Aaaaay! Celebrate 50 years of Happy Days with the first official collection of recipes inspired by the beloved television sensation.
Coming April 16, 2024, Insight Editions will publish Christina Ward’s Happy Days: The Official Cookbook – From Aaaay to Zucchini Bread.
Relish in nostalgia and relive the pop culture of the 1950s and ’60s with Richie, Fonzie, and friends from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with Happy Days: The Official Cookbook. From the Cunningham kitchen to popular “greasy spoon” diner, Arnold’s, this cookbook’s more than 90 recipes draw their inspiration from the beloved sitcom and act as a guide to the familiar flavors of mid-century America.
Happy Days: The Official Cookbook offers a variety of recipes for chefs of all levels. From appetizers to main courses and from drinks to desserts, each chapter includes delicious show-focused food for fans to enjoy with family.
And thanks to our friends at Insight, we’re sharing three exclusive recipes to FOG! readers!
Mrs. C.’s Meatloaf
Meatloaf. We’re pretty sure you will love it too. Jefferson High School even served it for lunch. Mrs. C. lets the family pick one menu item for the week and Richie always picks meatloaf. You would—and now can—have Mrs. C.’s Meatloaf every night of the week. It’s fabamundo!
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 60 minutes
YIELD: 6 to 8 servings
- 1⁄2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1⁄2 cup milk
- 1 1⁄2 pounds ground beef (80% lean, 20% fat)
- 1⁄2 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1⁄4 cup steak sauce (your preferred brand)
- 2 tablespoons ketchup plus
- 1⁄4 cup for topping (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs, beaten
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk. Let them sit for a few minutes until the breadcrumbs absorb the milk. Add the ground beef, chopped onion, minced garlic, steak sauce, ketchup, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and beaten eggs to the bowl with the breadcrumb mixture.
Using your hands or a spoon, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the meatloaf tough.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan and shape it into a loaf shape. If desired, spread 1⁄4 cup of ketchup over the top of the meatloaf for added flavor and moisture. Cover loaf pan with aluminum foil.
Place the loaf pan in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes more or until the meatloaf is cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
Once cooked, remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Trivia:
Fabamundo. Correctamundo. Perfectamundo. It was a classic Fonzie line but was never heard again after season five. Why? (Answers at the bottom of the page).
Malachi Crunch Spicy Snack Mix
Myron “The Count” Malachi and his brother Rocco are a couple of no-good hoods! They wreck Pinky’s car then give her the Malachi Crunch, sending her straight to the hospital. This Malachi Crunch won’t smash your car but will raise your temperature. Release the pigeons!
PREP TIME: 20 minutes total
COOK TIME: about 45 minutes
YIELD: about 15 cups
- 3 cups crunchy corn square cereal
- 3 cups crunchy rice square cereal
- 3 cups crunchy wheat square cereal
- 1 cup bagel chips
- 1 cup garlic-rye chips
- 2 cups bite-sized pretzels
- 1 cup roasted, salted peanuts
- 1 cup hot and crunchy cheesy corn puff snacks
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon ghost pepper powder (or other hot pepper powder)
Measure and pour dry all the cereals, bagel and garlic-rye chips, pretzels, peanuts, and corn puff snacks into a large bowl and mix with wooden spoon until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 250°F.
Melt butter in a large (32-ounce) microwave-safe bowl. Melt in 20-second increments, stirring after each interval, until butter is melted but not boiling.
Add the remaining ingredients and whisk together until thoroughly blended.
Pour over the snack mix you put aside and carefully stir with wooden spoon until all pieces are coated. Mix together with latex/plastic gloved hands. Do not touch with bare hands as pepper powder can cause a reaction or burn to skin.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Split the mixture between the two baking sheets and spread out evenly. Place into the oven and bake until lightly browned and crispy, approximately 45 minutes. Gently turn over the mixture on the baking sheet every 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.
When entirely cooled, transfer any unused Malachi Crunch to sealed storage container. Keeps for up to 4 weeks.
NOTE:
You can adjust the heat levels by adding more hot pepper powder or pepper powder from a hotter pepper, like Carolina Reapers. Whatever you do, use safety when handling hot peppers. Do not let the pepper powder come into contact with your skin and wash your hands before touching any sensitive body parts. This recipe can be made vegetarian by substituting Worcestershire sauce with tamari.
Trivia:
What kind of car does Pinky drive in the demolition derby?
TV Dinner Salisbury Steak
Chachi’s devotion to Joanie extended to her cooking—nobody thaws a frozen TV dinner like she does! Here’s a version of the classic that will inspire complimentary raves from the Chachi in your life.
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 to 25 minutes
YIELD: 4 to 6 servings
- 11⁄2 pounds ground beef (80% lean, 20% fat)
- 1⁄2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1⁄4 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1⁄4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, chopped onion, minced garlic, milk, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, dried thyme, dried parsley, salt, and black pepper. Mix well until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
Divide the mixture into 4 to 6 portions and shape each portion into an oval- shaped patty, about 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 inch thick. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the sliced onions and mushrooms to the skillet and sauté until they are golden brown and tender, stirring occasionally; about 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
Push the onions and mushrooms to the side of the skillet and add the Salisbury steak patties to the center of the skillet. Cook the patties for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until they are browned and cooked through.
Remove the Salisbury steak patties from the skillet and set them aside on a plate.
Sprinkle the flour over the onions and mushrooms in the skillet, stirring well to coat them evenly. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Slowly pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce while stirring continuously. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the gravy thickens and comes to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and return the Salisbury steak patties to the skillet, spooning some of the gravy over them. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the Salisbury steak patties with the mushroom and onion gravy, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.
NOTE
You can adjust the thickness of the gravy by adding more or less beef broth or by simmering it longer to reach your desired consistency.
Trivia
Joanie moved away from home to Chicago to do what?
Trivia Answers
MRS. C.’S MEATLOAF: The catchphrase no longer reflected the growth of Fonzie’s character. As Fonzie tells Richie in the “Welcome Home” episode of the final season, “I haven’t said ‘a-mundo’ in an awful long time!”
MALACHI CRUNCH SPICY SNACK MIX: Pinky drives a 1955 Cadillac and gets clobbered by the Malachi Brothers.
TV DINNER SALISBURY STEAK: Joanie attended college to earn her teaching degree.
Happy Days: The Official Cookbook is available to pre-order now HERE.
