Jambalaya with Chicken and Sausage

There’s lots of different ways to make jambalaya, with chicken and sausage, or shrimp, or ham, or whatever meat you have handy. Wild Turkey breast and smoked sausage is a good combo. For me Jambalaya must have tomatoes in it. This is sometimes called Red Jambalaya and some don’t consider it the original. I say make it like you like it.

Here is my recipe for chicken and sausage jambalaya. If you want to use wild turkey, you are going to have to make considerable changes when it comes to cooking the turkey. The best bet is to put the turkey in a crock pot and cook till tender. Then add the turkey to the jambalaya mix when you add the rice.

• 1 lb. of boneless raw chicken, cubed; or 1 pound of cooked and cubed wild turkey breast.
• 1 lb. of smoked sausage. I use Conecuh brand smoked sausage.
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 2-3 large tomatoes, chopped
• 5 cups of chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons of Low Sodium Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
• 5 strips of bacon

In a large frying pan, fry the bacon and save the grease. Chop bacon.

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, add ½ the bacon grease and over high heat, sauté the pepper, onion, celery and garlic for 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add tomatoes, bay leaves, and chopped bacon.

In the frying pan, use the other half of the bacon grease to brown the chicken, sprinkling with Tony Chachere's seasoning. Once browned, add chicken to the stock pot.

In the frying pan, brown the sliced smoked sausage. Depending on the brand of sausage and how long you cook it, you may need to drain the excess grease away before adding the sausage to the stock pot. I generally just use a slotted spoon to move the browned sausage. Add browned sausage to the stock pot.

Add 2 cups of the stock and 2 tablespoons of the Creole seasoning. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.

Add the remaining 2 cups of stock, check seasonings, and stir in the rice, combining thoroughly. Cook over low-medium heat for about 20-25 minutes, keeping the pot just bubbling until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. 

How “wet” or “dry” you like your jambalaya is a personal preference. I like mine a little on the wet side, so that is what I end up with using this recipe. If the mix is too wet after the rice has become tender, turn the heat down to low and let the sauce thicken up a bit, with the pot uncovered, stirring frequently, for about 10 more minutes. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients. 

Serve with fresh French bread or “The Bread”. 

Alice’s cheesecake

2 - 8oz Cream Cheeses

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

3/4 cup of sugar 

8oz of Ricotta cheese

Mix well and pour into a graham cracker crust. Bake @ 350 for 30-40 minutes until the center is mostly firm, with a jiggle like set jello. 

Topping: 

2 tablespoons of sugar

8oz of sour cream

Spread on top of baked cheesecake, turn oven up to 450 and bake another 5-7 minutes. 

Allow to fully cool. 

Okra Bamya

• 1.5 pounds okra (bamya)
• 4 bone in chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 1-2 cups crushed or diced tomatoes
• 8oz of tomato sauce
• 4oz tomato paste
• 2 cups of some kind of stock/broth to add for desired consistency 
• 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (you may substitute regular paprika)
• 1 teaspoon of coriander 
• 1/2 teaspoon of allspice
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice near the end
• Cilantro to top

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven, brown the chicken thighs. Add and sauté the onion, add the garlic and a little cilantro the last minute or two. Add the spices and simmer for a couple more minutes. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 30 mins while the chicken cooks. Remove the chicken, debone, and add back to the stew. Adjust consistency with stock/broth. Taste and adjust seasonings before adding okra. Add the okra at the end and cook till tender, 10-20 mins. Add the lemon juice the last couple minutes. Top with fresh cilantro and serve over white rice. 

Alabama White Sauce

1 cup Dukes Mayo

1/4 cup white vinegar 

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 

1 tablespoon of butt rub

1 tablespoon of fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon of garlic powder 

1 teaspoon of white pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1-2 tablespoons of sweet bbq sauce (blues hog)

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Add all ingredients to a pint mason jar and shake for a couple minutes. Taste and add more cayenne or black pepper to suit your taste. 

Smoked Salmon Dip

12-16oz of smoked salmon, hot smoked, not Lox. 

1 block of cream cheese

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon of dill, fresh or dried

1 teaspoon of horseradish 

1 juice of a lemon

3-5 green onions

2-3 dashes of hot sauce

2-3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

1 small jar of capers

1 cup of chopped pecans 

Mince the green onion bulbs, save the tops to garnish the top. 

To the minced onions, add the juice from one lemon. Add softened cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, horseradish, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce and dill. Blend until smooth. Once smooth, add the drained capers and roughly chopped salmon. Fold the capers and salmon into the mixture. Transfer to a serving bowl, top with chopped pecans, chopped green onion tops, a few sprigs of fresh dill. Chill and then serve with crackers or pita chips. 

Mississippi Pot Roast Sliders

In a large crockpot, add 1 medium sweet onions sliced thin to the bottom of the pot. Add 2 cloves of diced garlic. Add 1 cup of red wine, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire, 1/2 cup of black coffee and some spices. (Bay leaves, thyme, white pepper, black pepper and salt to taste) Add 1/2 of a jar of whole Pepperoncini peppers along with half the juice. Add 1 packet of ranch dressing mix. Add 1 packet of AuJus mix. Add 32oz of Beef Broth. Set crockpot to high, put the lid on while you brown the roast. 

In a cast iron skillet, melt a stick of butter. Season a 3 pound chuck roast with Garlic Salt and Tony’s Creole seasoning. Brown the roast and the butter together on medium heat. Don’t scald the butter.

Once the roast is browned, move it to the crockpot. Add 1/2 cup of red wine to the cast iron skillet to deglaze the plan, stir to loosen the goodness and pour over roast in crockpot. Cook on high the first hour, then turn down to low till the roast is fork tender. Check at 4-5 hours, as not to over cook. 
About an hour before the roast is done, roast bite sized red potatoes, 1/2 a sweet onions quartered and baby carrots, mixed in olive oil and seasoned with garlic salt, black pepper and thyme in the oven on 400 for 40-50 minutes until fork tender.  I also like to add some au jus from the roast to the potatoes and carrots. 
When the roast and veggies are done, preheat the oven to 375. 
Slice a 12 pack of Hawaiian rolls and place the bottom half in a baking dish. 
Mix 1/4 cup of Mayo, 1 teaspoon of horseradish and a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Spread over the bottom half of the rolls. 
Place a slice of pepperoncinic on each roll. 
Cover the bottoms with shredded pot roast and then top with 2 cups of shredded mozzarella, provolone or white chedder. 
Add the tops of the rolls over the cheese. 
Melt 1/2 stick of butter and mix in 1 teaspoon of garlic salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and a 1/2 teaspoon of dill. Brush the tops of the rolls with the butter and seasonings and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. 

Chicken Sauce Piquante

3lb bone in chicken pieces

1/2lb bacon

1/2lb smoked sausage

2 pounds raw shrimp

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

2 bell peppers, diced

1 sweet onion, diced 

4 stalks celery, diced

2 green onions chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups of chicken stock

1 beer

1 - 1.5 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup bacon grease

2 tablespoons creole seasoning

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

1.5 tablespoons brown sugar

2 cups long grain white rice

2 stick butter, softened

1 loaf French bread

Feeds 4-6

*note: we grilled bbq chicken and made this using the left over deboned grilled chicken and it was delicious. If not bbqing chicken ahead of time, you can boil and reserve chicken stock. 

Cook and debone chicken into bite sized pieces. Set aside to add back later. Save stock if boiling chicken. Rotisserie chicken would be fine too. 

In a heavy stock pot or large Dutch oven, fry 1/2 pound of bacon. Chop and set aside for garnish. 

Brown smoked sausage in bacon grease, spoon out browned sausage and set aside to add back later. 

Reduce the bacon grease heat to medium low and add flour to make a roux. Google how to make a roux. Add enough flour to get the thick smooth melted peanut butter consistency. Brown to a Caramel color. 

Add chopped bell peppers, onions, celery and garlic to the roux and cook over medium heat till veggies are tender. 

Add 3-4 cups of stock, seasonings and sugar and diced tomatoes to roux and return to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour, then add 1/2 a beer and tomato paste and simmer for another hour. Add more stock or beer to get a thick tomato sauce consistency. 

Add chicken and sausage back to the pot and simmer low for 30 minutes while you cook the rice and bread.
Boil 4 cups of water and add 2 cups of rice, a pat of butter and a punch of salt. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 20 minutes.  

Cut French loaf in half, spread a stick of butter per side to bread. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Turn on broiler and brown deeply. 

When rice and bread are done, add shrimp to simmering sauce. Simmer for 3 minutes, then turn heat off and allow shrimp to continue to cook while you get the bread sliced and the hot rice plated. 

Serve on a dinner plate with a mound of rice in the middle and sauce piquant around the rice.