Tupelo transplant enjoys cooking for new neighbors, friends and family
Apr. 12—TUPELO — Sharon Cresswell grew up in a family of good cooks in the tiny town of Strang, Oklahoma, but she didn't get much kitchen experience as a young girl.
"I really didn't cook with my mom," said Cresswell, 73. "She grew up during the Depression, and to say she was tight with her ingredients would be putting it lightly."
Cresswell spent time in the kitchen with her grandmother, and remembers many of her special dishes, but her only culinary duties there were peeling apples and peaches and snapping beans.
She learned a few things in home economics in the seventh grade, and one of her favorite memories involves her grandmother.
"We had to have a recipe box for class," Cresswell said. "We lived way out in the country, so one night, my grandmaw drove me to the next little town and that's where I got my recipe box. I still have it."
After high school, Cresswell enrolled in business school in Tulsa and moved in with some family friends. At first, she earned her keep by running the couples' kids places, but eventually, she found her way into the kitchen.
"I grew up poor — I didn't realize we were poor because I had everything I needed, plus fun and freedom," she said. "I didn't cook every meal for the family, but I did make them pinto beans, fried potatoes and cornbread, which they'd never had before."
The lady of the house made a cheese souffle that Cresswell thought was delicious and fancy and like nothing she'd ever been exposed to.
"I didn't know anything about a cheese souffle, but I learned to make one that was even better than hers," she said. "She is the reason I started experimenting in the kitchen."
Cresswell's first job after business school was as a key punch operator for an oil company. She was a stay-at-home mom for 14 years, before taking a job with All State Insurance, where she worked for 25 years before retiring in 2016.
Cresswell moved to Tupelo in November 2021 to be closer to family. She has two children — Jared and his wife, Stephanie, live in Pontotoc with their two children, and Michael lives in Texas.
She cooks three to four times a week, mainly for neighbors and friends, and sometimes she'll gather the ingredients she needs, drive to Pontotoc, and prepare a meal for her kids there.
"I like to try new recipes when I find something that interests me," she said. "I only try a recipe once as it's written. After that, it's Katy bar the door."
Cresswell enjoys spending time with the new friends she's made since moving to Tupelo, and they often go out for a meal.
"I like to go out to eat, but there's something special about eating at home," she said. "You can take your time, and you don't have to listen to crying kids in the restaurant."
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.
INSTANT POT POTATO SOUP
4 slices raw bacon, diced
1/2 to 3/4 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 to 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, diced
3 cups chicken stock
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
3/4 to 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, sliced green onions, for garnish (optional)
Set Instant Pot to sauté mode. When pot is hot, add diced bacon and cook until crisp. Transfer cooked bacon to a plate and set aside. Remove all but 1/4 cup bacon grease from Instant Pot.
Add onion to bacon grease and sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
Add diced potatoes and chicken stock to pot. Stir to mix, then secure lid on Instant Pot with vent in sealing position. Set to manual high pressure for 8 minutes.
While potatoes cook, add 1/4 cup cream and cornstarch to a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
After 8-minute cook time is up on Instant Pot, carefully quick-release pressure from pot and remove lid. Set Instant Pot back to sauté mode.
Using a potato masher, mash potatoes to desired consistency. Pour in cornstarch slurry and remaining cream, along with salt and pepper. Stir frequently and simmer until potato mixture has thickened, approximately 5 minutes.
Once soup thickens, stir in shredded cheese, sour cream, and crisp bacon. Adjust seasonings. Ladle soup into bowls and serve warm with desired toppings.
INSTANT POT CREAMY TUSCAN SOUP
1 pound thinly sliced chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
16 ounces uncooked penne pasta
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and diced
1 teaspoon Greek seasoning
2 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk
5 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened
3 cups fresh baby spinach
5 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
In an Instant Pot insert, place chicken, penne pasta, chicken broth, sun-dried tomatoes, Greek seasoning, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, dried basil and salt. Stir mixture. Place trivet on top of noodles.
Secure lid. Set pressure valve to sealing. Select manual or pressure cook; cook on high-pressure 5 minutes. Select cancel. Set pressure valve to venting to quick-release pressure.
Remove lid once pressure pin drops. Stir in cream, Parmesan cheese and softened cream cheese. Stir in baby spinach, garlic, black pepper and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning. Allow pasta to rest 10 minutes to soak up liquid or serve extra creamy.
CHICKEN POT PIE
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 bay leaf
Dried thyme, to taste
1 cup milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken broth
2 (15-ounce) cans Veg-All, drained
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
Salt and pepper
2 unbaked pie crusts
1 egg white and water
In a saucepan, make a roux by melting butter and adding flour. Stir and cook until it starts bubbling (it doesn't need to turn brown). Add chopped onion, bay leaf and thyme, and cook until onion is soft.
Add milk and stir until smooth. Add the chicken broth for flavor and to thin the white sauce. You want it to be just a little thinner than gravy. Add drained vegetables and the chicken. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf.
Pour mixture into an unbaked pie crust. Top with the second unbaked pie crust. Cut slits in the top crust to vent. Beat the egg white with a little water to make an egg wash. Brush top of crust with egg wash. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes until crust is lightly browned.
SHEPHERD'S PIE
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (10-ounce) can Campbell's beef broth
1 cup sliced carrots
6 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed
French-fried onions (optional)
In a large skillet, brown chopped onion and ground beef until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Drain off grease.
Add flour and beef broth and simmer until the mixture thickens. Add carrots and simmer 10 minutes.
Pour mixture into a greased casserole. Spread mashed potatoes over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. If desired, sprinkle French-fried onions over the top during the last 10 minutes of baking.
DILL DIP
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
1 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Spice Island Beau Monde seasoning
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 unsliced loaf pumpernickel bread
In a bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, dill weed, garlic powder, Beau Monde seasoning, parsley flakes and onion flakes. Stir well and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
When ready to serve, remove the top and middle parts of the whole loaf of pumpernickel. Using the center as a bowl, scoop dill dip into the bread and use removed hunks of bread for dipping.
Note: Hellmann's mayonnaise, Beau Monde seasoning and pumpernickel bread are necessary to make this dish work best.
DORITO CASSEROLE
1/2 pound ground beef
1 can ranch beans with jalapeños
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can Ro-tel diced tomatoes with chilies
Nacho Cheese Doritos (red bag)
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Brown the ground beef. Add the beans and stir. Combine the cream of chicken soup with the Ro-tel tomatoes and add to the mixture.
Place desired amount of Nacho Cheese Doritos on the bottom of a casserole. Pour mixture over the top. Sprinkle all with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes until heated through and cheese is bubbly.
DRIPPED BEEF
1 (4- to 5-pound) rump roast
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 to 3 beef bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Place all ingredients in a Crock-Pot and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove meat; discard fat. Shred meat. Serve over toasted rolls with pan juices (au jus).
CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup thick and chunky picante sauce
4 cups chicken broth
1 package McCormick taco seasoning
Chopped jalapeños (optional)
Heat oil in a large pot. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer until ready to serve.
NO-PEEK CASSEROLE
2 pounds stew meat
1 to 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 to 2 cans mushroom pieces
1 to 2 packages onion soup mix
Black pepper
1 to 2 soup cans of water, or beef broth
Cooked rice
Place meat, soup, mushrooms, onion soup mix, pepper and water/beef broth in a Crock-Pot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until beef is tender. Serve over cooked rice.
