For “Cowboy” Kent Rollins and his wife, Shannon, a meal is about more than what ends up on the plate. Through cooking with veterans, the couple has seen how a simple recipe can provide stability, confidence and a sense of community after military service.
They witnessed that impact while working with veterans through Veterans Equine Therapeutic Services (VETS), a nonprofit organization that began with equine therapy and later expanded to programs including archery and cooking.
“Food brings people together,” Shannon Rollins told Fox News Digital.
Cooking side by side gave the veterans an opportunity to collaborate, trade stories and enjoy plenty of laughter, she said. “Sometimes it’s not about the food. I think that’s the best part.”
The VETS event was recorded Sept. 13 and 14 at Grijalva Cattle Company in Connecticut for the third season of the Outdoor Channel series “Cast Iron Cowboy,” which stars Kent and Shannon Rollins.
VETS’ Cowboy Kitchen was modeled in part on Kent Rollins’ Red River Ranch Chuck Wagon Cooking School in Oklahoma. The nonprofit program uses hands-on cooking to encourage confidence, independence and connection among veterans.
Some participants had almost no experience in the kitchen, Kent Rollins told Fox News Digital. At first, he said, many relied closely on the written recipes before gradually gaining the confidence to experiment.
“They change things, they add things, they adapt, overcome — just like they always have in life,” he said.
Shannon Rollins said the step-by-step nature of cooking can also mirror the difficult transition from military service to civilian life.
“When you get out of the military, life can feel chaotic,” she said. “With recipes, it’s a format. You follow the format, and you have an end result and that feels good.”
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As Veterans Day approaches, the Rollinses are drawing attention to comforting, satisfying dishes that rely on ingredients many families already keep at home.
“You can’t get full on fancy,” Kent Rollins said. “This is food that you have in your house.”
One of the most popular dishes was Shannon Rollins’ corn fritters. Her recipe combines flour, corn, a touch of sugar and baking powder, with green chile or jalapeño and onion available for extra flavor. The batter is shaped into small patties and fried until ready.
“She was frying them as fast as she could, and they [were] running out just as fast as they hit the pan,” Kent Rollins said.
The couple also prepared succotash and apple fritters for the veterans, highlighting seasonal fall ingredients and regional cooking traditions. Kent Rollins said the dishes were designed to be filling and substantial, while Shannon Rollins emphasized that familiar ingredients can make it easier to serve an affordable meal.
Even when starting with canned foods, home cooks can make simple adjustments to deepen the flavor, Kent Rollins said. Above all, he added, the aim is to create meals that are “easy on the pocket.”
The gathering also reminded the Rollinses that honoring veterans on Veterans Day does not always require grand gestures.
Many veterans may be coping with challenges that are invisible to the people around them, Kent Rollins said.
“Let’s take time to listen to them,” he said. “Let’s hear what they got to say.”