Daniels enjoys perfecting recipes

Mason Daniels has a knack for cooking delicious chicken dishes, from lemon pepper chicken to various baked chicken recipes. One of her favorites, chicken spaghetti, is a dish she learned to make from her grandmother.

“Whenever I have any questions about cooking, the first people I call are my grandparents,” she said. “They know everything.”

Daniels is the daughter of Tommy Daniels and Shea Elliot. Her grandparents, Betty and Harold Willis, have passed down many family recipes, like her grandmother’s squash casserole and her grandfather’s chicken and dumplings.

A 2021 graduate of Neshoba Central High School, Daniels went on to study cosmetology at East Central Community College, earning her degree in 2024. She is now accepting new clients at the hair salon inside Oasis Sun Spa.

“I enjoy getting to play around with new styles while putting my own personal touches to each client,” Daniels said. “I can’t wait to keep learning—every day is always something new in the salon.”

With the cold weather of late, Daniels has been experimenting with different soups, including variations of vegetable soup, taco soup, and white chicken chili. However, her signature dish is Mississippi chicken, a recipe she learned from her sister, Madi Lashley.

To maintain a healthier diet, Daniels has started steaming her vegetables instead of pan-frying them to reduce oil consumption. Last Thanksgiving, she prepared stewed cabbage for her family’s holiday meal.

“I normally go by recipes and just add random things if I want something different in my meals or if I don’t have an ingredient,” she said.

Her go-to ingredients are salt, pepper, butter, and minced garlic, and she swears by her crockpot, calling it her “saving grace.” She also loves using a vegetable dicer to make meal prep easier.

Daniels offers a simple but important tip for aspiring cooks: be mindful when cooking with milk and watch carefully to keep it from boiling over.

“Just keep tasting while cooking and add in more flavors as you go,” she said. “Cook to your taste.”

Outside the kitchen, Daniels enjoys cutting and styling hair, shopping, working out, spending time with friends, and soaking up the summer sun—whether it’s swimming, boating, or visiting the Fairgrounds.

MISSISSIPPI CHICKEN

3 chicken breasts

Au Jus gravy mix

Ranch dressing mix

Salted butter

Peperoncini peppers with some of the juice

Place chicken breast in the bottom of the crock pot, sprinkle both packets of au jus gravy and ranch packet. Top with cut up cubes of a stick of butter and add pepperoncini peppers (add a little juice for a kick).

Cover and cook on low for 6- 8 hours, don’t lift the lid. When the chicken is cooked shred it with a couple of forks. Serve on mashed potatoes is my favorite but you can use rolls or rice.

CROCK POT CHICKEN RANCH & POTATOES

3 chicken breasts

3 russet potatoes largely cubed

2 cups baby carrots

1 packet dry ranch dressing mix

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup milk

First, you need a small mixing bowl. Add the cream of chicken soup, milk and ranch dressing mix. Whisk all of this together.

Cream of chicken mixed with ranch in a bowl. Then, place the chicken, carrots and potatoes in the slow cooker. Add the sauce and pour it all over the top of these ingredients in the crock pot.

Ingredients in crock pot ready to cook. Finally, cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours on high. You can also cook on high for 3 to 4 hours if you need to reduce the cooking time.

If you like the chicken to be in smaller pieces, shred it and then place back into the crock pot. If the sauce seems to separate once chicken is cooked, just remove the chicken and vegetables from the crock pot.

Whisk the sauce together and it should solve that problem. You can then add the chicken back to the cooker.

SAUTEED VEGGIE BLEND

3 carrots

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

1/2 red bell pepper

1 tbsp. cooking oil

Season to taste with dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, butter

Peel and slice carrots, chop zucchini, squash and slice bell pepper. Heat the skillet medium/high once the skillet is very hot add oil and swirl to coat pan.

Add the sliced carrots and cook for about 3 minutes. Next add bell pepper, zucchini, squash, basil, oregano, garlic powder. Cook till vegetables are soft but not limp.

Once they start to soften remove off heat. Add butter and toss till all are coated in the butter. Finally, add salt and pepper.