Claudia Sanders, Still Focused On Quality
If you haven’t visited Claudia Sanders Dinner House in Shelbyville in a while, you may be surprised at the changes to this 24,000-square-foot restaurant that now seats 1,000 hungry guests. Each time I walk through the doors, I am amazed at the grand antebellum-style staircase, the four beautiful dining rooms, and the upstairs bar, the Saddlebred Lounge.
Owners Tommy and Cherry Settles maintain the hospitality of the Dinner House, which opened in 1968, in a way that would make Colonel Harland Sanders and his wife, Claudia, proud.
“Our primary focus is quality,” Tommy Settles says. “We use the same recipes that the Colonel and Claudia began with 43 years ago.”
Aside from the regular menu, they are offering an Easter brunch featuring fried chicken, roasted pork loin, Black Angus roast beef, and roasted chicken breast. Also included are 10 vegetables, yeast rolls, salads, and desserts such as assorted cobblers and chess and Kentucky pies; $17.95, adults; $7.95, kids ages 5-10; 4 and under eat free.
The Dinner House is located at 3202 Shelbyville Road, on the west side of Shelby-ville on U.S. 60, (502) 633-5600, www.claudiasanders.com. Hours of operation are 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. They also offer banquet facilities and catering.
MOCK OYSTERS
2 medium eggplants, peeled and
cut into half-inch cubes
1 lb saltine crackers, broken into
coarse crumbs
1 tsp salt
1⁄2 tsp pepper
1 stick butter, cut into small pieces
1 pint half-and-half
Soak eggplant in salted water for about 8 hours; remove from water and drain. In a saucepan, cover eggplant with fresh, slightly salted water. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or until tender, then drain. Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom of 2-quart casserole with one-third of saltine crumbs. Cover with 2 C eggplant. Season with half the salt and pepper. Sprinkle half of the butter pieces on top. Cover with layer of one-third of the saltine crumbs. Add rest of eggplant, salt, and pepper. Cover with remaining saltines. Sprinkle remaining butter pieces on top. Pour enough half-and-half to cover. Bake 1 hour or until top browns. Serves 8.
CORN PUDDING
3 Tbsps butter
3 Tbsps flour
2 Tbsps sugar
1 tsp salt
1⁄8 tsp black pepper
1 1⁄4 C half-and-half
2 C frozen corn
2 eggs, well-beaten
Preheat oven to 375°. Melt butter in a saucepan; stir in flour, sugar, salt, and pepper. Slowly add half-and-half and stir in corn. Fold in beaten eggs. Pour into well-buttered, 1-quart casserole. Set in larger pan filled halfway with hot water. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower oven to 350°. Continue baking until pudding is set
and golden. Serves 6.
READER RECIPES
RHUBARB STRAWBERRY CRUMBLE
4 C rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 C sliced strawberries
2⁄3 C sugar, divided
1⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄3 C all-purpose flour
1⁄8 tsp salt
2 Tbsps margarine or butter
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine rhubarb, strawberries, and 1⁄3 C sugar. Stir well. Pour into an 11” x 7” x 2” baking dish. Combine remaining 1⁄3 C sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in margarine or butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until lightly browned.
Submitted by JO ANN HUGHES, Tompkinsville, Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation cooperative.
