Melissa Morris

White Chili is a favorite of Melissa Morris and her family of Bruce. In fact, she has named it her “award-winning” white chili. It was a second place winner in the third annual chili cookoff at Parker Baptist Church’s Harvest Festival and also at a healthy chili recipe contest at Baptist Memorial Hospital-NM during one of their quarterly celebrations, which had an Ole Miss tailgating theme.

It is an “easy, not hot recipe” that she adapted from one on a can of Great Northern beans. As an RN, Melissa tries to cook healthy–like baking instead of frying, and with husband Paul being diabetic, she doesn’t make a lot of sweets.

Pumpkin Poke Cake, made similarly to Butterfinger Cake, is a newly tried recipe from Pinterest, that she also changed up a little. It was an instant favorite of daughters, McKenzie and Hannah, that they want her to make her for Thanksgiving. She said the batter is thick, and the cake doesn’t rise much. Son, Adam, will eat anything, and her Paul loves “Cathead Biscuits,” a recipe taught to her by the late Brenda Barnett of Vardaman. She doesn’t normally keep buttermilk on hand and usually makes her own for the biscuits by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar per cup of milk.

At church, they have a monthly birthday/-anniversary dinner, Harvest Festival meal, Thanksgiving and Christmas meal. Usually for the holiday meals, the ladies of the church bring desserts and side dishes  to go with ham and dressing. “It’s a good time to try new recipes,” she said. Some favorites of the church that she brings are Butter Pecan Cake, white chili and slaw.

She learned to make slaw from the late Essie Hardin, who mixed sugar and vinegar to make a slurry, and always used Blue Plate mayonnaise. Essie also taught her to make cornflake candy. Melissa enjoys making candy for Christmas: cornflake candy, wagon wheels (butterscotch coated Ritz crackers with peanut butter–a recipe adapted from a VBS?recipe), oreo balls (McKenzie’s favorite) and toll house chocolate chip cookies. She and her mother always made them, and now she and Hannah do. Hannah loves to be in the kitchen with her and says she wants to go to culinary school.

Two weeks before Christmas, two different people at work bring food every day until that time. “This brings in a variety of food from breakfast dishes, finger foods, chips/-dips, or anything. We eat good at Christmas.” They also bring food for Thanksgiving, and “we always have a spread,” she said.

Award-Winning White Chicken Chili
4 cans Great Northern beans
2 cans diced green chiles
1 can whole kernel white corn
1 can creamed white corn
1 onion, diced
1 whole cooked Rotisserie chicken
2 pkgs. McCormick white chicken chili seasoning mix
2 cans chicken broth
Saute onion in large boiler with 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine until translucent. Add broth, beans, corn and green chiles. Stir. Add seasoning mix, bring to a boil. Pull chicken from bone into bite-sized pieces and add to bean mixture. Cook through until all is hot. Serve with cornbread.

Pumpkin Poke Cake
1 box cake mix–yellow, spice or carrot
(I prefer carrot)
1-15 oz. can 100% pure pumpkin
2 Tbsp. apple juice or water
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Cool Whip
Mix first three ingredients together. Place in greased or sprayed 13×9 baking dish. Mixture will be thick. Bake at 350° until golden and toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly. Poke holes in cake with skewer or other small handle. Pour half (to whole) can sweetened condensed milk over cake. Cool completely. Cover with Cool Whip. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (I add Pampered Chef caramel sprinkles on top of Cool Whip.)

“Cat Head” Biscuits
2 cups self-rising flour
1 stick margarine
2 cups buttermilk
Cut margarine into flour. Add buttermilk (about 2 cups) and mix until dough forms. Transfer dough to floured surface and knead gently. Form into tube shape. Pinch off pieces of dough approximately the size of the palm of your hand. Dip in melted margarine on both sides and place in iron skillet or baking pan. Bake until golden brown.

Bacon Ranch Dip
1-16 oz. fat-free sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 small pkg. real bacon bits
1 pkg. dry ranch mix
Mix all together. Refrigerate overnight or at least two hours. Serve with crackers or corn chips. (She likes to use Ritz crackers.)