Crockpot Jambalaya

Many years ago, I had my first mouth watering bite of jambalaya. I have been a huge fan of it ever since. Over the years I have tried and tried and tried again to make my own version. I have gotten close but never really found that one combination that I felt was anything close to authentic or captured the flavor I was hoping for. Until now. A jambalaya that has some kick! 

This version is about medium hot. Just the way I love it. If you like yours a little on the tamer side, half the cayenne pepper, if you like it on the red hot side, double it. Also, use the meats of your choice, after all that is really what jambalaya is. Beef sausage, shrimp, hamburger or any other leftovers you want to add in.

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 lb. smoked turkey sausage, sliced

1, 28 oz, can diced tomatoes with juice

3 tsp. dried minced onion flakes

1 cup chicken broth

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp. dried parsley

2 tsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. Cajun seasoning

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 dried thyme

your choice of rice (I used 1 1/2 cups white rice and 1 pkg. of Ben's instant garlic butter rice)

Mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes (with juice), onion garlic and broth in a crockpot. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper and thyme.

Cover and cook 7 to 8 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high. When ready to serve, cook your rice as directed on package and add to crockpot. Taste for hotness and add more cayenne pepper if needed.  Mix in with crockpot ingredients for about 20 minutes to warm through. 

Spicy Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is a variation from a variation from a recipe I saw floating around Pinterest. I had forgotten about a potluck we put together at work. I made this last minute the morning of said potluck having no idea it would turn out to be such a hit. Co-workers asked for the recipe and have mentioned it since (many times) that they were making it...again. 


This goes a long way. You can bring the hot factor up or down depending on your tastes. I used Red Hot sauce and thought it perfect. 


Ingredients:
5 oz. hot sauce of your choice (I used Frank's Red Hot sauce)
2 pkg. cream cheese
8 oz. Ranch dressing
2 - 10 oz. cans chicken, drained well
medium cheddar cheese, shredded


Melt hot sauce, cream cheese and ranch dressing either over the stove top or in your microwave, stirring frequently. About half way through, throw in a large handful of shredded cheese.


Stir in chicken, mixing well.


Pour into crockpot. If desired, add some more shredded cheese on top. 


Serve with chips, crackers or veggies. Celery and cauliflower work great!


Can be kept on warm for 4 - 6 hours.

Spicy Honey Glazed Chicken

The other day I asked John what we should do for the night. He answered, "Sit on our butts and relax". Basically do nothing, which is always a good option after long work days. I said I wanted to bake something. To him that means work but to me, that means relaxing. Creating something in the kitchen is fun! I have so many ideas I want to try out, so many creations to be made. 


What do you do to relax? 


While this was a little too spicy for Spencer, John and I liked this glaze. Really gave plain ole chicken some flair.


Ingredients:
1 pkg, boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. chili pepper
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup honey
2 TBLS. apple cider vinegar


Mix all dry spices together and set aside.


Mix honey and vinegar together and set aside.


Un-tuck chicken thighs so they are flat. Cover both sides with dry spices and set flat onto a cookie sheet. 


Put thighs under broiler on low. Cook 5 -7 minutes on ones side, then flip and cook for another 5 -7 minutes on second side.


Remove from oven, flip again and baste with honey/vinegar mixture. Be sure to really coat the chicken well all over. Add to oven again and let cook under broiler until honey/vinegar coating starts to thicken and glaze. It may smoke a little but that's normal. 


Remove from oven and let set a few minutes before serving.

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

A single bite of this casserole and it immediately went to my favorites pile. If you like twice baked potatoes, you will love this. Not quite as much fuss as filling single potatoes but with all the flavor and texture. The only sound around the table will be the "mmms" that follow each bite. 


This is definitely the loaded version of the twice baked potato. Feel free to tone yours down a bit by using low fat cream cheese, sour cream and grated cheese. 


Ingredients:
5 lbs. russet potatoes
8 - 10 slices bacon
8 oz. cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chives, minced
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese (I use medium cheddar)
2 TBLS. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel potatoes and cut into 1" chunks. Place in a large saucepan and add water to cover by 2". Cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and return to pan. Cover and set aside.


Cook bacon to desired crispiness and drain on paper towels. Let cool slightly and crumble.


Mash potatoes well. Add cream cheese, butter and sour cream. Stir until well mixed and potatoes are fluffy.


Add the chives, 2 cups of the cheddar cheese, half the bacon. Salt and pepper. Stir well.


Butter a baking dish and transfer potatoes. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese, or if you are like me, add enough to mostly cover the top. 


Bake about 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted on top. Remove from oven and top with remaining bacon. 


Then prepare yourself for some major goodness!

Fresh Strawberry Pie ~ Guest Post

Good morning friends! Today I have a guest post from my amazing friend, Pam. There is no other way to say this, I simply adore her. She is one of those friends that once you meet, you wonder how you ever got along without them. Beautiful, talented, spunky and one of the most kind hearted people I have ever met. Plus she loves to bake! 

She posted these pie photos on facebook a while back and I was so excited when she agreed to let me use her recipe on my blog. Don't they look delicious!!!

I need to make these. Better yet, I need to go visit Pam! 

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Well, Strawberry time is upon us - so what better way to eat them - than in a Fresh Strawberry Pie?

I live in Washington State - farthest North-West you can get in the Continental United States. Our berries don’t come on until June so when we get berries this early, a lot of the time they are brought in from California are picked too early due to having to ship them and when we get them they are still white in the middle and not sweet… but I was lucky enough to pass a parking lot yesterday where someone was selling strawberries out of their pick-up. I was a little concerned about the quality, but they turned out to be beautiful berries.

I can’t claim that I made this particular pie - I talked my mom into making a couple pies for them and us. I gave her everything she needed from the strawberries right down to the pie crust and cornstarch.  Here’s the recipe (thanks to Allrecipes.com) if you’re interested in trying it:

 It’s called Strawberry Pie V

Ingredients:

·        2 1/2 cups water

·        2 cups white sugar

·        6 tablespoons cornstarch

·        1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin mix

·        2 quarts strawberries, hulled

     ·        2 (9 inch) pie shells, baked

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine water, sugar and cornstarch. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the strawberry gelatin. Allow to cool slightly.  Arrange strawberries in the pie crusts with the tips pointing up. Pour gelatin mixture over, covering the berries.

Notes: I prefer to use a small whisk for the first two steps to I don’t end up with lumps of corn starch.

           I slice my strawberries instead of using them whole… it turns out just a pretty and is easier for your guests to eat.

And in the late summer when the peaches are out, we substitute the strawberry jello for Peach flavor and substitute the strawberries for diced peaches… I think I like the peach one even better than the strawberry one!!

Snicker Salad

Snickers. If there are any in the house, I will find them, eat them and leave not one crumb behind. They taunt me, they call my name...my favorite candy bar ever. 


This completely satisfied my sweet tooth without being overwhelming. Something about the combo of the creamy whipping with the crunchy apples and gooey snickers. Go ahead and lick your screen now, no one is looking.


Ingredients:
16 oz. Cool Whip, thawed
1 pkg. (small) instant vanilla pudding
1 cup milk
8 - 10 green apples
frozen snickers (2 bags of minis)


Mix package of instant pudding with one cup of milk. Let chill while chopping snickers.


Chop frozen snickers into bite size pieces. I cut the minis into fourths.


Chop green apples into bite size pieces.


Fold 8 oz. of Cool Whip into pudding. Taste and add additional amounts (up to 8 oz. more).


Add apples and snickers into pudding mixture.


Serve cold.

Crescent Roll Breakfast Ring

I mentioned that we don't really do breakfast around here. At least in the morning. A couple of times a month, we do have breakfast foods for dinner though. Crescent rolls are a favorite for us and can be used so many different ways. This breakfast ring combination was a huge hit here, even for my picky eater. Full of flavor and not too heavy. 

Ingredients:

2 cans original crescent rolls

6 large eggs

2 cups shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack/Colby)

12 slices bacon, crumbled

onion flakes, to taste

salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray large cookie sheet (or pizza pan) with non stick cooking spray and set aside.

Scramble your eggs in a skillet like you normally would. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Separate one can of crescent roll triangles and arrange on baking sheet with wide end touching wide end, pointed ends out. Push seams together were they meet. Arrange second can with wide ends touching the wide ends already arrange but this time have the pointed end towards the center of the pan. Again pushing the seams together where they meet. 

Sprinkle each triangle with crumbled bacon. Add 1/2 cup of cheese on top of the bacon. Evenly divide the scrambled eggs on top. Add another 1/2 cup of cheese. Sprinkle with desired amount of spices. Now pull the inner pointed ends of the crescent rolls over the top of the mixture. Then take the outer pointed ends and pull them over the top, enclosing the majority of the mixture and creating a ring. 


Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until crescents are a golden brown. About 5 minutes before end of baking time, sprinkle the top with more cheese.


Remove from oven and cool slightly. Cut into triangles to serve.