Sullivan loves to cook for family

Dakotah Sullivan’s cooking skills blossomed after she met her husband, Tommy.

Often calling her grandmother Pat for recipes and advice, she credits much of her cooking knowledge to her time growing up in her kitchen.

“We just cook soul food like chicken and dumplings, spaghetti, and we all loved when she used to make fried onions,” Sullivan said.

Married for 12 years, Dakotah and Tommy have seven children, whom she cares for as a stay-at-home mom. In addition to managing her household, Sullivan finds joy in preparing home-cooked meals for her family.

Her favorite dishes include Butterfinger poke cake, fried pork chops, chicken and dumplings, and meatloaf. Her husband and children especially love her red beans and rice, and meatloaf, which she considers her best dish.

“I’ve perfected my meatloaf by adding bell peppers and onions—ingredients I accidentally left out the first time I made it,” she said. “It made a world of difference.”

Though she likes to keep her cooking simple, Sullivan doesn’t shy away from seasonings. Her go-to seasonings include garlic powder, onion powder, Lowry’s, and Creole two-step seasoning.

When it comes to Thanksgiving, she takes on the entire meal by herself, preparing a full spread that includes turkey, creamed corn, turkey dressing, sweet potato casserole, green beans or turnip greens, and rolls.

“Everyone always asks me to bring my sweet potato casserole to Thanksgiving,” Sullivan said.

Her advice for aspiring cooks is to trust your instincts, eyeball your ingredients, and adjust recipes to suit your taste.

Outside of the kitchen, Sullivan takes pride in being a mother and wife, roles that bring her fulfillment and happiness.

“Cooking is like a love language for me,” she said. “Feeding my family makes me happy. It makes me feel accomplished when my kids thank me for cooking their meal.”

SAUSAGE AND CHICKEN ALFREDO

1-2 lbs. of chicken breast (cubed into small bite sized pieces)

1 lb. smoked sausage of choice

Noodles of choice (we like bow tie for this recipe)

A stick of butter

2 cups heavy cream

Shredded Parmesan cheese (I use the great value bag from Walmart)

Minced garlic

I start by cubing my chicken breasts into small bite size pieces and cutting my sausage into bite size pieces. I season my chicken and sausage with onion powder garlic powder, season all salt, smoked paprika, and Italian seasonings.

I always season to taste I never measure. I sauté them both in olive oil until the chicken and sausage are both cooked through. I put my noodles on to cook while cooking the meat also. After the meat is cooked, I remove it from the pan and immediately add a stick of butter to the pan (leave the oil from the cooked meats for flavor).

I add 2 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic and sauté it until it’s fragrant. I add 2 cups of heavy whipping cream to my melted butter and whisk it until it starts to bubble, and it’s completely combined. I then add in my Parmesan cheese and whisk until the cheese is melted and combined.

I season the sauce with garlic powder and Italian seasoning. I combine the meats, noodles, and sauce and mix them all together. Serve with garlic bread and enjoy!

BUTTERFINGER POKE CAKE

1 box of devil’s food cake mix

A tub of cool whip

Smucker’s jarred caramel

One can of sweetened condensed milk

A whole Butterfinger bar

I mix the box cake mix using the directions on the box. When the cake comes out, I immediately use a fork to poke as many holes as I can. I combine the sweetened condensed milk and the caramel sauce.

I heat it up a little in the microwave, then pour the mixture all over the cake. I let the cake sit out covered to absorb all the mixture. After it’s absorbed it all I sit in the freezer to chill (not freeze).

Then I take the cake out and ice with my tub of whip cream. I crush the Butterfinger until its crumbs and sprinkle the whole thing on top of the cake. Serve immediately as refrigerate the rest (it’s best when cold).

RED BEANS AND RICE

1-2 lbs. of sausage of your choice (I use green onion smoked sausage)

Turkey necks and ham hocks(optional)

White onion

Green bell pepper

Chicken broth

4-5 cans of red beans

White rice (I use instant)

I pour my cans of red beans into my crock pot, then add about a cup to a cup and a half of chicken broth. I add my ham hocks and turkey necks into the beans and chicken broth. I then cut my sausage into bite size pieces and chop my onion and bell pepper.

I sauté the onions and peppers down using olive oil until they are soft and translucent. I add in my sausage until it’s browned. I then add my sausage and onions to the crock pot. I season it all up with onion powder, garlic powder, season all salt, and a creole seasoning of your choice (I use 2 step).

I then add a couple heaping tablespoons of minced garlic. I cook it on low 6-8 hours and serve over rice and make a pan of cornbread to go with it.