Shelby Leachman

Shelby Leachman of Bruce really just started cooking when she got to Ole Miss, and she started with “crockpot stuff.”
The first thing she made was a roast to which she added “just a little brown sugar,” jalapenos and a dry Ranch packet, among other seasonings.
Her recipes are all ones that she has tried, and she gets most of them from Pinterest and Facebook.
The cinnamon apple and potato soup recipes are from Pinterest.
She likes posting recipes on Facebook also.

A roommate gave her one of her favorite recipes, Crack Chicken, and they took turns doing the cooking while at Ole Miss.
Her mom, Laura, says Shelby has always been a picky eater, but even so, she “likes to try a lot of different stuff”.
She likes country cooking and the “home cooking” at Ajax in Oxford.
She recently helped Laura to can tomatoes, and her mother told about a noodle and tomato dish made by her mother, the late Joan Winter, that she and her sisters still make.

Steaks, chess pie and old-fashioned banana pudding are things Shelby mentioned that she has recently cooked, along with homemade macaroni and cheese, and mashed potatoes.
“I cook a bunch of sweets,” she said.
Among her favorite sweets to make are the Cinnamon Apples and “a brownie thing in the crockpot,” and cinnamon roll waffles made in the waffle maker.
“I was surprised when she started cooking,” said Laura, who also likes the Crack Chicken, “and all her sweets are good.”

Crack Chicken
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 lbs. chicken tenders
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
3 large eggs, beaten
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
Juice of two limes
1 tsp. garlic powder
Ranch dressing for serving (optional)
Preheat oven to 425° and line large baking sheet with parchment paper. In large resealable Ziploc bag, combine flour and chicken. Shake until fully coated. Set up dredging station: In one bowl add breadcrumbs, in another bowl whisk eggs and add 2 Tbsp. water. Dip chicken in beaten eggs, then Panko until fully coated. Transfer to baking sheet and season generously with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and crispy, 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, in small saucepan over low heat, warm barbecue sauce, brown sugar, lime juice and garlic powder. Coat baked chicken in sauce and serve with Ranch, if desired.

Potato Soup
1-32 oz. chicken broth
1-10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1-8 oz. block cream cheese
1 chicken bouillon cube
1-32 oz. bag frozen diced hash browns
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (3 in the soup and one for topping before eating)
1-9 oz. bottle bacon bits (add 1/2 cup in soup and 1/2 cup for topping before eating)
Salt and pepper
Set crockpot on high and add chicken broth. Add cream of chicken soup to broth and mix well. Cube cream cheese and add to crock pot. Mix well. Add chicken bouillon. Pour in hash browns, then shredded cheese. Cook soup on high approximately 3 1/2 hours or until potatoes are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with cheese and bacon bits before serving.

Peanut Butter Balls
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/3 cups smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups white chocolate, melted
2 tsp. coconut oil
Sprinkles for garnish
In large bowl, combine powdered sugar, peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, maple syrup and salt. Using whisk or hand mixer, mix ingredients until smooth and fully incorporated. Using small cookie scoop, form mixture into balls and place on cooling rack fitted onto baking sheet. In medium bowl combine white chocolate and coconut oil. Stir until smooth. Dip peanut butter balls in white chocolate and return to rack. Garnish with sprinkles and let set in refrigerator about 10 minutes.

Cinnamon Apples
1 lb. apples, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tsp. lemon juice
Turn slow cooker to high heat, set for two hours. Add apples to cooker and sprinkle on cornstarch. Mix well until apples are coated. Next add in sugar, brown sugar and ground cinnamon. Mix again until evenly coated. Add vanilla extract, melted butter and lemon juice to cooker and mix once more. Cook covered two hours or until apples are tender.