Jambalaya

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Happy Mardi Gras, y'all!!  My John William was born in New Orleans while his dad was in school at Tulane University, so Cajun food has a special place in his heart.  And I love this time of year because I do Lent, even though I'm Mormon.  So we thought we'd celebrate each of our little traditions with this traditional Cajun dish!  Hope you enjoy it!

{What you need}

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

2 {14.5 oz} cans stewed tomatoes, do not drain

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 pound turkey sausage links, without casings, cooked and chopped

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon hot sauce

3 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice

salt and pepper to taste

{John hates seafood, but I LOVE it, so I suggest adding 1

 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined} 

2 green onions for garnishing, chopped

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and stir until onion is translucent.  Stir in tomatoes, chicken, and sausage.  Season with garlic powder, hot sauce, and salt and pepper.  Stir in rice, add the broth, and add the shrimp if you want.  Bring to a boil.  Cover skillet and turn to low.  Cook covered for about 20-25 minutes, or until rice is tender.

{Inspired by this recipe at allrecipes.com}

Baked Fritata Breakfast Casserole

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This was just a last minuted, throw-together-in-time-for-dinner-on-a-busy-day kinda meal.  And we ended up loving this dish!  It would be perfect for a brunch as well, or an Easter Morning breakfast.  So delicious.

{What you need}

2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled

1/2 large onion

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/4 cup Bisquick

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

{that is about half of this recipe}

8 eggs, beaten

2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 small can diced green chilies, drained 

sour cream, guacamole, salsa, bacon bits, green onions, tomatoes, etc

Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes, until they are soft.  Drain and put back in the pot.  With a cheese grater, grate the onion into the potato pot.  Add the 2 beaten eggs, Bisquick, salt and pepper.  Mash and mix until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated.  Grease a 9x13 casserole dish and mold the potato batter into the bottom of the dish.  Mix together the 8 beaten eggs, cheese, and green chilies and pour in the casserole dish over the potato dough base.  Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, or until the center of the casserole no longer jiggles.  Serve hot, topped with your toppings of choice.

Mashed Potato Pancakes

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If you know me, you know potatoes are my favorite food.  You can make them in so many different ways!  I just never get sick of the variety.  And these might be my new favorite form of tot.  They were soooo delicious.  I also used the leftover batter as a base for a breakfast casserole the next day.  DIVOOM!

{What you need}

5 pounds potatoes, you can peel if you want

1 large onion

3 eggs, beaten

2 1/2 cups Bisquick, or the like

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Boil the potatoes until soft, about 15 minutes.  Drain and put back in the pot.  With a cheese grater, grate in the onion into the pot.  Add the beaten eggs, Bisquick, salt and pepper.  Mix and mash thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly incorporated and you have a batter the same consistency as mashed potatoes.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Form pancakes from the potato dough, about the size of your palm.  Cook in the oiled skillet, about 3-4 minutes each side.  Serve with sour cream and avocado, with a side of eggs, easy over.

(Inspired by this recipe at allrecipes.com)

Lime Chicken Fajitas

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I'm not usually one to think of Fajitas as an option for dinner--they just never really pop into my mind.  I think I've had them maybe a total of three times in my life.  But I've been trying to think outside the box lately and I realized I just so happen to have the ingredients for these fajitas on hand. THEY WERE DELICIOUS!  John and I were both so surprised at how much we like them.  They were so easy, too, and super healthy!  I think these puppies are a new addition to our rotation.

{What you need}

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips

1/2 cup lime juice

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 large onion, cut into rings

1 large green pepper, sliced into strips

1 large red pepper, sliced into strips

2 Tablespoons butter

flour tortillas

{other}

guacamole

salsa

cheese

sour cream

Combine the chicken, pepper, garlic salt, and lime juice in a tupperware and secure the lid tightly.  Shake the container so that the chicken gets evenly coated in the seasons.  Let sit as long as you can, up to several hours in the fridge if you have time.  In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the vegetables.  Saute for about 4 minutes, or until the onions start to caramelize.  Remove the vegetables and add the chicken.  Cook until no longer pink inside, about 5 minutes, then add the vegetables again and heat through.  Serve over warm tortillas with your choice of condiments.

(Inspired by the recipe 'Family Fajitas' from "Favorites")

Best Mac and Cheese

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Warning: I think I gained 3 pounds just reading this recipe for the first time.... But you better believe it holds true to its name.  Holy kaw.  Pinterest is making me fat.  Crap.

{What you need}

8 oz. cooked pasta

2 Tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

6 cups sharp cheddar cheese

2 cups bread crumbs

1/2 butter, melted

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large sauce pan.  Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.  Add the onion powder and stir.  Whisk in the flour and milk and stir until it thickens a little.  Add 3 cups of cheese and stir until cheese is melted.  Add the cooked pasta and mix until it is all thoroughly coated.  Add the rest of the cheese.  Pour into a large baking dish and set aside for a moment.

Combine the bread crumbs, melted butter, and salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle evenly over the noodles in the baking dish.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.  Serves up great with sliced fresh tomatoes, or as a side to steak.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

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This was delicious, even thought it has the word "casserole" in the title!  And super easy.  However, if you don't like chicken, "contaminated" rice, and casserole {Dad...} it may not be for you.  We're not typically casserole people but this really hit the spot.  And it was easy to throw together with stuff I already had on hand.  It was inspired by this recipe I found on Pinterest.

{What you need}

2 cups cooked rice

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

1 cup cooked bacon, chopped

1 cup shredded Swiss or Havarti cheese

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

10 saltine crackers, crushed

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon parsley

1/4 cup bread crumbs

Grease a 9x13 casserole dish and layer ingredients in the following order: Rice, chicken, bacon, cheese.  Mix the soups, milk, sour cream and mushrooms together and pour over the cheese.  Mix the seasonings, crackers, and bread crumbs together and sprinkle on top of the casserole.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Biscuits and Gravy

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We're not really the 'biscuits and gravy type,' but we thought we'd be adventurous and just go for it.  We were both surprised at how delicious these turned out!  We should have known, though, because we are both suckers for Brinner {breakfast for dinner...}.  We served it up with hash brown potatoes.  It would be great with scrambled eggs, too.

{What you need}

Biscuits:

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons melted butter

{or just go for the Pillsbury on a busy night...}

Gravy:

1 pound sausage {or turkey sausage}

2 Tablespoons butter

6 Tablespoons flour

3.5 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Combine milk and butter and incorporate into dry ingredients just until blended.  Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until there is no pink left.  Add the butter and stir until melted.  Sprinkle the flour over the sausage mixture and gradually add the milk, salt, and pepper.  Stir over medium heat until it thickens to desired consistency.  Serve over warm biscuits.

(compliments of Darlene Brenden)