Shanice Robson fuses her family’s recipes into her cuisine

Shanice Robson has been winning over local and international guests at the Sun City Resort in North West by adding the magic of her secret family recipes to her mouthwatering dishes.

The 33-year-old executive sous chef at the elegant Cascades Hotel at the resort fuses the elegance of fine dining with beloved local flavours.

“What we have in South Africa is the opportunity to offer the guests an experience that is completely different to what they have back home,” says Robson.

“Many chefs and establishments are doing fine dining and these new food trends. It’s interesting to try them out. But I believe that whenever you do a dish or come up with a menu, 50% should infuse new trends and the other 50% should be old school and heritage dishes influenced by where you grew up.  

“Whenever I create a menu, I not only think about what’s happening in 2025 – focusing on nutritional value and following shifts on Instagram for inspiration – but I infuse my culture and background [in the dishes], such as curries, using all those spices and herbs from back home.”  

The Greytown, KwaZulu-Natal, native has introduced her family recipes into her cooking. On one occasion, her grandmother’s humble vanilla cake recipe won over attendees at the resort’s prestigious golfing tournament.  

“We were challenged to make bakes for the entire Nedbank Golf Challenge,” Robson says. “I used my grandmother’s vanilla sponge recipe ... and got so many compliments. My manager at that time said it was the best vanilla sponge she had ever tasted.

“Since then my family’s recipes have often featured on our dining menu.”

Another famous family recipe is her Sunday pasta dish.

“You know how in every Sunday meal the seven colours are a must-have, but in our family, the pasta dish must be there. It has been in my family for years. It needs to have a creamy, cheesy white sauce. You must get the sauce right. You must cook the bacon properly. My family pasta dish is my favourite childhood dish,” she says. 

Robson’s creamy pasta family recipe  

Ingredients  

• 500g macaroni shells   

• 10g salt   

• 100ml oil   

• 2l full cream milk  

• 20g mixed herbs   

• 10g sweet basil   

• 10g black ground pepper   

• 60g-80g butter  

• 10g thyme  

• 50g white onions  

• 30g yellow peppers   

• 30g green peppers  

• 30g red peppers  

• 100g streaky bacon  

• 250g Rainbow Simply Chicken viennas  

• 2 packets cream of mushroom soup  

• 250g button mushrooms   

• 250g-300g cheddar cheese   

Method  

• In a pot, add water, a pinch of salt and oil, and bring to a boil.   

• Place the pasta shells in the water and cook for 5-10 mins until they are al dente.  

• Remove the pot from the stove, drain the pasta in a strainer, and rinse with cold water.

• In a clean, deep saucepan, add the remaining oil, chopped white onions, all the peppers and spices, including the black pepper. Let the onions and peppers sauté for 5-8 minutes.  

• Into the sautéed onions and peppers, add the chopped bacon and viennas. Let the mixture cook for 10-15 minutes.  

• Once cooked, remove from the stove and place aside.  

• Grate the cheddar cheese and place aside.  

• In a clean pot, add the butter and, once it is melted, add the cream of mushroom sauce and cook on medium heat until combined. Gradually pour in the milk and stir until you have a smooth, velvety sauce, then season with salt.
  
  
• Cook the mushrooms and set aside.

• Into the creamy sauce, add the cooked mushrooms and most of the cheese, and mix well until it has melted.  

• Next, add the chopped, cooked bacon and viennas into the creamy sauce and mix well.  

• Layer the pasta in a large casserole dish and pour the white sauce mixture over it.  

• Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on top of the pasta and place the dish in the oven at 160 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  

• Serve with a lovely garden salad and a glass of chardonnay wine.