Spicy Chicken & Sausage Pasta

Hi Guys!

I'm back!  I'm six weeks post surgery and doing well.  I had a spinal stimulator implanted to help with the chronic back & ankle pain I've been dealing with for years.  So far so good.  Praise God!

I made a really yummy pasta dish last night and made sure to take some pics so I could share with y'all.  It's pretty quick & easy, too.

SPICY CHICKEN & SAUSAGE PASTA

1/2 lb smoked sausage, sliced into thin pieces
1-2 boneless chicken breasts (or thighs), cut into cubes
1 onion, diced
1/2 a bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes & green chilies
1 splash Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS cane syrup (or honey)
salt/pepper
1 lb Rotini pasta (or penne, bow ties, ziti, etc)

Bring a big pot of water to boil for the pasta.  Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Brown the sliced sausage on both sides.

Once browned, remove the sausage to a plate and set aside.  Add the chicken to the rendered sausage drippings.  Season it with salt and pepper and brown on both sides.

Once browned, remove the chicken to the plate with the sausage and set aside.  You should have some brown bits on the bottom of the skillet.  This is called gratin in Cajun cooking.  It adds a ton of flavor to food.  We are going to get those bits up by adding the onion and bell pepper.  While they cook, the water in them will help release the bits from the skillet.
 

Cook the veggies down for about 5 minutes or until softened.

Next, add the chicken broth and the water then scrape the rest of the brown bits up.

Now add the Rotel tomatoes.  I zip them in a blender first because my picky guys don't like chunks of tomatoes.  But you don't have to.

Then add a splash of Worcestershire sauce and 1 Tablespoon of cane syrup (or honey). 

Return the sausage and chicken to the skillet.

Let this simmer for 10 minutes or so until the pasta is done.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the skillet.

Stir well to incorporate.  Taste it to see if it needs more salt or pepper.  It has a bit of spice so you may not need any pepper unless you like it really hot.  You can garnish with green onions or parsley.

This dish is warm and filling.  Serve it with a salad or green vegetable for an easy supper.  Give it a try and let me know what ya think.

Grits and Sausage Casserole

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted.  We have been very busy!  My son's school year came to end and so did my daughter's college program at Disney World.  We went to Orlando to help her move out of her apartment and bring her home!  Boy, have I missed my girl!  She had a once in a lifetime magical adventure but we are so happy to have her home.

Here is a pic of us with The Beast at Be Our Guest restaurant in Magic Kingdom.  The Beast was very charming!  He helped me out of my mobility scooter and walked me over to take the pic then accompanied me back to my scooter.  Who says chivalry is dead?

We had an amazing vacation!  Now, back to cooking.

I grew up eating grits.  I never realized they were a southern thing until a friend from up north asked me what they were.  In case you don't know, grits are just a hot cereal, like oatmeal or cream of wheat, but they are made from hominy, which is a type of corn.  I always ate them plain, with butter and salt.  But, this recipe bumps up the flavor to turn plain old grits into something fantastic!

GRITS AND SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

1/2 cup quick cooking grits
2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt (plus extra salt/pepper to season)
1/4 lb. breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean)
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 TBS chopped bell pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring water to a boil.  Add salt and slowly whisk in grits.  Lower heat, cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, brown the sausage with onion and bell pepper in a cast iron skillet (any oven-proof skillet will work.  If you don't have an oven-proof skillet you can just transfer everything to a baking dish before baking).

Once browned, drain off any excess grease.

Stir in the cooked grits and 1/2 cup of the cheese.

Salt and pepper to taste.  (If you want it spicy, use Cajun Seasoning or add a little hot sauce).

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top and bake another 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

This casserole is so darn delicious!  I couldn't stop eating it.  It's hard to believe something so simple can be so good, but it is.  Creamy, savory with just a bit of spice (or more if you're heavy handed with the hot sauce).  Feel free to garnish with some sliced green onions (I was out so no garnish here, sorry).  But you know how Cajuns feel about food?  It doesn't have to be pretty, just delicious.  This recipe delivers on that!

Chicken and Sausage Creole Stew

Hello everyone!  So sorry I haven't posted in a while.  Man, have we been busy!  First of all my son had pneumonia!  Poor thing was so sick.  Then, I went to visit my daughter in Orlando.  She was accepted to the Disney College Program and is working in the Magic Kingdom this semester.  My Mama, my best friend and I have been planning a trip to see her.  Our birthdays are close together so I thought it would be a great way to celebrate.  When my son got sick, it looked like the trip was off.  But, thankfully, he was feeling much better and had Daddy and Paw Paw to take care of him, so we went on our trip as planned.  My daughter was so excited to see us!  It was worth it.

Here we are in front of our favorite ride, Pirates of the Caribbean.

It was beautiful in Orlando!  We couldn't have asked for better weather!

Louisiana weather, on the other hand, has been predictably unpredictable!  One day is gorgeous and the next is miserable.  When it's yucky outside, I crave a warm, spicy stew.  This creole stew is perfect for a cold night.  It has chicken, smoky sausage, the trinity of Cajun cooking (onion, celery, bell pepper), a sweetness from the tomatoes and a great spice from hot sauce and seasoning.  A true taste of Louisiana!

CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE CREOLE STEW

1 lb boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed (I left mine in big pieces)

1/2 lb smoked sausage, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (any color)
2 green onions, sliced
Cajun Seasoning (I love Tony Chachere's)
1 TBS Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce (optional)
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
3 splashes hot sauce
2 TBS butter
2 TBS flour
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water

Season the chicken with Cajun seasoning and set aside.  Heat a large pot over medium-high heat.  Let it get good and hot.  Brown the sausage on both sides.

Once the sausage is browned, remove it from the pot and set aside.

Now brown the chicken on both sides.  I left mine in pretty big pieces, but you can cut them up into smaller chunks if you like.

Once the chicken is browned, remove and set aside.

Next, add the onion, celery, bell pepper and green onion to the pot.  Saute for about 5 minutes, until cooked down and limp.

Add the Kitchen Bouquet, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce.  Stir well.

Add the butter and let melt.  Stir well.

Add the flour and stir well.  Let the flour cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the broth, water and tomatoes (including the juice).  Stir.

Return the chicken and sausage to the pot.  Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Look how thick and rich this stew is.

Serve over rice.

This stew is smoky and rich, with just the right amount of spice.  So comforting on a cold night.

When I visited my daughter, she told me what she missed the most was my cooking.  Good thing I brought along some leftovers!     

Sausage Cornbread

Things have been super hectic here!  We are renovating our master bedroom and bathroom, which sounds exciting (and it is) but, it's mostly just a big old pain in my you know where.  We are sleeping in my son's room surrounded by baseball memorabilia and video games.  No matter how much I clean, the house is always dirty.  And the hammering, the incessant hammering that never seems to stop (did I mention we are having roof work done, too?).  It's like living in one long, dusty headache.

Anyway, I haven't been cooking much because we've been so busy moving furniture, putting things in storage, etc.  But, I did make some sausage cornbread the other night that was simply delicious.  A few simple ingredients, easy assembly, one skillet.  It's a winner!

SAUSAGE CORNBREAD

1 (8 oz) container sour cream
2 eggs
1 can cream style corn
1 cup self-rising cornmeal mix
1 pound breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In an oven-proof skillet (I use a 10 inch cast iron skillet), brown the sausage over medium-high heat.

Remove the sausage to a plate lined with paper towel so it can drain, but leave the sausage grease in the skillet.  This will keep the cornbread from sticking and give it awesome flavor!  (I use a pastry brush to make sure the sides of the skillet are greased, too).

In a large bowl, mix together the sour cream, eggs and cream corn.

Add the cornmeal mix and stir to combine.  Try not to over mix it.

Add the cooked and drained sausage.  Gently mix.

Pour into the greased skillet.

Bake at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting it.

You've got one bowl and one skillet to clean.  I hate recipes that use a million utensils and mixing bowls and pots and baking dishes.  This is easy!  

I cut a small corner off to show you the inside.  It's moist (from the sour cream), a little bit sweet (from the cream corn) and savory (from the sausage).  I served it along side red beans and rice, but it could totally be a main dish.  You could even add some veggies and cheese.  This is perfect to take to a pot luck because it's yummy at room temperature, too.  A good recipe to keep on hand.  Enjoy!