I have so many fond memories of our family reunions. My dad was from a large family, so our family gatherings always had many relatives, some of whom we rarely saw except once a year. There were lots of cousins of all ages, aunts and uncles, great aunts and great uncles, and everyone was always so happy to be with one another and share stories and happenings of the year.
Our Slay family reunions were usually held at a Mississippi state park where the children could enjoy swimming and various outdoor games and activities. My dad would sometimes take our boat, and the adults and children would enjoy the water even more.
The ladies would set up long tables with quilts and tablecloths with seasonal potted plants, yard flowers, and delicious, homemade food as they visited, caught up with one another, and shared family stories and recipes. Certain aunts always brought the same pies or cakes or special recipes everyone requested yearly. My Grandmother Slay, who was an amazing gardener, canner, and cook, always brought an array of fresh vegetables from her garden. My mother always cooked for days, preparing cakes, pies, and her famous potato salad that everyone loved.
It was always a fun day, making memories and uniting with family who will always give you lots of hugs, love, and encouragement.
So, make some memories with your family at one of our great Mississippi state parks, and enjoy a delightful day of delicious food and fellowship. And please enjoy our family’s favorite recipes with your family this summer at your family reunion!
Menu
Mississippi Pot Roast
Baked Ham
Mimi’s Potato Salad
Crunchy Slaw
Stuffed Eggs
Five Cup Salad
Great Green Beans
Butter Beans
Yellow Squash Casserole
Mac and Cheese
Yeast Rolls
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Aunt Janey’s Coconut Chess Pie
Lemon Bars
Brownies
Blueberry Bars
Mississippi Pot Roast
1 (3-pound) chuck roast
¼ cup pepperoncini pepper juice
1 (1-ounce) package ranch dressing mix
1 (1-ounce) package au jus mix
1 stick unsalted butter,
4 to 6 pepperoncini pickled hot peppers
Place the roast in a slow cooker. Pour pepperoncini juice in bottom of slow cooker around roast. Sprinkle roast with ranch dressing mix and the au jus mix. Place butter and pepperoncini peppers over the roast. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove, and slice or shred.
Yield: 12 servings
Baked Ham
1 spiral-cut boneless ham
2 tablespoons Grey Poupon mustard
½ cup light brown sugar
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Place ham in aluminum foil. Rub ham with mustard and light brown sugar. Wrap to cover. Bake for 15 minutes per pound. Uncover, and add pineapple chunks. Bake for 10 additional minutes.
Yield 16-20 servings
Mimi’s Potato Salad
5 pounds red potatoes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons salted butter
¼ cup dill pickle cubes
1 tablespoon celery seeds
Salt, black pepper, and white pepper to taste
1 cup mayonnaise
5 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
For garnish: paprika and fresh parsley
Peel and cube potatoes. In a saucepan over medium heat, boil potatoes in water to cover and cook until just tender; drain. Place in a large bowl and drizzle with lemon juice. Stir in butter; cool. Stir in pickles, celery seeds, salt, peppers, and mayonnaise. Carefully fold in eggs. Garnish with paprika and fresh parsley.
Yield: 12 servings
Crunchy Slaw
DRESSING:
Beef seasoning package from (3-ounce) package Ramen noodles, reserve noodles
½ cup olive oil
½ cup canola oil
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
In a saucepan over medium, heat all ingredients until sugars and seasoning packet are dissolved.
GREENS:
2 (10-ounce) packages angel hair slaw
4 green onions, chopped
CRUNCHIES:
1 (7.25-ounce) jar dry roasted sunflower seeds
1½ cups sliced almonds, toasted
1 (3-ounce) package Ramen noodles crushed and toasted
Toss slaw, onions, and crunchies. Just before serving, drizzle with dressing.
Yield: 20-24 servings
Linda Kay Barbour, Winona
Stuffed Eggs
12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise, yolks removed
1 tablespoon salted butter, softened
4 tablespoons chopped dill pickles
1/3 cup mayonnaise
Salt, black pepper, and paprika to taste
For garnish: paprika and fresh parsley
In a bowl, with a fork, mash yolks and butter; add pickles, mayonnaise, and seasonings. Stir until creamy and smooth. Fill whites with yolk mixture.
Yield: 2 dozen
Five Cup Salad
1 cup mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup pineapple chunks, drained
1 cup grated coconut
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup sour cream
Combine oranges, pineapple chunks, coconut, and marshmallows. Fold in sour cream and refrigerate until serving.
Yield: 8-10 servings
Great Green Beans
6 (14.5-ounce) cans whole green beans, drained
½ stick salted butter, melted
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup real crumbled bacon bits
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pour beans into greased 9×13-inch baking dish; set aside. In a bowl, stir together butter and brown sugar. Pour butter mixture over green beans. Cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with bacon bits.
Yield: 12-16 servings
Butter Beans
12 to 16 ounces butter beans or lima beans (fresh or frozen)
1 teaspoon salt
3 slices bacon
3 tablespoons salted butter
Salt and black pepper to taste
In a saucepan over medium heat, place butterbeans and water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bacon slices. Bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Reduce heat, cover, and heat 20 minutes until fork tender. Drain; add butter, salt, and black pepper.
Yield: 8 servings
Yellow Squash Casserole
2 cups cooked and chopped yellow squash
1 teaspoon sugar
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons salted butter
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped green pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup grated Swiss cheese
½ stick margarine, melted
½ cup crushed crackers
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, stir together squash, sugar, and mayonnaise; set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter; sauté onions and green peppers. Stir sautéed vegetables into squash mixture. Stir in egg and cheese. Pour into a greased 9 x 11-inch casserole dish; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine melted margarine and crackers. Sprinkle over squash. Bake for 30 minutes.
Yield: 8-10 servings
Mary Alice Blackmon, Flowood
Mac and Cheese
1 (16-ounce) package Barilla macaroni or cellentani noodles
16 ounces Queso Quesadilla cheese, shredded and divided
16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
3 tablespoons salted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 cups whole milk
Salt and black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare pasta according to package directions for al dente; drain and set aside. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Create a roux by whisking in flour. Gradually whisk in evaporated milk and milk until warm and smooth. Stir in both cheeses, reserving ¼ cup of each cheese to sprinkle on top, until melted. Add salt and pepper. Fold noodles into cheese sauce until coated. Pour into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup of Queso Quesadilla cheese and ¼ cup cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until top is lightly browned.
Yield: 12-16 servings
Esther Slay, Brandon
Refrigerator Yeast Rolls
This is Marsha Leigh’s grandmother’s recipe for rolls. It is easy and so delicious!
1 cup warm water
1 cup milk
1 egg
½ cup sugar
1 stick salted butter, melted or ½ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
2¼ teaspoons instant yeast or 1 (1/4 ounce or 21 gram) package instant yeast
6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
Additional butter for brushing
In a large bowl, mix water, milk, egg, and sugar. Mix in butter and salt. Mix in yeast and flour. Let rise, covered with a greased piece of plastic wrap in a warm place from 1½ to 2 hours, until doubled in size. Cover and refrigerate to use as desired. Remove dough from refrigerator and shape into rolls using your hands to roll into ping pong-size balls tucking bottoms under until smooth on top. Place 24 rolls in a greased parchment-lined 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rolls rise for 1½ to 2 hours, until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Brush with butter while hot.
Yield: 2 dozen rolls
Marsha Leigh Flynn, Winona
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 stick margarine, softened
1 (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. With mixer, cream butter, margarine, and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sugar until creamy. Add eggs alternately with flour, beating well after each addition, beginning and ending with flour. Pour batter into a well-greased 10-inch tube pan lined on the bottom with parchment paper. Bake for 80 to 90 minutes or until tester placed in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack before removing from pan.
Yield: 16-20 regular size servings
Aunt Janey’s Coconut Chess Pie
6 eggs
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 sticks margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 (9-inch) pie crusts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk eggs and sugar. Stir in buttermilk and coconut until blended. Stir in margarine and vanilla. Pour mixture equally into 3 pie crusts. Bake on a cookie sheet for 30-45 minutes. Cool, then refrigerate. (These pies freeze well.)
Yield: 3 (9-inch) pies
Brownies
1 (17.6-ounce) package double fudge brownie mix
¼ cup sugar
Prepare brownies for fudgy version on package in a greased 8-x 8-inch pan. Cool. Pour icing over brownies, and let set until firm. Cut into 2-inch squares and dip bottoms in a plate of sugar.
Chocolate Icing:
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons cocoa
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
In microwave on defrost, melt butter; stir in cocoa until dissolved. Stir in confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. To thin, add a small amount of additional milk.
Yield: 16 small brownies
Carolyn Hodges, Brandon
Lemon Bars
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, divided
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 eggs
2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together flour, salt, an ½ cup confectioners’ sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press into greased 9-x 13-inch pan, and bake for 20 minutes. Cool. With mixer, beats eggs, sugar, zest, and lemon juice. Pour mixture over baked crust, and bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove, and cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares
Yield: 16 bars
Blueberry Bars
1 (8-ounce) package crescent rolls, divided
½ cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar, divided
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 pint fresh blueberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9 x 11-inch greased dish, place half of crescent rolls. Press seams together to make a solid sheet. With mixer, cream ½ cup sugar, cream cheese, and almond extract. Spread over dough. Lightly press blueberries over cream cheese mixture. Place remaining dough over blueberries, Pinching seams together to make a smooth top crust. Sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.
Yield: 1 dozen bars
Lena Causey, Madison
For a family reunion sign, find a nice framed chalkboard or bulletin board from a craft store or antique shop, and paint the family name with markers or use peel-and-stick letters to personalize.
