Food allergy drives Shannon mom to get creative in kitchen
Mar. 29—SHANNON — Hannah Henry is a busy mother of two with a full-time job, but she still finds time to cook at least six nights a week.
"My son has Alpha-gal syndrome — he's allergic to beef and pork — so we don't eat out a lot," Henry said. "I have to be careful of what I put in my recipes. We eat a lot of chicken and a lot of turkey, and fish occasionally."
Henry, 34, has found ground turkey to be a great substitute for ground beef in several of her family's favorite recipes.
"I use turkey in spaghetti, lasagna, chili, tacos and casseroles," she said.
When Henry and her husband, Shane, married 15 years ago, she wasn't much of a cook. But he quickly took care of that.
"My husband taught me everything I know about cooking," she said. "I think he was tired of Hamburger Helper, so he taught me how to make his favorites."
A lot of Shane's favorites involve frying — fried chicken, fried pork chops — so Henry tries to find recipes that aren't fried but her husband still enjoys.
"At least once or twice a month, I'll try a new recipe," said Henry, who works in Patient Access at the North Mississippi Medical Center. "You get tired of eating the same thing every week. I usually find new recipes on Pinterest. It's easier sometimes to look at your phone than to pull out a cookbook."
Henry's kids — 14-year-old Hunter and 12-year-old Cheyanne — stay active in school and with sports, so on ballgame nights, she usually relies on the Crock-Pot.
Other nights, she might fix fried chicken with mashed potatoes, corn and green beans, or chicken enchiladas with Mexican rice. On the weekends, if the weather is pretty, the family likes to grill.
"If we decide to grill steaks, we'll get a turkey tenderloin for Hunter and marinate it just like we do the steak," she said. "Shane will grill the turkey first for Hunter, then grill ours. The turkey makes a pretty good substitute for steak."
Henry said she's fearless in the kitchen and will try to cook — and eat — just about anything. But her biggest failure, the one thing that flops every time, is her cornbread.
"I can't make good cornbread to save my life," she said. "I've tried multiple times, but it never tastes like my Mamaw's. For everyone else, it's the simplest thing to cook, but it just does not work for me."
DO YOU KNOW A GOOD COOK? Send your nominations to Ginna Parsons, Cook of the Week, P.O. Box 909, Tupelo, MS 38802. Or you can call (662) 678-1581 or email them to ginna.parsons@journalinc.com.
CREAMY WHITE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
8 flour tortillas
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
In a saucepan, combine shredded chicken, taco seasoning, garlic powder, Ro-tel tomatoes and chicken broth. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
Divide chicken mixture among flour tortillas, and roll each one up. Place seam-side down in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
Combine cream of chicken soup, sour cream and softened cream cheese, and pour over the enchiladas. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
NINJA TURTLES
1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (or more)
Separate crescent roll dough into 8 triangles. Divide chicken among triangles and roll up, starting with wide end. Place chicken rolls in a greased 8x8-inch baking dish.
In a bowl, combine cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup and milk and pour over chicken rolls. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
PLANTATION SUPPER
1 pound ground turkey or beef
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 bag egg noodles
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can corn
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper
Brown ground meat with chopped bell pepper and onion until meat is browned and vegetables are tender.
Boil noodles until tender. Drain.
In a large saucepan, combine soups, corn, cream cheese and milk and heat until cream cheese is melted and everything is well combined. Add browned meat mixture and cooked, drained egg noodles and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
CREAMY CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA
8 ounces bowtie pasta
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 to 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (can use more or less)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup milk
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add cubed chicken, red and yellow bell peppers, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is done and no longer pink inside.
Add milk and softened cream cheese and stir until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy.
Add cooked, drained pasta noodles and Parmesan cheese. Stir well to combine ingredients. Serve immediately with garlic bread or a green salad. Serves 4.
LAZY LASAGNA
1 (24-ounce) jar pasta sauce
1 (25-ounce) bag frozen ravioli
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Spread about 3/4 cup pasta sauce into the bottom of a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
Arrange half of the frozen ravioli in a single layer over the sauce.
Top with half of the remaining sauce and half of the Mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with remaining frozen ravioli, sauce and Mozzarella. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.
Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with salad and garlic bread. Serves 6.
OVEN-BAKED MISSISSIPPI CHICKEN
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (1-ounce) packet dry ranch dressing mix
1 (1-ounce) packet dry Au Jus Gravy mix
1/3 cup sliced pepperoncini or banana peppers (from a jar)
1 stick butter, sliced
Place chicken in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with ranch seasoning and au jus gravy mix. Top the chicken with pepperoncini and top with butter slices.
Bake chicken at 425 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Note: If desired, you can substitute chicken tenders or boneless, skinless thicken thighs for the breasts.
DORITO CHICKEN CASSEROLE
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes, drained
1 can corn, drained
2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese, divided
1 (9-ounce) bag Dorito chips, crushed
In a mixing bowl, combine shredded chicken, soup, sour cream, Ro-tel tomatoes, corn and 1 cup shredded cheese. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
Top casserole with the remaining 1 cup of cheese and crushed chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until warm throughout and cheese is melted. Serves 10.
