After the pool, we got this meal put together in about 2 hours. The next meal might not be for another 3 or 4 weeks, due to schedule changes and a potential trip to Dollywood in Tennessee to see the kids' big sister Kirstin.
Menu: Jambalaya, Pepper Jack Cheesy Cornbread, New Orleans Style Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce
Outcome: The jambalaya was a little bland, so I added an additional two teaspoons of the Cajun seasoning....just right. I used brown rice instead of white rice, so after 20 minutes of simmering time it was nowhere near cooked -- I ended up letting it simmer for almost an hour for the rice to be cooked enough. I made the cornbread into muffins and these were spicy yet really went well with the jambalaya. The bread pudding was a hit, although very rich. No one could eat seconds of it, so we'll be having some for breakfast this week. If I make it again, I'll half the recipe for the pudding and the sauce.
Next up: Ben chose Utah...mmm...comfort food here we come!
Be sure to click and get the recipes!
Jambalaya
Ingredients:
·
6 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
·
1 cup chopped celery
·
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
·
1 onion, chopped
·
½ lb. cubed cooked ham
·
½ lb. cubed cooked chicken
·
½ lb. cubed smoked sausage
·
2 (14.5 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes, with liquid or one 28 oz. can
·
2 cups beef broth
·
2 cups chicken broth
·
1 tsp. dried thyme
·
2 tsp. Cajun seasoning (see below for recipe)
·
2 cups uncooked white rice
·
1/2 pound salad shrimp
Directions:
1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add
bacon, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon, and set
aside. Add celery, bell pepper, and onion to the bacon drippings, and cook
until tender.
2. Add the ham, chicken and sausage to the pot,
and pour in the tomatoes, beef broth and chicken broth. Season with thyme and
Cajun seasoning.
3.
Bring to a boil, and add the rice.
4. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low,
cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender. Note:
If using brown rice, simmer for 60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
5.
Stir in the shrimp and bacon just before serving,
and heat through. If you use uncooked shrimp, let it cook for about 5 minutes
before serving.
Makes about 12 servings.
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| This was the leftovers (forgot to take pic of the whole pan!) |
Cajun Seasoning
Combine the following ingredients in a small bowl: 3
tablespoons paprika, 2 tablespoons ground red pepper, 2 tablespoons dried
thyme, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 2 tablespoons onion powder, 2 tablespoons
garlic powder, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1
tablespoon sugar. Makes one cup. Store
this Cajun spice mix in a sealed jar for up to three months.
Pepper Jack Cheesy Cornbread
Ingredients:
2 boxes Jiffy
Corn Bread/Muffin mix
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp. chopped
fresh chives
4 oz. Pepper Jack
cheese, cut into small cubes or shredded
Directions
1.
Spray a round cake pan or muffin tin (OR see
note below) with non-stick cooking spray and preheat oven to 400F.
2.
Prepare the corn
bread mix: combine mix with the eggs and
milk.
3. Stir in cubed or shredded cheese and chives. Pour batter into cake pan or muffin tin and
bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
 |
| Ready to pop in the oven! |
 |
| Pepper Jack Cheesy Corn Muffins |
4. After removing from oven, allow to cool for a
few minutes then invert onto serving plate or remove muffins from tin.
Note: If using a cast iron skillet instead of a
round cake pan, place it in the oven with 3 or 4 slices of uncooked bacon,
diced, while the oven is still cold.
Preheating the oven will make the pan hot and cook the bacon. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven
when the temperature is reached and pour the prepared cornbread mixture
directly into the hot skillet without removing the bacon or the grease. This allows for an extra crisp crust and
added flavoring. Follow step 4, being
careful when inverting, since the skillet is quite heavy.
Makes 12 servings.
New Orleans Style Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce
Ingredients
·
12 to 14 cups 1"
cubes day-old white bread, such as French or Italian
·
1 Tbsp. butter
·
2 cups heavy cream
·
4 cups whole milk
·
6 large eggs
·
1 ¾ cups plus 2 Tbsp.
light brown sugar
·
4 ½ tsp. pure
vanilla extract
·
1 ½ tsp. ground
cinnamon
·
½ tsp. freshly
grated nutmeg
·
¼ tsp. salt
·
½ cup raisins
·
Confectioners'
sugar, for garnish
·
1 recipe Whiskey
Sauce, recipe follows
Directions
1.
Preheat the oven
to 350 ยบ F.
2.
Place the bread
in a large bowl. Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with the butter and set
aside.
3.
Combine the heavy
cream, milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and raisins in
a large bowl. Whisk to mix. Pour the cream mixture over the bread, and stir to
combine. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.
4.
Transfer the
bread mixture to the casserole dish and bake until the center of the bread
pudding is set, 50 to 60 minutes.
5.
Garnish the bread
pudding with confectioners' sugar and serve warm with warm Whiskey Sauce.
Makes
12 to 16 servings.
 |
| MMM Bread Pudding! |
Whiskey Sauce
Total
time: 10 min.
Ingredients
·
2 cups heavy
cream
·
½ cup whole milk
·
½ cup granulated
white sugar
·
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
·
¾ cup bourbon or
other whiskey
·
Pinch salt
·
2 Tbsp. butter
Directions
1.
In a 1-qt.
saucepan set over medium heat, combine the cream, milk, and sugar. Place the
cornstarch and ¼ cup of the bourbon in a small mixing bowl and whisk to blend
and make a slurry.
2.
Pour the slurry
into the cream mixture and bring to a boil. Once the sauce begins to boil,
reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5
minutes.
3. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the salt, and stir in the butter and the remaining 1/2 cup of bourbon. Serve warm.
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