Debbi Harrelson

“Nothing I make is complicated,” said Debbi Harrelson of Bruce, “I cook what we like, things that are common to me, and I am not a fancy cook.”
Her submitted recipes are the “stuff she uses.” She was the youngest of nine children and cooking supper was “her chore.”
The old fashioned chocolate cake made from scratch in an iron skillet, “is not a pretty cake, but a good tasting cake. It’s just good.” The recipe was her mother’s, Janet Ruth Griffin, from whom she learned to cook, and cooks the most like.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs and Mexican Rice are two recipes she got from her mother-in-law, Evelyn Harrelson, that she makes often.
Comfort foods to Debbi include Cajun Cabbage and Chicken and Biscuit Casserole.

Debbi was introduced to making bread pudding when Ellen Jeffery Shaw handed her a copy of Paula Deen’s Best Ever Bread Pudding recipe, a bag of bread pieces and crusts they had left from making finger sandwiches, and told her she should try it out.
“It is awesome,” Debbi said, “and the kids at church love it,” she said. Usually she, daughter Janae Winter, Paula Jeffery and Ellen are hostesses together for the Bruce Fine Arts Club meetings, and they make something different each time it is their turn.

Debbi has also made the bread pudding for a club meeting, and they served it individually  in ramekin bowls.
She has all kinds of cookbooks and does like to try new things. She Googles for recipes and also gets Pillsbury and Kraft e-mails containing recipes.
For Christmas she likes to make what she calls  a “time consuming” Southern Living Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake, but substitutes sweet potatoes for the pumpkin because she doesn’t care for pumpkin.

Debbi loves shrimp. Shrimp and grits, and low country boil, which she said they recently had for supper, are among her favorites.
Years ago she took cake decorating classes from Martha Nell Leachman and Lisa Norwood. Not long ago, Gail Stone gave Debbi her strawberry cake with Cool Whip frosting recipe, and asked her to make her a three-tiered wedding cake. Even though the Cool Whip frosting was different to work with, Debbi said the cake turned out great, but she “was a wreck!”

Cajun Cabbage
1/2 lb. bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 medium head of cabbage, rinsed, cored and chopped
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. white vinegar
1-14 oz. can stewed tomatoes
(Optional: Creole seasoning)
Cook bacon until done, but not crisp, in medium to large size sauce pot. Add onion and jalapeno. Cook until tender. Once this is done, put chopped cabbage on top of cooked bacon, jalapeno and onion. Put lid on pot and let cook until cabbage is tender. Very important not to add water, just let cabbage cook down. Once tender, mix sugar, vinegar and tomatoes in separate bowl. Pour over cabbage. Cook another 10-15 minutes.

Chicken & Biscuit Casserole
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can sliced carrots, drained
1 can lima beans, drained
1 can English peas, drained
2 cans sliced white potatoes, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cans chicken
Mix all ingredients and season with salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Prepare 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick spray and pour mixture into it. Mix 2 cups flour, 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 tsp. red pepper, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder with enough milk to make a thick batter. Spoon over top of vegetables. Bake on 400° until done. (Optional: Add cheese.)

The Best Bread Pudding
(Paula Deen)
2 cups granulated sugar
5 large beaten eggs
2 cups milk
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 cups cubed Italian bread, allow to stale overnight in bowl
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans
Sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Optional: 1/4 cup brandy
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 13x9x2 pan. Mix together granulated sugar, eggs and milk in bowl. Add vanilla. Pour over cubed bread and let sit 10 minutes. In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter and pecans. Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over top and bake 35-45 minutes or until set. Remove from oven.
Sauce: Mix together granulated sugar, butter, egg and vanilla in saucepan over medium heat. Stir together until sugar is melted. If using brandy, add it in, stirring well. Pour over bread pudding. Serve warm or cold.

Mexican Rice
1 lb. smoked sausage
1 small onion, chopped
1 can green chiles
Brown in large skillet. Add: 1 can whole kernel corn, 1 can chicken broth, 1 cup mild salsa, 1 1/2 cups instant rice. Cook until rice is done. Sprinkle top with 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs
1 lb. ground chuck
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup Pet condensed milk
1/3 cup mustard
1/3 cup Karo
1/3 cup ketchup
Mix ground chuck, onions and milk. Make into 1” balls. Brown in skillet and drain. Mix mustard, Karo and ketchup. Pour over meatballs. Simmer until meatballs are covered with sauce.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
2 eggs
Stir flour, sugar and shortening together. Add milk and vanilla flavoring. Beat two minutes. Add eggs and continue beating two minutes. Bake at 350° in a 10-12” cast iron skillet for 30-35 minutes. Puncture cake when warm with fork. Let cool. Mix one cup sugar and one cup water. Boil for 10 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp. cocoa. Stir until smooth and pour over cake.