Boatner likes to cook, but loves to bake

Paula Boatner enjoys cooking, but she really loves baking because it satisfies her sweet tooth. 

White almond cake, which she and her family call “wedding cake,” is her favorite to make because her family loves it. 

“You know we would always go to weddings, and sometimes we wouldn’t be able to have any cake,” Boatner said. “So I made my recipe that tastes like the cake at weddings, and me and my daughters love it.” 

Boatner has even made the “wedding cake” for gender-reveal parties, baby showers and birthday parties. 

Cornbread is another staple for her family, and she serves it at every meal.

Boatner said her mother, Judy Elwood, and her grandmother, Pauline Elwood, taught her how to cook cornbread and sweet tea before they died.

“My favorite chefs would have to be Paula Deen and the Pioneer Woman… because of how down-to-earth they are,” Boatner said. “They cook just like we do down in the South.” 

Boatner said she loves to cook for big crowds, but now she mainly cooks for just her husband, Keith, who owns Boatner Renovations. She loves baking, not only because it satisfies her sweet tooth but because of how relaxing it is for her. 

What is her favorite meal?

“My husband’s grandmother’s chicken and dressing, sweet potato casserole, butter beans, cornbread and a cold glass of sweet tea,” said Boatner, who was born and reared in the Deemer Community where she lives today. 

Her husband, Keith Boatner, has been self-employed for more than 25 years and owns Boatner Renovations. They have two daughters — Brittany Dowdy and her husband, Drew Dowdy, and Breann Moore and her husband, Ryan Moore — and two granddaughters, Maylee Dowdy and Emmie Moore.

She said they are expecting a third granddaughter in April of next year. 

CORNBREAD CHICKEN AND DRESSING

Ingredients: 

Chopped green onions cooked with butter and add to cornbread batter before baking.

8 slices of white bread laid out the night before or toasted

2 large skillets cornbread 

4 chicken breast

4 chicken thighs

Boil chicken and debone, save broth.

Chopped green onions cooked with 8 tsp butter.

4 cans cream chicken broth

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp black pepper 

¼ tsp sage

2 tbsp poultry seasoning

2 tsp celery salt

1 sleeve saltine crackers

Directions:

In a big blue pan, crumble cornbread, crumble one sleeve of saltine crackers, 8 slices bread crumbled, cooked green onions, cream of chicken soup, add all seasonings, add shredded chicken, add enough chicken broth to make it real soupy.

Bake on 350F for 1 hour or until it is browned. 

BANANA PUDDING

Ingredients:

1 12oz cool whip

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 8oz cream cheese – softened

2 cups milk

1 5oz French vanilla pudding mix

6 banana’s sliced 

1 box vanilla wafers

Directions:

Line bottom of 13 x 9 dish with vanilla wafers, then sliced bananas. Save a few cookies to crumble on top. Combine milk and pudding in a mixer bowl. In another bowl, combine cream cheese, condensed milk together. Then fold in cool whip to cream cheese mixture. Add cream cheese mixture to pudding mixture until well blended. Pour the mixture of cookies and bananas, put crumbled cookies on top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

MISSISSIPPI ROAST

Ingredients:

3lb chuck roast

1oz pack dry ranch dressing mix

1oz pack au jus mix

6 pepperoni peppers

1 stick of butter

1 bag baby carrots

6-8 baby red potatoes

Directions:

Wash roast, place in crockpot, sprinkle ranch dressing over roast and add au jus mix. Cut butter into small pieces and put on the roast, then add pepperoni pepper on top. Wash potatoes and carrots and add to crockpot. Cook on low 8-10 hours or 5-6 hours on high. 

WHITE ALMOND CAKE

Ingredients:

1 box Duncan Hines white cake mix

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

¼ tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

1 cup sweet milk

2 whole eggs

2 egg whites

2 tsp vanilla 

½ tsp almond

Directions:

Preheat oven 325F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans. In the bowl of your mixer, beat eggs first, then add milk, vanilla, almond and sour cream. In another bowl, combine dry ingredients and whisk, then start slowly adding dry to the wet ingredients until all are combined. Bake for 35 minutes, check with a toothpick in the middle of the cake to see if ready. You don’t want them to be very brown.