Wilkerson enjoys tending to the grill
Steve Wilkerson loves a good meal and his favorite thing is steak grilled over charcoal that he grills himself.
Grilling is something Wilkerson, who owns Steve’s on the Square, has always enjoyed. So he will fire up the grill before getting into the kitchen and preparing the rest of the meal.
However, he leaves most of the cooking now to his wife, Jenny Lynn.
The two love to sit down at the end of a long day and watch the Food Network.
“I have a sweet tooth,” Wilkerson said. “I love anything that’s sweet. I love blackberry cobbler, key lime pie, egg custard and ice cream. I eat ice cream probably six times a week.”
Wilkerson said he learned a lot about cooking from watching his older sister, Ada May Thrash, cook in the kitchen.
She loved to cook chicken and dressing, said Wilkerson, who also was a cook in the National Guard for six years.
“I learned a lot about cooking just from watching and doing,” Wilkerson said. “From watching my sister and being a cook for the Guard, I learned a lot about how to cook.”
Wilkerson is the youngest of 10 siblings and grew up in Philadelphia. He and Jenny Lynn have one daughter, Lacie Murphy, who is married to Anthony Murphy, and together they have two children, Chase and Caiden Murphy.
This year, Steve’s on the Square received the Small Business of the Year award from the Community Development Partnership. Steve’s on the Square has been in business since February 1983.
GREEN BEAN
SANDWICH APPETIZER
Ingredients:
4 cans whole green beans
16 oz Italian Dressing
Two 8 oz blocks of cream cheese
1 package dry ranch dressing mix mustard to taste
2 loaves thin bread
Directions:
Day 1: Drain beans and marinate in Italian dressing.
Day 2: Cut crust from bread. Mix cream cheese, mustard and ranch dressing. Spread mixture on bread slice. Drain beans and place 3 beans on bread slice. Roll up in jelly-roll fashion. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Day 3: Cut rolls into 3-4 slices to resemble a pinwheel. Garnish with paprika.
PUERTO RICO CHICKEN
Ingredients:
1 chicken baked and deboned
1 head cabbage, chopped into bite-sized chunks
2-3 onions, chopped into bite-sized chunks
¾ cup olive oil
1 ½ cups ketchup
1-2 jalapeno peppers (or as much or little as you want)
Directions:
Sauté onions, cabbage, and peppers in olive oil. Add balance of ingredients over. Let simmer for about 15 minutes. Place in casserole dish.
CREAM OF POTATO SOUP
Ingredients:
8 to 10 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 medium onion, chopped fine and sautéed in butter
1 can evaporated milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ lb. Velveeta cheese
Salt and Pepper
½ stick margarine
Directions:
Place potatoes on to boil (water should just cover potatoes). Add pepper, salt, margarine and onions. Cook until tender. Add cream of chicken soup and evaporated milk. Blend thoroughly. Add cheese in small chunks. Cook on low until cheese is melted, stirring often.
ROAST
Ingredients:
A chuck roast
Ranch dressing mix
Au jus gravy mix
Stick of butter
Jarred pepperoncini peppers
Directions:
Place the chuck roast in the bottom of your crockpot. Sprinkle the ranch and au jus mixes over the top of the roast. Add the butter and pepperoncini peppers. Place the lid on top and cook over low heat for 8 hours or more.
MEATLOAF
Instructions:
2 lbs. 85% ground beef
2 eggs
1 cup regular breadcrumbs or freshly grated bread
1 onion chopped fine
½ cup milk
½ cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup BBQ sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons garlic minced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
¼ cup dried parsley
Directions:
For the sauce, ½ cup of ketchup. 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9x5 loaf pan with spray oil or by rubbing oil onto the sides and bottom. Add all of the ingredients for the meatloaf mixture into a large bowl. Place the eggs and milk in a separate small bowl and whisk together. Then add the egg mixture to the meat. Blend the meatloaf ingredients all together. Using your hands is best for this step to prevent over mixing. Place the meatloaf into a prepared loaf pan and spread out evenly. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Pour ½ of the sauce over the top of the meatloaf. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. At the end of the 30 minutes, pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the meatloaf and spread evenly. Return to the oven for an additional 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. After you remove the meatloaf from the oven, let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.