Heather Bell knows something about cooking for a crowd. She and her husband raised eight children together on their farm in the Upper Peninsula. Cooking for such a big crowd is a challenge, and Bell has learned to do it better over the years. Whether it was buying bigger cast iron pans and cookie sheets, or planning meals that would satisfy the tastes of as many family members as she could, Bell has a lot of experience to share.
Her TikTok, where she shares recipes and her family’s life on the farm, has nearly 3 million followers. In October, she released a cookbook with more than 100 of her family recipes. The book features dishes like tater tot casserole and carnitas. All the recipes are meant to serve groups of around 10 people, and have been developed over many years of cooking for a big family.
“It did take a lot of learning. I had to figure out portions and what my kids would like. It definitely didn't come naturally,” Bell said. “I wish when I was younger I paid attention to my mom when she was in the kitchen, but at the time I didn't really feel like cooking was important, and I was raised in a family of 10. And now we have a family of 10.”
Bell said the cookbook is meant to be simple. Following recipes from cooking shows can be daunting, with unknown ingredients or large time commitments, she said.
“I’m like, 'I don't even know what that ingredient is. Where do you get that?'" Bell said. "I wanted it to be ingredients that every mom has in their kitchen and that it's not complicated."
Through years of cooking big dishes as often as she can for her family, Bell still has a love for cooking for the whole family, even with some of her kids being grown up. In fact, she has them back for dinners frequently, since many live nearby. For her, it’s another way to show her love.
“I continue to do it because I just see how much it makes my family happy,” Bell said. “I just want to be a help to them. And they all work so hard and I feel like they love my cooking. It makes them happy. It brings them all together. We all sit around the countertop as I'm cooking and then as we're eating, we just talk about our day. I feel like my kitchen is the heart of our home.”
Bell has a book signing on December 9 at Snowbound Books in Marquette.
Here more about Bell’s story and cookbook on the Stateside podcast.
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GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:
Heather Bell, mother, cook and social media creator. She lives in the UP with her eight children and husband on their family-owned farm.
