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. 

Jason Style French Onion Soup and French Dip Sammich

First, we are going to make a pot roast in the crockpot pot. Then we are going to add some toasted French bread and cheese on top of the roast juice and create some baked magic goodness. You’ll need some soup crocks so you can bake the soup. 

In a large crockpot, add two medium sweet onions sliced medium 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 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 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 low till the roast is fork tender. Check at 4-5 hours, as not to over cook. Grate white cheddar cheese and make toast when roast is done. 

Grate at least 1 pound of cheese per 4 bowls. 

Preheat over to 450. Slice French bread about 2” thick rounds. Melt 1/3 stick of butter and brush on French bread rounds. Sprinkle with Garlic Powder and bake until toasty. Reduce oven to 400. 

Chop a small amount of roast and place in the bottom of each soup crock. Spoon roast broth and onions over the meat in the soup crock. Leave room for toasted bread and cheese on top. 

Add toasted bread around the top of the bowl, cover with grated cheese and bake at 400 until cheese is melted. If your crocks are broiler safe, you can broil in place of baking. 

Update: the second night we added roasted red potatoes and carrots into the mix. We added meat, potatoes and carrots to the soup crocks and filled with the roast juice. We toasted the French bread with butter, garlic and ONION powder. Extra toasty. We also added Gruyère to the cheese mix. This was the best thing we’ve ever cooked. 

It’s summer, so not really wanting scalding hot soup, but we were craving something with this taste. I decided to make a pot roast following this recipe and then use the roast to make French Dip sandwiches. Toast some sandwich rolls, or French bread after brushing with butter and dusting with garlic and onion powder. Add roast to the toasted rolls, cover the roast with grated cheese and pop back under the broiler to melt. Dip in the au-jus. 

Slush - Frozen Goodness

Latest take on this age old hooch. 

1 can (12oz) of Frozen Minutemaid Lemonade 

1 can (12oz) of Frozen Minutemaid Limeade 

6 cups of warm water

2 cups of sugar

1/2 Cup of Lipton Instant Unsweetened Ice Tea

1 1/2 cups of Vodka

1 cup of rum

1 cup of tequila 

Mix warm water, sugar and instant tea in a large mixing bowl. Add frozen lemonade and limeade. Add alcohol, stir and freeze. 
Scoop frozen drink into a cup and top with Sprite or Ginger Ale. 

Hibiscus Tea

1/4 cup hibiscus rinsed

1/4 cup sugar

Cinnamon stick

10 all spice berries

Chunk of ginger 

Make tea…. Steep more than 20 mins

Strain and mix with 

Shot of Cointreau 

2 shots tequila 

6 oz tea

1 full lime squeezed

Pozole Verde and Pork Carnitas

 Pozole Verde and Pork Carnitas

I adapted this recipe from the world-famous Pat Lewis Pozole recipe. This one gives options for low carb as well as a lazy way out, using store bought roasted salsa verde. I also added the recipe for Pork Carnitas to the end because we like to put the Pozole over crispy pork carnitas and we add the carnitas drippings to the soup broth in place of some of the chicken stock. 

Soup broth

1 rotisserie chicken – pull meat to add back later. Save bones for broth.

2 quarts chicken broth or stock – more if needed at the end

6 15 oz cans Bush’s hominy, mostly drained (leave in the thicker, starchier liquid)

1 teaspoon of paprika

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of ground oregano

1 teaspoon of chili powder

1 teaspoon of black pepper

Salt to taste

Cayenne pepper to taste.

Salsa to add to soup (Make two blender batches with half of each)

2 tomatillos, peeled, washed, halved & sauteed until a little tender & juicy. Use a little broth (above) to loosen tomatillo leftovers in skillet; remove & set aside in a bowl.

1 lg sweet onion, chopped; sauté in now empty skillets

Cilantro, one nice bouquet of well washed, large stems trimmed

10 garlic cloves, peeled

6 large poblano chilies (6-7 inches) or 12 [8] smaller (3-4 inches) seeded & chunked

OR….

Substitute store bought Roasted Salsa Verda. Approximately 32oz of salsa. Add 16oz and taste. 

In an 8-qt or larger pot, pour broth over the bones. Mix in dry seasonings and bring to boil. Then reduce heat to low simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove all chicken bones with slotted spoon onto cookie sheet to cool; pick any meat left on bones to add to broth. Discard the rest. Note: You can add the pork bone if you bought a bone in pork butt roast for carnitas. 

Add mostly drained hominy to broth. You can substitute a head of chopped cauliflower for low carb version. Keep at a low simmer.

Blend salsa ingredients (in two batches – add some broth if needed). Add salsa to soup broth, bring to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer - 10 minutes or more. 

(At this point, you can let cool & refrigerate soup overnight if serving the next day. You can also make this in a slow cooker and let it simmer for a longer period.)

When ready to serve, bring to a simmer and add shredded chicken. Taste to see if salt or bullion is needed for flavor.  The slow cooker does a nice job of keeping everything hot while your guests enjoy their first bowl. Seconds are mandatory.   

The topping you add to the soup really make this dish amazing. Try a little of each and try not to stir them down into the soup. 

Toppings (served at the table)

*Cilantro and limes are required. 😊

Cilantro leaves and tender stems

Limes, wedges

Shredded cabbage (I use a bag of coleslaw mix)

Queso fresco crumbled

Radishes, quartered and thinly sliced 

Serrano or Jalapeño chilies, thinly sliced 

Scallions, one bunch, white and green, scissors

Mexican oregano

Tortilla chips or strips

Sliced or Diced avocado (toss in fresh lime juice to prevent browning)

We like to make Pork Carnitas using the oven bag method. They come out tender and crispy on the outside. Place a few chunks in the bottom of the bowl and ladle the soup over the top. 

Pork Carnitas

3 to 6 pound pork butt roast cut in to 2”x2” cubes

¼ cup of lard or vegetable oil

6-8 cups of water

1 tablespoon of salt

3 cloves of garlic

Place an oven bags (like you use for a turkey) in a shallow pan or dish big enough to allow the meat to be in a single layer. 

Put all the ingredients in the oven bag, seal it, and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 45 mins. After an hour and 45 minutes, remove the pan and use a baster to remove most of the liquid from the bag. 

Reseal the bag and place back in the over for 1 hour. 

I use the liquid from the pan to add into the Pazole broth. It will require ladling off the fat from the top unless you cook ahead and have time to refrigerate the liquid, making it easy to remove the fat on top.  

Boiled Peanuts

From Kevin Atkins:

It’s best if you have green peanuts, but unless you bought some a while back and froze them, you’ll have to work with “raw peanuts”, which you can usually get at Publix. I cook two bags at a time.

I put them in a stock pot with a half cup of salt and a few shakes of garlic powder. I slice up a bell pepper and about half of a purple onion and throw that in too. If you want them spicy, add a little cajun seasoning or, better yet, some dried cayenne peppers. Start with enough water in the pot to keep the peanuts 3-4 inches off the bottom. Bring to boil, then dial back heat so it’s just enough to keep the mixture bubbling.

I usually boil for anywhere from 3 to 4 hours, depending on when kickoff is. Most critical: after sampling a few and making sure they have the desired consistency, remove from heat and let them soak for an hour or so. That’s when they absorb all the flavor of the ingredients.

Serve with craft beer or good bourbon… of course.

Shrimp and Grits

So here is a great recipe to use up the leftover BBQ shrimp (if you have any). 

Shrimp and Grits

4 cups water

A little Salt and pepper

½ teaspoon of garlic powder

1 cup stone-ground grits (ok cheaters, you can use regular 5 minute grits)

3 tablespoons butter

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 to 2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 to 6 slices bacon

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

½ cup of white wine

1 tablespoon of butter

¼ Cup of minced onion

½ tablespoon of minced garlic

Add-on: Roasted tomatoes are a great addition. 

optional: Marinate the shrimp with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning and a tablespoon of lemon juice.

OR use peeled leftover BBQ shrimp!

Directions:

Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pepper and garlic powder. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes (or 5 minutes for cheaters). Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese. You can use 5 minutes grits, but don’t use instant grits, yuck. If using 5 minutes grits, start the water after you fry the bacon.

Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crispy, set aside and chop. In grease, add onion and garlic and cook over med/low heat for 3-4 minutes, till onion is tender. Add raw shrimp and cook just until shrimp turn pink. Deglaze with white wine and add lemon juice and butter. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir for a couple more minutes till sauce thickens.

(If using cooked shrimp or leftover BBQ shrimp, peel shrimp, then wait and add the shrimp at the end and saute just long enough to heat the shrimp.)

Spoon grits into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture on top of grits. Sprinkle chopped bacon and green onions on top for garnish. Serve immediately.

Monica’s BBQ Sauce

We made this by starting with the Carolina Vinegar Sauce and adding some store bought sauces to get the flavor we wanted. We keep empty whiskey bottles to store the sauce. This recipe made enough to fill six 750ml whiskey bottles. 

To a large stock pot add:

8 cups white vinegar 

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 

2 cups water

1 15oz can tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups of whiskey

2 bottles of Open Pit Original BBQ sauce

2 bottles of Lillie’s Hot Smokey BBQ sauce

1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray’s Hickory & Brown Sugar 

1/4 cup dark molasses 

1/4 cup of salt

1/4 cup red pepper flakes

1/4 cup Franks Red Hot sauce

1/4 cup of bbq rib rub

1/4 cup brown sugar

Slowly warm to a simmer. Simmer low, uncovered, for about 1 hour. Allow to cool a little before filling clean whiskey bottle. Keep refrigerated. 

Gumbo - to make Indy tolerable

Whew, it’s been a while since I have added a new recipe, but it’s getting cold in Indy and we needed something to keep us warm and in love. We love gumbo and creole food in general, so this seemed fitting. I have made gumbo for years, but never wrote down a recipe till now. Gumbo, like jambalaya and chili and chicken soup, can be made a lot of ways with lots of twists. This is what I have found suits my taste cravings for gumbo. It’s rich, warm, salty and slightly spicy. 

Grocery list at the bottom.

In a large stock pot add the following:

3-4 pounds of bone in chicken pieces. I use thighs and split breasts. 

1 stick of butter

1 tablespoon of Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning

1 tablespoon of Old Bay’s seasoning

2 whole bay leaves

1 Dark beer 

Add the enough water to cover the chicken and give plenty of room room to cook and stir. 6 cups at a minimum. 

Bring stock pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat slightly and keep a low boil for 10-20 minutes until chicken pieces are done. Check after 10 minutes, then every 5 minutes. Overcooking makes the chicken tough and rubbery. Once the chicken is done, remove from pot and allow to cool. 

While the chicken is cooling, return the stock pot to a full boil and add 2 pounds of large easy peel shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes. Cooking the shrimp in the stock adds flavor to the shrimp and the stock. 

Remove shrimp from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Peel them when you have time, we’ll add these to the bowl just before we eat, instead of adding to the pot. You can add them back to the gumbo as well, but add them just before serving so they don’t get over cooked. 

I like to keep the kitchen mess to a minimum, and try to cook with as few dishes as possible, so here’s how I do the rest... you can use a second stock pot if you have it, or a cast iron Dutch oven. I pour the stock off into a large mixing bowl to save and use the same large stock pot for the remaining cooking. 

In the stock pot, over medium high heat, sauté 1 pound of smoked sausage. Brown both sides and set aside. Add chopped veggies and sauté till tender. Set aside to add later. 

In the empty (not cleaned) stock pot, I make my roux. 2/3 cups of oil heated up and add 1 heaping cup of white flour. Stir continuously over med heat until the flour is roasted and the roux turns dark brown. If this is your first roux, do some more googling for better instructions. 

Once the roux is dark brown, reduce heat to low, stir in 4 cups of the stock we saved earlier. Bring to a simmer and add 1 pound of okra and 2 cans of chopped tomatoes. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the okra is soft. 

Start a pot of water for rice. Cook rice according to the package. I like extra long grained white rice best. 

Next add the pulled chicken, the sausage, and the sautéed veggies back to the gumbo and turn to low heat while the rice finishes cooking. You can add additional stock if needed to get the right consistency. 

Serve the gumbo in a bowl over the rice and top with 4-6 shrimp. “The Bread” makes a great side. 

Grocery list:3-4 pounds of bone in chicken pieces. 1 stick of butter

1 tablespoon of Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning

1 tablespoon of Old Bay’s seasoning

2 whole bay leaves

1 Dark beer 

2 pounds of large easy peel shrimp

1 pound smoked sausage, Conecuh is possible

3 sticks of celery, chopped

1 Large sweet onion chopped

2 bell peppers chopped

2/3 cup of oil

1 cup of white flour

1 pound of okra, cut bite sized. Frozen works. 

2 8oz cans of chopped tomatoes.  

1 pound of extra long grain white rice

Grammys White Chicken Chili - with few minor adjustments.

White Chili with Chicken or Wild Turkey Breast!

1 whole cut up chicken

OR

1 Side of a large wild turkey breast (equivalent of a whole chicken)

4 Quarts water

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon of Everglade's Seasoning or poultry season

1 stick of butter

(optional smoked ham hock added to the stock for flavor)

1/2 cup oil (or bacon grease)

3/4 cup flour

2 med onions finely diced

4 stalks celery finely diced

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like it hot, less if your heat intolerant)

3 Tablespoons chili powder

1/2 Tablespoon of Cumin powder

1/2 Tablespoon of Garlic Powder

1/2 Tablespoon Creole Seasoning

1/2 Tablespoon of Black Pepper

3 cans Bush's navy beans

Rinse Chicken. Put chicken parts, water, salt, Everglade's seasoning and butter in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Slow boil for about 20 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken to a plate to cool and save the broth. Once Chicken is cool, debone and cut/tear into small bite size chunks.

Put oil in skillet on Medium-Low Heat, add flour to hot oil, stir constantly for 20 minutes (don't let it stick and burn) You want to roast the flour before adding the onions and celery, get the rue to a nice golden brown before going on. Then add onions and celery and cook for 8 more minutes. Add a couple of cups of broth to the mixture to thin and release rue.

Pour rue into a large crock pot and add chicken, stir well, add spices, slowly add broth (as much as needed) to reach the desired thickness. Add beans, cover and cook on low setting for an hour or so.

If using wild turkey, cook till the meat starts to get tender. If the meat isn't tender, keep cooking... Once the meat starts to get tender, add beans and cook on low setting for an hour or more until the turkey meat is fully tender.

Options: Cook a pound of bacon and use the bacon grease in place of the oil for the rue. Chop the bacon into small pieces and use as a topping for the chili. If you use bacon grease for the rue, omit the teaspoon of salt in the soup stock.

A dollop of sour cream on top is very good too!

MawJets Chicken Dorito casserole

One of my favorites as a kid, and still love it. I'm writing this because my daughter is moving out and this is the first recipe she asked for.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a deep casserole dish, debone an entire cooked chicken torn into bite sized pieces. We usually buy a large rotisserie chicken but you can boil and debone a whole cut up chicken as well.

Crunch up a bag of your favorite flavor of Doritos and pour on top of the chicken.

In a sauce pan, add the following and heat to a boil:
1 can of cream of chicken
1 can of cream of mushroom
1 can of Rotel tomatoes
1 cup of milk
(Optional 1 block of cream cheese)

After bringing to a boil, pour the mixture over the top of the chips and chicken.

Cover with shredded cheddar cheese, the more the better, but 3-4 cups should be plenty.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.