 Tbsp milk
• 2–3 Tbsp. cooking oil
• Salt and pepper
PROCEDURE
1 Before you start, all the ingredients need to be
ready to dump in the frying pan.
2 Beat eggs, add milk and mix well.
3 Fry potatoes in oil in large frying pan over
medium high heat.
4 Use enough oil to cover and let the potatoes
brown before turning them for best results.
5 After the potatoes are turned, add the hot dogs
to brown.
6 When ready, add the eggs to the mixture and stir
frequently until the eggs are cooked through.
7 Remove from heat and serve with toast.

NOTES
• Everyone has their own way of topping this dish,
either ketchup, ketchup and picante sauce, or hot
sauce. Have it your way…
• My mom taught me to add milk to scrambled
eggs. Grandma Klett used water so they would
be flufflier but didn’t add more fat. I’ve never
measured the amount, but I think a tablespoon
per two eggs is about right. If you get too much
milk, there will be “juice” left in the pan, but they
still taste good!
• Dad and I have sautéed bell peppers, onion and
mushrooms to put on top. It could be added to
the recipe before you add the eggs, if you like.
• There is not really a recipe for this one because it
can be adjusted to the number of people eating it
and whether you want leftovers.
• You can substitute other meat for the hot dogs,
and other cheeses for the chedder. You can also
add in any veggies that you would like. This is
a great dish that will adjust to the number of
hungry mouths.
• This is one of Grandpa Klett’s favorite meals
(named by Justin * ).
* Co-author’s note: I named it when I was ten. So it’s not stupid,
it’s adorable.

CUBAN BREAD
Takes about 1½ to make. Makes two loaves.
INGREDIENTS
• 5–6 cup flour (can substitute 1–2 cups whole
wheat flour for equal amount of regular flour)
• 2 Tbsp dry yeast
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 2 cups hot water (120–130° F)
• 1 Tbsp sesame or poppy seeds (optional—mostly
for looks)
PROCEDURE
1 Mix 4 cups of flour with yeast, sugar and salt.
2 Pour in hot water and beat 100 strokes or 3
minutes with mixer.
3 Stir in remaining flour until the dough is no
longer sticky.
4 Knead 8 minutes by hand or about 3 minutes
with dough hooks (dough should gather around
hooks and leave the sides clean).
5 Place dough in greased bowl and cover with
damp towel.
6 Let rise 15 minutes (needs to be a warm place
but not in the oven).
7 Punch down.
8 Divide into two pieces.

9 Shape into two round loves and place on a
baking sheet.
10 Cut an “X” ½ inch deep on top with a sharp knife.
11 Optional step: Brush with water and sprinkle
with seeds.
12 Place on middle shelf of a cold oven.
13 Place a cake pan of hot water on the lowest shelf.
14 Heat the oven to 400° F.
15 Bake 40 to 50 minutes until deep golden brown.
NOTES
• Pairs perfectly with any soup or stew.
• I found this recipe in a book called “The Complete
Tightwad Gazette.” We were on a really tight
budget and I was looking for inexpensive recipes,
and I was also learning how to bake bread. It was
a really quick bread recipe because it doesn’t
require the hours of babysitting you have to give
to other bread recipes.

GREAT MASHED POTATOES
Takes about 1½ hours to make. Serves 8+ people.
INGREDIENTS
• 9 large potatoes, peeled & diced
• 6oz cream cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp onion salt
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2–3 Tbsp butter
PROCEDURE
1 Cook peeled potatoes in boiling water until tender.
2 Drain potatoes.
3 Mash with mixer until smooth.
4 Add remaining ingredients and beat until fluffy.
5 Place in casserole dish.
6 Refrigerate overnight (or for several days).
7 When ready to use, bake at 350° F, or until
heated through, for about 30 minutes.

NOTES
• Mama said this was a great dish for potluck
suppers or picnics.
• Mama used to make Great Mashed Potatoes
every year for Thanksgiving, and when it moved
to our house, we started making it, too.
• They can be made right away, but they taste best
when you let them sit overnight.
• As noted, they can be made ahead, which makes
a great dish for the holiday rush or for company.
You can also cook them in crockpot if you are
needing the oven for a turkey or some other
large dish.

SOUR CREAM RAISIN PIE
Takes about 1 hour to make. Makes a 9 inch pie.
INGREDIENTS
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup raisins
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• Double crust pastry shell
PROCEDURE
1 Beat eggs with mixer.
2 Add sugar and beat again until light.
3 In another bowl, whip the sour cream.
4 Fold into the egg mixture.
5 Add raisins, nutmeg, salt, and lemon juice, and mix.
6 Pour into pastry shell.
7 Put on top crust, seal edges, and vent top.
8 Bake at 450° F for 10 minutes at oven center.
9 Reduce heat to 350° F, and bake for 20 minutes.
10 Serve warm.
11 Refrigerate leftovers.

NOTES
• This was Grandpa Klett’s favorite pie from when
he was a growing up during the Great Depression.
This was his request for his birthdays up into his
80’s. For birthdays, Grandpa’s mom would fix
her kids’ favorite dessert for their special day.
Grandpa and his brother, Hank, had birthdays
close together and both loved Sour Cream Raisin
Pie and Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Whichever
dessert was chosen by the first birthday boy, the
other dessert was chosen for the next birthday
so that they both got to enjoy their favorite
treats. Grandpa continued this tradition when he
had children of his own by apparently convincing
Dad that his favorite birthday cake was Pineapple
Upside Down Cake even though the rich dessert
made his stomach upset. Grandpa was still getting
both of his favorites!
• Grandpa always said that he wanted to try a
Sour Cream Pecan Pie, replacing the raisins with
pecans, but to my knowledge he never made it.
He always used to talk about how good that might
taste, though, so that might be something to try.
• You can serve it plain, though it tastes best with
ice cream.

MEATLOAF
Takes about 1½ hours to make. Serves 6–8 people.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 packet dry onion soup mix
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup water
• cup ketchup
• ¾ cup dry bread crumbs
PROCEDURE
1 Preheat oven to 350° F.
2 In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
3 In a large shallow baking dish, shape into a loaf.
4 Bake for 1 hour.
5 Remove from oven and drain the fat off of it.
6 Let sit for 5 minutes before removing from dish.

NOTES
• If you like, you can make a sauce to add on top,
then stick it back in the oven for a few minutes to
warm it.
• This used to be a really economical meal. We
couldn’t afford roasts, ham or steak, so this was
a great main dish. The leftover meatloaf was used
for sandwiches the next day and the remainder
was cut up and used in spaghetti. Don’t waste it!
• This recipe can also be made into meatballs or
divided into two smaller loaves so one can be
frozen and used later in the month.
• Pairs wonderfully with Great Mashed Potatoes.

From left to right: Justin, Jan, Ron (top), and Benjamin.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
JAN KLETT is a mother of two wonderful sons, Benjamin and Justin, and
the wife of Ron Klett. She works in the business office of a small research and
manufacturing company by day and serves through her church as much as she
can. She doesn’t spend as much time cooking as she used to but still enjoys
serving up something tasty for her family and friends.
JUSTIN KLETT is a graphic designer currently based in Urbana, IL. He
loves to eat, but has little experience cooking, which makes him almost
perfectly unqualified to be a co-author of this book. In his spare time, he
enjoys antiquing, binge-watching Netflix, and pursuing a possible career as a
voice actor.