McQuaig started cooking as a child

Kelly McQuaig began cooking at the age of nine, often baking with a friend on weekends. As a teen, she stepped up, preparing simple suppers for her brothers during her parents’ late work hours.

“After I moved to New Orleans when I was 18, I got exposed to a lot of different cultures and cuisines,” she said. “That got me interested in different types of food and techniques for preparing food.”

Spending five years in the vibrant city ignited her passion for cooking with influences ranging from Mediterranean and Japanese to Cajun, Creole, and Italian dishes.

While she now boasts a diverse cooking skill set, McQuaig loves crafting pizzas from scratch for friends and family to enjoy when they visit her home.

“My favorite pizza toppings are artichokes and green olives,” she said. “You can make any kind of pizza, and it doesn’t always have to have red sauce.”

Her go-to comfort foods include chicken spaghetti and soups, especially a bacon-infused black bean soup that is cherished by her husband. 

She has been married to musician Scott McQuaig for almost 13 years and has a stepdaughter, Jessica. She also fulfills various roles at Yates Construction, where she has dedicated 23 years of her career. 

Currently, she serves as Bill Yates’ senior assistant, as corporate secretary of Yates’ parent company, and as the corporate licensing director.

Cooking is a passion

“I do a lot of venison dishes too, because Scott hunts and we have a freezer full of deer meat,” she said. “I love trying out new venison recipes that are really good.”

During holidays, McQuaig embraces tradition by preparing turkey or ham alongside her grandmother’s sweet potato casserole and Southern cornbread dressing.

McQuaig said her favorite cooking memories are time spent with her grandmother, Hazel Burt, making candy during Christmas, and inheriting the tradition of planning events around food, friends, and family from her granny, Mildred Scott.

“Cooking is a release from everything that goes on every day. It’s a stress reliever,” she said. “When I cook, I don’t think about anything else. I’m just focused on what I’m doing, what I’m cooking, and my techniques.”

In McQuaig's kitchen, essential tools include a good chef's knife, onion goggles, and a carbon steel pan. Her advice to fellow cooks is to avoid shortcuts on ingredients by using fresh, high-quality ingredients that are sure to elevate any dish.

“You can also save a lot of time by preparing in advance,” she added. “I love having everything ready to go when I start cooking.”

VENISON TENDERLOIN WITH ONIONS AND 

BALSAMIC SAUCE

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. venison tenderloin

Steak seasoning

1/2 cup flour

1 tbs. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. Spike seasoning

4 tbs. butter

1 medium yellow onion

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup beef broth

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Trim the tenderloin and cut into small pieces (I like mine sized to where there will be two to three bites per piece). Pat meat to dry and season with a steak seasoning of your choice (I like Kinder's Buttery Steakhouse Rub). Let sit on counter to come to room temperature ahead of cooking.

Combine the flour, Italian seasoning, and Spike seasoning in a shallow dish. Coat meat with flour mixture. Melt 2 tbs butter in a cast iron skillet on medium-high, and brown meat on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Internal temperature should reach 130-135 degrees. Remove to a plate and set aside.

 While meat browns, half and thinly slice the onion. Add remaining butter to skillet and add onions. Cook for 10-15 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Add balsamic vinegar to deglaze the skillet, and then add 3/4 cup beef broth. Stir until well combined and sauce is slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve venison topped with onions and sauce.

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

(Credit: this recipe is a slightly modified version of one from cookbook author and chef Jennifer Chandler of Memphis, TN)

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. chicken breast

8 oz. dry spaghetti, broken into 3-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots

4 tbs. unsalted butter

1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion

4 tbs. all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

10 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/8 tsp. cayenne

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook chicken until done (165 degrees). Remove chicken to plate and let cool, then shred. In same water that chicken was cooked, cook spaghetti according to package directions.

Fill a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the carrots and peas and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, whisking until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add the milk and 1 cup of the chicken stock, continuing to whisk until well combined. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low and simmer, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of canned soup. Stir in remaining cup of chicken stock, and season with salt and pepper. Add 2/3 of the cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the mayonnaise and cayenne.

To the cheese mixture, add the cooked spaghetti, peas and carrots, and chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a 9/13 baking dish, and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.

Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.

BLACK BEAN SOUP

10 slices bacon, finely chopped

2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14.5 oz.) can reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz.) can chopped tomatoes

2 tbs. ketchup

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbs. chili powder

4 (15.5 oz.) can black beans, drained but not rinsed

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

12 oz. beer (I prefer a pale lager)

1 bunch cilantro

Juice of 1/2 lime

Optional for garnish: sliced scallions, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese

In large, heavy pot or dutch oven cook bacon over medium heat until fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn heat to high, and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to gently simmer, add beer, and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

While soup cooks, wash, dry, and pick off thick stems from the cilantro, then coarsely chop. After soup simmers 10 minutes, add cilantro and cook about 5 more minutes. Turn off heat and stir in lime juice.

Serve with garnishes.