Stroud enjoys gift of feeding others

Jessica Stroud said that on top of her teaching second graders for the Neshoba Central Elementary Talented and Gifted Program, she loves to cook and loves seeing people enjoy her food even more.

“Cooking has always been in my family,” Stroud said. “My grandmother and I have always enjoyed cooking and we used to get together with her every Sunday to eat, and we still get together with family every week as a tradition. My dad enjoys cooking as well, and that love has trickled down to me.”

Stroud said she first got into cooking when she was a teenager, where she would spend time with her mom and dad cooking, along with her grandmother.

“I would help my grandmother make cookies and other things as a child,” Stroud said. “I love seeing people enjoying the food I cook; that is my favorite part. I enjoy baking even more, making things such as cakes and cookies. I’ve started making cinnamon rolls and selling those. Sweets are my favorite thing to make.”

She said her husband Allen enjoys grilling all kinds of meats, and she helps make the sides that go along with the meat.

She added that her family also enjoys having fish fry get-togethers at their home.

“Cooking and teaching flow well,” Stroud said. “My husband helps me prepare meals and we’ll take turns making them. We also put together a meal plan during the week to stay ahead. We stay pretty busy, but we manage it well and try not to eat out a lot.”

Stroud said her children, Leigh Allyn, Tate, and Jase all enjoy cooking as well.

“Their favorite part of the cooking process is licking the bowl when I’m done with it,” she said. “We love to spend time with our families eating, as Sunday lunch is a tradition for us, and we all enjoy cooking together.”

MAMAW’S TOMATO PIE

1- 9-inch pie crust

2-3 Good size Tomatoes (sliced)

1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning

1 Tbsp. Oregano

1 ½ tsp chives

1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 cup Mayonnaise

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake pie crust until light brown. Take pie crust out of the oven. Place tomatoes in pie crust. Mix all other ingredients. Pour all over the tomatoes. Cover and bake until bubbly, usually about 20 minutes.

TACO CASSEROLE

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 cup long-grain rice, uncooked (not instant rice)

1 can mild Rotel

½ cup salsa of your choice

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 cup beef or chicken broth

1 can mushroom or chicken soup

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a skillet, add ground beef, salt, and pepper and cook until browned. In a large bowl combine rice, Rotel, salsa, taco seasoning, broth, cream soup, and cooked ground beef. Mix well. Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray and spread the mixture inside. Cover with tin foil. Place into oven and cook for 45-50 minutes until done. Top with desired toppings: lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips. You can also place them into tortillas and make burritos.

LEMON PIE

5 Egg yolks

8 oz. Lemon Juice

2 Cans of sweetened condensed milk

Vanilla wafer crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Crush vanilla wafers. Melt 1/3 cup of butter. Add ¼ cup of sugar. Add to crushed vanilla wafers, and mix well. Press down in a 9-inch pie plate for the crust. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely.

Beat egg yolks. Add milk and lemon juice. Pour into vanilla wafer crust. Top with meringue.

5 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup sugar

Beat egg whites. Add sugar and vanilla. Bake pie at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.