Good Ol' Jellico Cooking

There is nothing else that can warm up your soul like having a good old fashioned home cooked meal.

A while ago we asked the good people of Jellico to share some of their favorite home recipes with us. We're excited to finally share with you some good old fashioned cooking from right here in our hometown. We asked each person to share a story with us about their recipe and why it's their most favorite.

Settle in for the tastiest article that we have ever wrote.

ROCK SOUP

When my kids were young they was reading The Story of Stone Soup in school. To make things fun and interesting for them, that night for dinner I called them into the kitchen. I told them that we was going to make our own Stone Soup and each person would go to the pantry and get one thing to add to the soup. Instead of Stone Soup they called it "Rock Soup". It turned out so good that they continued to ask for it. It soon became one of our favorite meals. Even as adults they often ask "Mom, will you make us some Rock Soup?" It brings back so many good memories for me and it's a very filling and hot meal that is ridiculously easy to make.

You'll need a nice big pot.

First I fry up hamburger meat. You can switch this up but when we first made our Rock Soup, hamburger is what I had on hand and I never changed the recipe.

For the veggies you can use canned, frozen or fresh. We used canned vegetables because it's what we had in the pantry. After all the story of Stone Soup says that the people added what they had. (they didn't prepare for it in advance) I have used canned mixed vegetables, but it just isn't as good. You can also add or take away veggies that you do or don't like. Your options are practically limitless.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

1 can of corn.

1 can of peas.

1 can of green beans.

1 can of carrots.

1 large yellow onion chopped.

1 can of lima beans.

1 can of red kidney beans.

1 can of diced tomatoes.

3-4 large potatoes chopped into squares.

Beef broth, I add in a whole can with water until everything is well covered and ready to simmer together. At this point all you need to do is let everything get good and hot and you're ready to eat.

We also make home made garlic toast to go with our Rock Soup. Some people might call this simple hamburger & veggie soup but in our house it will always be Rock Soup. Let me tell ya this, on a cool night there is nothing else better. Imagine reading the Stone Soup story to your kids and then letting them make their very own version. I have also made this for friends and family and for get-togethers, everyone always loves it and I never have left overs.

OLD BEAN CAKES

My granny didn't have much money, in fact she struggled to put a decent meal on the table. She made a lot of pinto beans (3 or 4 nights a week) but on the weekends she always made us Old Bean Cakes (as she called them). It was a real treat for us and we looked forward to it. After making a big pot of seasoned pinto beans for dinner she would save the left overs and put them in the refrigerator. This is a very easy and simple recipe because like I said, our granny didn't have much money to work with. But this is proof that the simple things are sometimes the very best.

Take your left over beans (good and cold) and add a dash of milk and a egg then mash them up.

Stir in a finely chopped onion.

Add flour until they turn into a nice thick paste.

Add in some salt and pepper.(and garlic if you like it)

Now drop them into a pan of hot oil and fry until golden brown.

My granny always served them over rice.

Add some cheese and sour cream on top.

My family also likes to add some salsa on top. They also enjoy having them with mashed potatoes.

DADS SPECIAL MACARONI

Dads Macaroni is a whole world different from what my mother made. On holidays and special occasions our dad would enter the kitchen to make us his special macaroni. It was a real treat. After my dad passed away nobody knew his secret recipe. After nearly 3 years I opened a old book that belonged to him, and there on the inside cover he had wrote down his secret. Now I make it for my own family and they rave over it. I try to keep it special but my family asks for it so much, we have it often.

6 cups hot water

1 cup milk

8 ounces macaroni noodles

1⁄2 lb strong cheddar cheese, grated or shredded

1/2 lb Monterey jack cheese, grated or shredded

1 1/2 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons butter

paprika

Place water in a large pot - bring to boil.

Add the macaroni noodles, stir and cover.

at rolling boil, stir, cover and let stand 3 for another minutes.

Macaroni should be about half cooked.

Drain.

Place half the cooked macaroni in a buttered baking dish.

Sprinkle with half the cheese, top with half the sour cream and dot with half the butter.

Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Sprinkle the top with paprika. (as little or much as you like)

Bake, uncovered at high for 8 to 10 minutes.

JEANS BREAD PUDDING

Many, many years ago I worked in a sewing factory here in Jellico. A co-worker and my dear friend Jean worked right beside of me for more than 15 years. Every Christmas she would bring 4 pans of bread pudding to work to share with everyone. On my last year before I retired Jean asked me what I wanted for Christmas, since this would be our last time working together. I smiled and said "I want your bread pudding recipe" she laughed and said "Now you know I can't give you that." But that Christmas she brought in her bread pudding and she had made a smaller one for me to take home. On the bottom of the pan she had taped her recipe. Jean passed away soon after and I continue to make her bread pudding every year.

Ingredients:

6 slices of white bread

2 tbs. sugar

2 tbs. melted butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. sugar

4 eggs

2 c. skim milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bread slices into fourths and place in a square baking dish. Brush bread with butter and sprinkle with 2 tbs. sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon mixture.

2. Mix together 4 eggs, 2 cups skim milk, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla in a large mixing bowl.

3. Pour liquid mixture over the bread in the baking dish, being careful to cover everything evenly.

4. Place baking dish in a few inches of water held in a larger container to create a double broiler.

5. Bake covered for 45 minutes and then uncover for the remaining 15 minutes of baking time. Bread pudding is done when you can place a knife in the middle and it comes out clean.

FARM HOUSE BEANS

My mama was a good old fashioned cook. She believed in making use of everything and wasting nothing. We also grew most of our own food through the Summer so we ate a lot of fresh home cooked food. This was one of my favorites and I remember how wonderful the entire house smelled when mama was cooking these beans. It was well worth the hours we spent picking the beans and then washing, breaking and stringing them. I don't know why she called them Farm House Beans, unless it was because nearly everything used was something that we had grown ourselves right down to the bacon. All you need for a good old fashioned country dinner is a plate of these beans and a piece of hot corn bread.

1⁄2 lb bacon, cut in chunks

2 lbs green beans, cut in halves

2 onions, quartered

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 lb new potato, peeled

Place bacon in large saucepan and cover with water; boil 20 minutes.

Add green beans, onions, salt, sugar and cayenne; boil 15 minutes.

Add potatoes; boil until potatoes are tender.

DOTTIES CHOCOLATE COBBLER

Every Sunday at church our preachers wife Dottie would bring in her wonderful chocolate cobbler. After Sunday service we would all go into the reception room and indulge in this Heavenly desert. After I was finally able to talk her into giving me the recipe I began making it myself and serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My husband loves it so much that he stopped asking me to bake him a birthday cake, instead he asks for Dots cobbler. It's dark, rich and oozy delicious.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, divided

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup whole milk

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans (optional)

1 1/2 cups very hot water

Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

HOW TO:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a medium-sized 8 x 8 inch (or any small to medium-sized) baking dish.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In another bowl whisk together milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the liquid mixture to the flour-sugar mixture and stir to combine (the batter will be thick.) Pour into the prepared baking dish.

In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar and remaining 3 tablespoons cocoa powder. Sprinkle the brown sugar-cocoa mixture evenly over the batter, followed by the chocolate chips and pecans. Pour the hot water over the top, but do not stir.

Transfer the baking dish to the oven and cook for 40 minutes, until the center is just barely set. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving warm with vanilla ice cream.

Old Fashioned Potato Candy

This is a family staple for every single holiday and special occasion. Sometimes I even make it for no special reason at all because everybody loves it so much. I enjoy making extra batches to give to my family and neighbor. You just can't go wrong with good old fashioned potato candy. I have seen many different recipe variations for it. This is the recipe that I have used for more than 50 years and was passed to me by my grandmother. It uses left over mashed potatoes and if you’re like me, you love recipes that bring back fond memories from grandparents and parents alike.

All you need is a cooked potato, powdered sugar and peanut butter. If you have a cup of mashed potatoes hanging out in the fridge, you can use that. Otherwise, you’ll need a small, peeled potato. Simply boil it until soft. My family has always made the mashed potatoes the night prior and allowed them to chill over night.

Blend the potato with one pound of powdered sugar.

It takes at least two pounds to get the mixture to turn into a dough. You want it to have the consistency of very stiff mashed potatoes, so keep adding powdered sugar until it is.

Once you get the dough to the consistency of stiff mashed potatoes, place it on a surface that’s heavily dusted with powdered sugar. Press the dough down with your hands and dust the top with more powdered sugar. Roll the dough out with a rolling pen. Then you’ll spread warmed peanut butter all over the top, leaving about a half inch from the edge clear.

You’ll want to have a piece of parchment paper laid out and dusted with plenty of the powdered sugar. Roll the dough into a jelly roll fashion and place the roll with the open side to the bottom to keep it in shape. Place the roll in the refrigerator for a couple of hours until it stiffens enough to cut.

Cajun Style Old Fashioned Stuffed Bell Peppers

I have always loved stuffed peppers and made them often for my kids as they grew up. When my daughter went away to college she learned a new recipe that takes old fashioned stuffed peppers and adds something spicy and fun to them. When she came home for a break she was thrilled and excited to make her new found recipe for the family. It was an instant hit and now we have it every time that my daughter comes home. It's special because it combines a classic recipe that I had taught to her and adds something special to it that she has taught to me.

Ingredients

1 cup tomato (chopped, or 1 cup canned diced tomato)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt (divided)

6 medium green bell peppers

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1/4 cup water (hot)

1 medium onion ( chopped)

3 cups cooked medium-grain rice (about 1 cup raw)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

Sliced Jalapeno peppers (optional)

HOW TO MAKE IT

Chop the tomato (or measure out and drain canned tomatoes) and set aside.

Heat the oven to 350 F.

Bring a large pot of water and the tablespoon salt to a boil and carefully drop the peppers into the boiling water. Bring back to a boil, and boil the peppers for 5 minutes. Remove and drain.

Prepare the peppers by cutting around the stem on the top and removing the stem. Remove as many of the seeds as possible without cutting into the bottoms or sides of the peppers.

In a large skillet, cook the ground pork and beef over medium-high heat until the meat is browned, then add the hot water. Cook until the water evaporates, about 5 minutes, then add the tomato and onion and Cajun seasoning, cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Stir the cooked rice, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, into the meat mixture and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and stuff the peppers with the meat mixture. Add Jalapeno sliced on the top.

Put the stuffed peppers into a baking dish that holds them snugly, and bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!