Jessica Bollinger Barefield

“As long as I can remember Granny (Emily Bollinger) and Aunt Kim (Bollinger) always made Christmas candy and cookies,” said Jessica Bollinger Barefield of Bruce.
She started helping them when she was about eight years old.
Now, Granny, Kim, Jessica and her sister, Melissa, make the Christmas goodies.

Jessica’s favorites are peanut butter balls and cornflake candy, and her favorite cookies are sugar, cut in Christmas shapes and decorated, or colored with food coloring.
And this year her husband, Hunter, has requested Oreo balls, so she will be making those.
She remembers being in the kitchen with her granddaddy, the late Thomas Bollinger, when he was making biscuits.

Jessica still makes them, and actually did the other night “because Hunter asked for them.”
A breakfast meal is the Christmas Eve night tradition at Hunter’s grandparents, Smokey and Nancy Barefield, and her other family get-togethers range from finger foods to traditional meals.
Jessica’s favorite food is her granny’s chicken and dressing, and besides the dressing, she wants to learn to make Kim’s coconut pound cake.

Bell’s Best is her favorite cookbook, saying, “Granny always cooks from there.”
The Steak and Potato Casserole recipe came from Facebook, but Jessica changed it up some, and the Taco Tater Tot Casserole recipe is from Pinterest. Hunter’s family likes both of those casserole dishes, and her lasagna.
“We like our sweets, and we have cookies almost every night,” she said. Chocolate chip cookies with ice cream is the favorite of Jessica and her sister-in-law Abbigail, and father-in-law Benny likes Butterfinger cake.

Taco Tater Tot Casserole
2 lbs. hamburger meat
2 pkgs. taco seasoning
1-16 oz. sour cream
1/2 block Velveeta, cubed
1/2 block mild cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can Rotel
1/2 cup tortilla chips, crushed
1 bag tater tots

Brown hamburger meat and drain. Add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add Velveeta, sour cream, Rotel and crushed chips to taco meat and place in casserole dish. Top with tater tots. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of tater tots. Bake at 350° until tots are done.

Strawberry Cake

(Kim Bollinger)
2 boxes strawberry cake mix (brand of your choice)
1 Crisco stick
2 lbs. powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. French Vanilla coffee creamer
3 Tbsp. strawberry syrup
Fresh strawberries

Prepare cake mixes according to package directions and bake in two round cake pans. Let cool. For icing, cream Crisco, creamer and strawberry syrup until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar to mixture. More syrup may be needed to reach spread consistency. When cake is cool, ice cake and garnish with fresh strawberries.

Steak & Potato Casserole

3 lbs. beef tips
3 lbs. potatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 tsp. cumin
2-12 oz. cans Coke
1 bottle soy sauce
4 Tbsp. Worcestershire
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. garlic salt
2 bags cheddar cheese

Mix Coke, soy sauce, Worcestershire, lemon, juice, oil and garlic salt. Place beef tips, onion and peppers in mixture and marinate overnight. Cube potatoes and place in casserole dish. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with cumin. Bake at 350° until potatoes are tender. Saute beef, onions and peppers until browned. Place on top of potatoes and mix with one bag of cheese. Sprinkle remaining bag of cheese on top and return to oven to melt.