Morrow loves sharing her meals

Shannon Morrow learned to cook from her mother and grandmother, who passed down family-favorite recipes like asparagus casserole, combination salad, and pot roast.

“My grandmother had an original called ‘cheese and biscuit’, homemade cookies, and little, small biscuits,” Morrow said. “She also made all my birthday cakes when I was younger—she was a wonderful cook.”

She is married to B.J. Morrow. They have two daughters, Hannah and Molly, and two grandchildren, Everly and Jack. Morrow works as a dietician at Fresenius Kidney Care, and her family attends Trinity Baptist Church.

Her husband’s favorite dish she prepares is meatloaf, while her daughters love her Rotel grits, bread pudding, and Mississippi chicken—her youngest daughter, Molly, especially enjoys her chicken stew. Morrow also likes to make a variety of dips and soups.

“I usually keep it simple—we use an air fryer a lot,” Morrow said. “My newest cooking technique that my 5-year-old granddaughter loves is popping popcorn on an old timey popcorn machine.”

Morrow said that she doesn’t measure ingredients and can recreate a dish from memory after only making it once.

After church on Sundays, Morrow can often be found making lunch for her family. Her children and grandchildren come over to eat, and she’s even shared some of her cooking knowledge with them.

“They call me all the time asking how to cook this or how to cook that,” Morrow said. “We all use our crockpots a lot.”

Morrow is a fan of healthy eating and encourages others to make colorful, well-balanced meals and to take time to eat together as a family.

“I like eating healthy food and I like sitting down to eat all together,” she said. “My daughter came home this weekend, so we made sure we had all of the things she loves—we cooked steak, baked potatoes, salmon, and Rotel dip.”

Outside the kitchen, Morrow enjoys spending time outdoors—whether she’s running, gardening, or working in the yard. She also loves decorating and shopping.

ROTEL GRITS

1-2 lbs. sharp cheddar cheese

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 stick butter

1 lb. sausage

2 cups grits (not instant)

Salt

Pepper

Cook and drain sausage. Prepare grits according to package directions (8 1/2 cups water). Cube cheese. Add sausage, grits, cheese, and butter to crockpot. Cook on medium for 4 hours.

NANNIE’S CHICKEN CASSEROLE

1 cup chopped celery

1 tbsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. pepper

1 tbsp. lemon juice

½ cup mayo

3 boiled eggs

½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 ¼ cup cooked shredded chicken

2 cups crushed Ruffles original potato chips

Mix all together (except chips). Put chips on top of mixture. Cook at 350° for 30 minutes. Serve with green salad, rolls, and sweet tea. 

BREAD PUDDING

3 eggs beaten

1 ½ cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup butter softened

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup hot water

10 slices bread

Combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, butter, and milk. Beat well. Add water and beat again with mixer. Pour over bread that is broken into small pieces. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes. Cook in a greased 10x13 dish. 

Sauce:

1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp. flour

½ cup milk

½ tsp. vanilla

Mix and cook until slightly thick. Pour over pudding when it comes out of the oven.