Amish Haystacks - not quite as seedy as you might think!

Hi everyone, Jan here. You might remember that I live in the Black Hills of South Dakota, right on the edge of the high prairie.

Around here we have haystacks.

Lots of haystacks.

More this year than normal, since we're getting a lot of rain.

Sometimes our haystack look like this →

And sometimes, they look like this ←

And once in awhile, we see ones that look like this →













But when you go to Amish country, some haystacks look a LOT different.

You see, haystack suppers are popular fund raisers or dinners for a crowd.

Those haystacks often look like this (although this one is pretty tame compared to some I've seen):

The nice thing about haystack suppers is that you can pile on as many or as few of the ingredients you want. The ingredients are as varied as the cooks and everyone has their own favorite combination.

Here's a recipe for a basic Amish Haystack:

(note - there are only ingredients listed, no quantities...that's on purpose!)

Pile the ingredients on the plate in this order:

crushed soda crackers

ground beef with taco seasoning

chopped lettuce

tomatoes, chopped

green peppers, chopped

onions, chopped

spaghetti or rice

shredded cheese or cheese sauce, or both

salsa or ranch dressing, or both

Or you can use these ingredients:

rice

beans with taco seasoning

chopped lettuce

chopped tomatoes

slices ripe olives

corn chips

cheese - shredded or sauce, or both

sour cream

chopped onions

The idea is to put each ingredient, in order, on a buffet line for people to either help themselves or be served.

And be sure to use sturdy plates!

Every year, the Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale has a Haystack Supper to open the festivities. This relief sale is in Goshen, Indiana (my old stomping grounds!) and is one of the largest in the country. They raise funds for Mennonite Relief efforts through the sale of food, activities, auctions, and especially the quilt auction!!!!! 

Look at all those quilts!

This year's sale starts Friday, September 27 at 5:00 pm - that's Eastern time. It's at the Elkhart County Fair Grounds in Goshen.

If you want to learn more about the Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale, go here.

So tell us, what is your favorite meal for a crowd? What is the go-to fund-raiser meal in your area?

Oh, by the way, Thatcher is at the vet's today. Yes, it's time for his...um...surgery. (We told him he's getting tutored!) He'll come home with a cone of shame, so I'll be sure to get pictures of that!