Working through some old recipes, inspired by America Eats

If you missed it, I recently wrote about a new restaurant here in D.C., called America Eats. It's a Jose Andres creation that celebrates old, classic American dishes, starting from the arrival in the (now) U.S. of early settlers from foreign shores: Shrimp 'n Grits from 1607, Pickled Oysters from the 18th Century, and so forth. Anyway, along those lines, I thought I might share with you two recipes that I and my mother grew up eating. The dessert, Lemon-Lime Refrigerator Sheet Cake, certainly can't be older than the 50s, but the entree, Momo Potatoes, might surely have come about much earlier. Both are extremely simple, neither requiring more than 5 ingredients, and both are just plain good. Momo Potatoes

6 slices bacon 3/4 c grated sharp cheddar cheese 4-5 Russet (or similar) potatoes, washed and cut into 1/8" thick rounds 1 large onion, thinly sliced

Fry the bacon in a large, heavy skillet. Set the bacon aside. In the skillet with the drippings, place the potatoes and onions. Cook until well browned, crumble the fried bacon over the top, and sprinkle with the grated cheddar cheese. Serve warm. This is wonderful for dinner or brunch!

Lemon-Lime Refrigerator Sheet Cake makes 1 9x13" pan

For the cake: 1 package lime jello (4 serving size) 1 package Duncan Hines lemon supreme cake mix

For the topping: 1 envelope whipped topping mix (2-2.5 c yield) 1 package lemon instant pudding mix 1.5 c cold milk

Dissolve the lime jello in 3/4 c boiling water. Add 1/2 c cold water, and set aside at room temp. Mix and bake cake as directed in a 9x13 pan. Cool cake 20 minutes but do not remove from pan. Using a fork, poke deep holes through the top of the still-warm cake. Slowly pour the lime gelatin mixture over the cake. Refrigerate the cake while preparing the topping. In a cold, deep bowl, blend and whip together the topping mix, instant pudding and cold milk until stiff (3-8 minutes). Immediately frost the cake with it. Store the cake in the fridge and serve cold. This is a great summertime dessert.

Although this might sound like a cake made of fake, it is truly delicious and you will not be able to stop eating it.