Colbi Ferguson

“Making a casserole drives me insane because I still don’t like for my food to touch,” said Colbi Parker Ferguson of Bruce. That’s one reason she likes the one dish chicken and veggie dish so much–the three items are separated in the pan.
“One dish, you’re done.” She got the recipe from Pinterest, and after she and husband, Kennon, liked it so much, she shared it on Facebook. She describes that dish and the meatloaf as good and wholesome.
They were given a “Stock the Pantry” shower before they married five years ago, and recipes and dry ingredients for the dishes were given. It literally did stock their pantry and was such a good idea, she said.

“I got a lot of new recipes” and two of her favorites are the lemon pie and the cheese bread, both of which are easy and not time-consuming. She takes the pie to a lot of get-togethers.
Colbi loves to cook, but not bake. “I am still working on biscuits, and chicken and dumplings.”
She really likes fish and seafood, but doesn’t like to cook either one.
Her “go-to” comfort recipe is her mom, Cheri’s, potato soup. Cheri, who “cooks for an army” taught her to try anything one time, and you don’t have to eat it or cook it again.”

Her dad, Douglas “Chef-Boy-R-Doug” Parker cooks for them some, but he uses no recipes. “He adds this or takes away that. It’s never the same… a typical man.”
The Fergusons’ daughter, Andi, 4, loves  green beans, corn and carrots. Colbi tries to focus on something baked or grilled to go with Andi’s favorite veggies.

They cook a lot of deer meat, “an acquired taste,” she says, but she uses it in meatloaf sometimes, or a roast, and she also likes grilled deer medallions. “Kennon is not allowed in the kitchen, just to use the grill,” she said.
Something really good they had recently was trigger fish that Kennon had caught. He was told to marinade them in mayonnaise and Tony Chachere’s. Colbi said it was “so good–the best fish marinade.”

During her whole senior year in high school, her mother taught her to cook, and “all I got for Christmas that year was kitchen supplies.” While in school at State, she and friends and neighbors would have cookouts and Movie Monday.
She helped roommate Mary Beth Crumby learn to cook a few things, however, they both enjoyed it when one of their moms (Cheri Parker and Pat Welch) came down and cooked for them.
They get together every holiday and birthday on the McCormick side of the family, and “you get your own meal for your birthday” and  Kenneth “Papaw” McCormick has been assigned dough burgers to make for Colbi’s birthday.

One Dish Chicken
and Veggies
2-3 chicken breasts
1-2 cans, drained, cut green beans
Small red potatoes, diced
1 stick butter
1 package dry Ranch
In greased casserole dish place cut chicken breasts in middle, potatoes on one end and green beans on the other. Melt stick of butter and pour over entire dish. Sprinkle Ranch over dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for about two hours or until chicken is done and potatoes are tender.

Lemon Pie

1 can Eagle Brand milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 egg yolks
Mix together and pour into graham cracker crust. Cool in refrigerator.

Yummy Cheese Bread
1 loaf French bread
1 pkg. mozzarella cheese
1 pkg. cheddar cheese
1 tsp. poppy seed
1 tsp. Lawry’s seasoning salt
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 stick melted butter
Green onion
Mix all seasonings together with butter. Rub on bread, cover with cheeses. Bake at 350° until melted.

Mississippi Meat Loaf

Ground deer meat
Ritz crackers
Egg
1/2 an onion, diced
1/2 a bell pepper, diced
Ketchup
Combine deer and egg in bowl. Crumble Ritz crackers and place on top of mixture. Mix all ingredients together until mixture sticks to itself. Add in onion and pepper. In greased dish, place mixture in bottom evenly. Cover with ketchup. Bake at 350° for about an hour and 20 minutes, depending on amount of meat used.

O’Charley’s Loaded Potato Soup
5 lbs. red potatoes
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1/4 cup flour
8 cups Half & Half
1-16 oz. block Velveeta cheese, melted
White pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
1/2 lb. bacon
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup green onions
Dice red potatoes into 1/2” cubes. Boil in water until 3/4 cooked. In large pot combine melted margarine and flour, mixing until smooth. Place on low heat, gradually add Half & Half. Mixture will thicken. Add melted Velveeta. Drain potatoes and add to mixture. Add pepper and garlic powder to taste.