Thrash loves classic Southern food

Hunter Thrash's culinary roots trace back to his great-grandmother, Helen Smith, and grandmother, Cathy Stewart, who instilled the art of cooking classic Southern food during his upbringing.

“I always have good memories from when I was younger in the kitchen with my great-grandmother,” he said. “She taught me how to shell peas, shuck corn, and to make them into a meal.”

During his time as a student at Mississippi State, he learned to make a Santa Fe Chicken Bake, a flavorful southwestern dish featuring chicken breast, corn, and beans, that he proudly claims as his best. 

Thrash now owns and operates Thrash Media, specializing in digital marketing for local small businesses and organizations, but beyond his professional journey, he finds joy in grilling hamburgers, steaks, and pork chops for friends and family.

“I love finding new seasonings to grill with,” Thrash said. “Right now, my favorite is the Hail Steak seasoning from Kademi.”

Thrash’s cooking expertise also extends to baking, having earned multiple blue ribbons for his chocolate chip cookies at the Fair over the years. Recently, Thrash has embraced a healthier lifestyle, opting for salads and grilled chicken while steering clear of fried foods.

“Cooking is relaxing,” he said. “It’s fun to try new things, mix ingredients together, and see the food turn out good.”

For holidays and family gatherings, Thrash takes charge of the side dishes, while his grandmother always goes all out for the main meals. 

“I’m still blessed to have a grandparent that still cooks everything and gets everything together for us,” he said.

In Thrash’s kitchen, a cast iron skillet and an air fryer are his essential tools, and his advice to fellow cooks is: “If something doesn’t work out the first time, give it another try. If something goes wrong, you can always look it up and figure out how to do it.”

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 1/2 cups of sugar 

1/2 cup crisco shortening 

1 stick of cold butter

2 eggs

3 cups of flour

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 

1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Using a mixer, Cream together sugar, shortening, butter, vanilla & eggs until smooth. Then, slowly incorporate flour 1/2 cup at a time into the mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. 

Scoop out tablespoons amount of dough onto a lined cookie sheets. Bake cookies on bottom rack at 350 degrees until bottoms are golden. Move cookies to top rack and broil until golden.

SANTA FE CHICKEN BAKE

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, (4-6 thin chicken breasts)

2 tbsp taco seasoning

1 can black beans

1 can sweet corn, drained 

1 cup salsa, chunky

1/4 cup green onions, sliced

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper, to taste

Garnish (optional)

Pico de gallo

Sour cream

Chopped cilantro

In a large bowl, mix the black beans, corn, green onions, taco seasoning, and salsa until evenly combined.

Season the chicken to taste and lay flat in a casserole dish. Spread the bean mixture over top of the chicken and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 350˚F for 35-45 minutes or until your chicken breast is cooked through (165˚F internal temp.)

 Garnish as desired.

KETO BIG MAC TACOS

For the burgers:

Street taco sized keto zero carb tortilla

Ground beef

Slices of American cheese

Shredded lettuce

Dill pickle slices

Garlic powder

For the Big Mac sauce:

½ Cup Mayonnaise

1 1/2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard 

1 Teaspoon White Vinegar 

2 Tablespoons Grated White Onion

2 Tablespoons Sweet Pickle Relish 

½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt

½ Teaspoon Paprika

½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder 

½ Teaspoon Onion Powder

For the Big Mac Sauce:

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients. Transfer to a glass jar storage container, such as a mason jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the burgers:

On a clean work surface, spread the 4-ounce burger patties evenly over the flour tortillas until almost completely covered. Season each patty with salt and pepper.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat until lightly smoking. Add one or two patties meat side down and lightly press onto the skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes, flip, add a cheese slice and cook for another 1 or 2 minutes. The burgers are thin and won’t take long. Repeat with remaining burger patties.

To dress the burger tacos, drizzle on 1-2 tablespoons of the big mac sauce, add the lettuce, onion and 3 pickles.

n Know someone who should be featured as Cook of the Week? Nominate them by emailing the Democrat at jace@neshobademocrat.com.