Phyllis Vaughn

Before Phyllis Vaughn of Bruce retired, she worked 12-15 hour days so she had to find shortcuts to make meal preparation for her family a little quicker.
Her submitted recipes are ones that she likes, and what she calls “a working mother’s recipes, that are quick and easy.” One of them is husband, Pete’s, favorite chili.

Many times now she cooks three meals a day, except those when Pete is working. And sometimes she still might eliminate an ingredient or two from a recipe, like maybe oregano or something like that, and says she doesn’t necessarily always go by a recipe.
“There are a lot of good recipes on Facebook,” she said, and she has all kinds of cookbooks. Her first was a Betty Crocker, and another she really likes is a beautiful Amish one.

As a teenager, Phyllis’ mother didn’t want her to help in the kitchen. After she married, she was going to make biscuits, but “you could  have killed somebody with them!” She had used all-purpose flour and didn’t realize at the time she should have bought self-rising.
“I have learned on my own, a little a time, over the past 52 years,” she said.

One thing they really like is turnip greens, and two of her other favorites are caramel cake and coconut cake.
“Ann Herring makes the best coconut cake!” she said. And Ann loves Phyllis’ potato salad because she makes it with onions.
Phyllis had to learn to cook deer meat, and they have a freezer full of it, she said. Pete prefers his smothered with onions and gravy.
They are gardeners and she cans salsa and relishes, but Pete makes his favorite jams and jellies.

The Vaughns have two children, three grandchildren and five great grands. For their family Easter meal she is planning to have ham, dressing, sweet potato casserole, the garlic-buttered green beans, scalloped potatoes, the “diet” cake, and macaroni and cheese for the kids.
As a sidenote to making macaroni and cheese for the children, she said for Thanksgiving she has to make stuffing just for her son-in-law, in addition to dressing for the rest of the family.

Garlic-Buttered Green Beans
1 lb. fresh or frozen green beans
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
6 Tbsp. butter
2-3 tsp. onion powder
1-1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cook green beans in water until tender. In another skillet, saute mushrooms in butter until tender. Add onion and garlic powders. Drain beans. Add to skillet and toss. Season with salt and pepper.

Pete’s Chili
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2 lg. onions, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
2-15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1-15 oz. can stewed tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
2 cans Brooks chili  hot beans (do not drain)
1 clove garlic (piece chopped fine)
1/4 green pepper, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
4 Tbsp. chili powder
Brown ground beef with onion and celery. Drain. Mix remaining ingredients in large, deep pot. Add ground beef mixture and heat thoroughly. Serve, topped with Fritos and shredded cheese. Excellent!

Chicken Casserole
Chicken pieces and broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 lbs. macaroni
2 stalks celery or 1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. onion salt
A little milk
Cheese
Cook macaroni. Drain off some water. Put in pieces of chicken and broth. Stir in soups, celery and onion salts, cheese and a little milk. Bake at 250° for an hour or two.

Zucchini Casserole
3 cups shredded zucchini
4 beaten eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup onion
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 cup Mozzarella cheese
1 cup Bisquick
Mix all together. Pour into greased baking dish. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

“Diet” Cake
1 pkg. Oreo cookies, crushed
1 stick butter, softened
3 cups cold milk
2 small pkgs. instant vanilla pudding
1-8 oz. carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
1-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
Mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press bulk of the crumbs into 9×13” dish. Save a few crumbs for topping. Mix pudding with milk. Add cream cheese and thawed whipped topping. Mix thoroughly. Spread over crumbs. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over top of pudding mix. Refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

Fast Casserole
1 lb. hamburger
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can mushroom soup
1 cup water
2 cups peas
4 slices Velveeta
3/4 cup instant rice
Brown hamburger with onion. Add salt, pepper, soup, water and peas. Cook until boiling. Add rice. Turn heat low and stir constantly. Cover until rice is tender. Add cheese. Variation: Sausage may be used instead of hamburger, and corn in place of peas.