Erica Griffin

Erica Griffin of Bruce has been Ole Miss tailgating for a couple of years now, and she likes to have “themes” for whoever they’re playing. For the Louisiana-Lafayette game, they went all Cajun and served baked crab dip and shrimp fettucine.

Next year for Arkansas, they want to roast a whole hog. Since the Alabama game Saturday was a little earlier, they went with a brunch menu: pigs in a blanket, sausage balls, breakfast casserole, quiche, pizza pinwheels, donut holes, and coffee, along with some dips, brownies, and a fruit and vegetable tray. Her favorite tailgate dish was last year for the Troy game when her cousin made tea biscuits with creole shrimp and sausage gravy, and bread pudding. “It was a fun one, with good food!” They tailgate every home game, saying the guys have wanted to do that for years. “We all love it, and the kids love it.”

Erica makes homemade salsa all the time. “If I had to, I could survive off of cheese, salsa, chips and ice cream,” she said, “but I love all food.” Her mom does all the “country cooking” and from her dad’s side comes the Cajun influence, and they (except for her mom) love the seafood–etoufee, crawfish casserole, gumbo and shrimp fettuccine. Her family usually has a traditional Thanksgiving, and Christmas “party food” like all kinds of dips, with things like fruit pizza and sausage balls.

She likes Pinterest for recipe searching, and it was there she found the pumpkin cake recipe that she describes as, “so good and moist.” Her Nanny, who passed away about three years ago, always made sweet potato and lemon pies. She learned to cook young, but didn’t cook a lot until she married. She likes to cook, but not to clean up. She loves to try new things and says husband, Enoch, is more open to that now. Her daddy is a “big seasoner” and she gets that from him.

Erica and her sister, Courtney Griffin, lean more toward cooking country and Mexican. Their husbands, brothers Enoch and Jared, like meat and potato meals, so they grill a lot, and serve sides like ranch, baked or mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and country vegetables.

Pumpkin Sin Cake
1 box yellow cake mix (mix to directions)
1 small can pumpkin puree
1 tub Cool Whip
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar caramel sauce
1 bag Heath bar bits
Mix cake according to box directions. Mix in pumpkin puree. Bake according to box directions. Remove from oven. Poke cake with knife and pour condensed milk over while still warm. After cooling, top with Cool Whip, caramel sauce and heath bits.

Uncle Daryl’s Shrimp Fettuccine
1 small pkg. Mexican Velveeta
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 can cream of shrimp soup
1-8 oz cream cheese
Tony Chachere’s to taste
2 lb. bag of shrimp
Mix together everything but shrimp and begin warming.
Then mix together 1 green, yellow, and red pepper, 1 onion, 1 stick of butter, 3 pieces bacon, all chopped, in separate pan. When vegetable mixture is cooked down, mix with above ingredients. When it is warm, add shrimp. Cook one large box fettuccine noodles,  al dente, and add to above mixture.
Nanny’s Lemon Pie
1 graham cracker crust
Beat together: 1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice, 2 egg yolks
Meringue: 3 egg whites, 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar (beat until stiff) add 3 Tbsp. sugar and beat some more. Bake at 350° until brown.

Homemade Salsa
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 medium yellow onion
Pickled jalapenos to taste
Cilantro to taste
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Pulse in blender to desired thickness.

Black-Eyed Pea Dip (Mississippi Caviar)
1 large Pace salsa, hot
1 zesty Italian dressing
1 pack Italian dry dressing mix
1 bell pepper, chopped fine
2 tomatoes, chopped fine
1 handful green onions, chopped fine
1 can black-eyed peas, drained
2 cans Niblets corn, drained
Mix all together and refrigerate overnight.
Serve with Scoops corn chips.

Mississippi Sin Dip
1-16 oz. sour cream
1-8 oz. cream cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped ham
1 green onion chopped
1 small can green chilies
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Tony Chachere’s to taste
Mix all together. Hollow out loaf of French or Hawaiian bread. Fill with mixture and bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes.