Lunch Lady Brownies

A lunch lady from Idaho introduced these perfectly rich, fudgy chocolate brownies more than 50 years ago.

OLD SCHOOL BROWNIES

So happy the lunch ladies in our school cafeterias introduced us to these fabulous fudge brownies.  When I grew up in the 60s and 70s, the cafeteria food was fantastic.  Many of their recipes have graced the tables of our parents for years.

The Lunch Lady Brownies are my new favorite brownie.  I am obsessed with pinning every brownie recipe that comes across the Pinterest boards.  

How did we ever discover new recipes before Pinterest?

This summer, I went through my handwritten recipes (some on napkins, some cut out from the newspaper, and some on recipe cards) and ones printed from the Internet. Wow, I had so many.  

I saved the handwritten ones, but I went to the website and pinned the ones I printed from the Internet. I love that you can do this now.  

Pinterest is the best way to collect and organize the things you love!

WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE?  TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR LUNCH LADY BROWNIES

Below, under the next heading, I give a list of preferred ingredients, tips, and cooking instructions for the Lunch Lady Brownies and similar recipe ideas you can have.

Or you can scroll down to the bottom, where you will find a full printable recipe card with amounts of the ingredients and complete instructions with notes.

My love for brownies started when I was a little girl learning to bake. They were actually the very first thing I made all by myself with no help from my Mother. 

I was so excited when I learned to make brownies that I made them every three days until, finally, Mother said, "No more brownies." Ha! Ha!

The recipe I used was from the iconic red plaid cookbook, "Better Homes and Garden."  I have used this recipe over the years, but I like to use Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies recipe when making a larger batch.  

These brownies are much like them, but you don't have to make such a large batch.  

Lunch Lady Brownies get their name from a 50-year-old recipe that the lunch ladies made in a jr. high school cafeteria in a small town in Idaho.

Valentine's is around the corner, and I think these are the perfect brownies to lavish your loved ones with.

They are fudgy yet cake like and frosted with a luscious fudge frosting while they are still warm.  Enjoy!

WHAT I NEED TO MAKE LUNCH LADY BROWNIES

1 cup butter, melted [I use salted]
1/2 cup Cocoa (unsweetened}
2 cups flour
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup half and half or canned evaporated milk
1/4 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar

HOW TO MAKE LUNCH LADY BROWNIES

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 9x13 baking dish; set aside.

Add butter and cocoa to the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment. Beat together on low until blended.

Add flour and sugar, and beat together until smooth.

Mix in eggs and vanilla until all is incorporated.  If using nuts, add them at this time. Mix until combined, but do not overbeat.

Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Check at 20 minutes.

Cool brownies for 10 minutes and then frost.  Brownies will still be warm.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the wire whisk attachment, mix all the ingredients together.  Frost brownies immediately.

WHERE YOU WILL SEE THIS RECIPE

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