Beverly Threadgill

“Casserole was an ugly word” to Beverly Threadgill’s mother, but they are Beverly’s favorite food. Her mom, the late Lorene Hood, was a meat and potatoes person.

Beverly also cooked the basics–meat, potatoes, and vegetables–when she married, then over the years collected recipes to “add to her peas and butterbeans,” her husband, John, said. Mother-in-law, Yvonne Threadgill, gave her the chicken pot pie recipe and she’s been making it a long time. It has become a favorite of her family.

The potato soup is also a family recipe that she uses a lot. She enjoys recipe searching from magazines and on the internet, and loves recipe and cookbook collecting.

The cheesecake is a recipe shared by her “avid tailgater” daughter, Adrienne Threadgill. Tomato tarts are a favorite of Adrienne, and last weekend Beverly made them, at her niece Bethney’s request, for her wedding reception. Son, Kyle usually wants an Apricot Nectar cake for his birthday, and also loves Poppy Seed Chicken.

“We always overcook for the holidays!” said Beverly. She and sister, Evelyn Hawkins, cook the Thanksgiving meal for their family and swap houses each year, but Christmas is always at Beverly’s. They have chicken and dressing, broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole, vegetables, red velvet cake, sweet potato pie (favorite of John and son-in-law Matt), Italian Creme cake and banana pudding (their mother’s recipe, which Evelyn does a great job with, but Beverly says she hasn’t perfected.)

Beverly says granddaughter Carsen, daughter of Angel and Matt Swords, is a picky eater, but does love sweets, and grandson, Levi, son of Kyle and Jess Threadgill, is a little young yet, at 14 months, to appreciate his grandmother’s cooking.

Chicken Pot Pie
4 boiled chicken breasts, deboned
4 or 5 boiled eggs, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 soup can of chicken broth (add a little extra broth for less thickness)
2 cans Veg-All
Chop chicken and layer in 9×13 baking dish. Spread chopped eggs and onion on top of chicken. Mix soups, chicken broth and Veg-All together and pour over the chicken mixture.
Topping: Mix one cup of self-rising flour, one cup of sweet milk, and 2/3 cup of mayonnaise and pour over the mixture. Bake at 350° about 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Easy Potato Soup
1-32 oz. bag frozen hash browns
1 cup chopped onion
1-14 oz. can chicken broth
3 cups water
1 can cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine hash browns, chicken broth and water, and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in soups, milk, salt, pepper, heat thoroughly. Top with cheese to serve if desired.

Tomato Tarts
Ready-made fillo shells
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1-8 oz. pkg. real bacon bits
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
Mix tomatoes, bacon bits, cheese and mayonnaise together and spoon into fillo shells. Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes or until bubbly. One batch will make about 30 shells.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
5-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
12 oz. white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly (one or two tablespoons of butter added to the chocolate makes it melt a lot smoother)
3/4 cup raspberry preserves
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine first three ingredients. Press crumb mixture into bottom of a lightly greased 9” spring form pan. Bake for 8 minutes and cool slightly. Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy, gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Sir in vanilla. Add melted white chocolate, beating well. Microwave raspberry preserves in a small microwave safe bowl on High 30 seconds to 1 minute or until melted. Stir well. Spoon half of the cream cheese batter into prepared crust, spread a little more than half of the melted preserves over batter, leaving a 3/4” border. Spoon remaining cream cheese batter around edges of pan, spreading toward the center.

Cover remaining raspberry preserves and chill. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until cheesecake is just set and slightly browned. Remove from oven; cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least eight hours. Run a knife around edge of pan and release sides. Reheat the remaining preserves in the microwave to melt. Pour preserves over the top of cheesecake leaving a 1” border. Remove sides of pan. Store in refrigerator. Serves 12. Note: You can substitute your favorite flavor of preserves.