Dad's Jambalaya!

This recipe comes to you courtesy of my Dad, Phil Morris.  He's made it many times and I finally got him to give it to me so I could share it on my blog.  It's a delicious, easy, and quick one pot, stovetop recipe.  There weren't exact measurements on most of the ingredients, so bear with me, I'm guessing.  This will give you a chance to eye it yourself and put in the amounts you want!

Ingredients:

1 lb or so Chicken breasts or tenders diced into small pieces

1 package Andouille Sausage (or Kielbasa, a cheaper alternative)

1 Large or 2 Medium Green Bell Peppers

1 Medium-Large Onion

2 cups chopped Celery

Fresh Garlic (optional)

28 oz. can Diced Tomatoes with the juice

2 32 oz. cartons Chicken Stock

1- 1.5 cups Long Grain White Rice (not instant)

Tobasco/Hot Sauce to taste

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

Olive Oil

1-2 dried Bay Leaves

Cajun or Creole seasoning

Preparation and Cooking:

Dice the chicken (raw) and slice up the sausage or kielbasa.  Put in a large mixing bowl and coat well and evenly with the cajun or creole seasoning.  Set aside.  Chop up the peppers, onion, celery.  Mince garlic if you're using it.  Heat the oil on medium in the stock pot.  Add the vegetables and simmer until they are tender, and the onions are transparent.  Add tomatoes with their juice.  Add in Tobasco and Worcestershire sauces, bay leaves, and rice and stir.  Slowly add the broth a bit at a time, allowing it to warm in the pot each time.  Bring the soup mix to a simmer, then add the meat.  Bring back to a simmer and cook until the meat and rice are done.  Remove Bay leaves if you can find them.

My Recommendations:

I don't really have any changes for this one.  I don't feel I used enough of the meat so I'll definitely use more next time.  I only used one pepper, and I should have used the second one I bought.  I also used a bit more than one cup of rice, because as usual, I felt like 1 cup wasn't enough, and I wanted to get rid of the few remnants in the bag that I had.  It came out a little thick but it's still tasty.  I'd rather fill it out with more veggies and meat, so I'll plan accordingly next time.  My Dad recommended buying chicken tenders because they cut up a lot quicker than trying to dice raw chicken breasts.  I will fully agree with him on that one, and will now use tenders in any recipe I do involving diced chicken.  You can also add shrimp to the recipe if you like, probably in place of the chicken.  I don't like seafood, so there won't be any shrimp in my recipe.


As I said above, the recipe usually calls for Andouille sausage, which is usually more expensive.  I found Johnsonville's New Orleans Spicy Andouille Sausage for a good price.  You can also use your  choice of kielbasa if you like.  I also used Zatarain's Creole Seasoning in place of the Cajun mix my Dad usually uses, because I ran out of our favorite Bayou Cajun that we had.  I couldn't find Cajun at the grocery store I was in, and the Creole was actually fairly cheap and perfect for this recipe.

The Verdict:

The Hubby loved this recipe when he had it at my Dad's house, so there was no question he would like it when I made it.  He did give me his approval anyway, so that makes me happy.  This one makes a lot and my Dad says it freezes well too.  It's also a one pot recipe, so it's fast and easy.  The veggies and meat take a little prep work, but that's about it.

Click here to download a printable page for this recipe! (PDF)

Slow Cooker Beef and Vegetable Soup

This is another one I threw together in the slow cooker.  The amounts are approximate, and can be modified for preference.  Unfortunately the only picture of it I have at the moment is pre-cooked, but it still looks pretty tasty and colorful!

Ingredients:

8 cups beef stock or broth

2 lbs stewing beef, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cups potatoes, diced

2 cups cut up carrots or baby carrots

2 cupsFrozen cut green beans

2 cups Frozen peas

Montreal Steak Seasoning (optional)

Preparation and Cooking:

Put all ingredients in the slow cooker, mix, and top with a few shakes of Montreal Steak seasoning for a little kick and flavor.  You can also get it in a spicy variety.  Set on low for 8 hours or high for 4.  This could also be cooked on the stove in a stock pot, simmering on medium until the meat is cooked through.

The Verdict:

This was a great soup.  It is fairly easy to make.  This recipe made a lot so it can be cut back if you need less.  It was very tasty and is pretty healthy and light with all the veggies.

Hearty Minestrone Soup

Here is another recipe I got from the Whole Foods website many months ago.  I finally decided to try it.  Once again it was rave reviews all around.  I love it, and my husband and coworkers did too!  It's also one of a very few vegetarian recipes I have, which I'd like to find more of.  Here it is on the stove, still cooking in my new stock pot.  I don't have a picture of the finished product, I forgot!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil 

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

1 medium yellow onion, chopped 

6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 

1/4 cup tomato paste 

1/4 cup chopped parsley 

1 tablespoon chopped basil 

2 large stalks of celery, sliced 

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped 

1 dried bay leaf 

1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with their liquid 

1 cup canned chickpeas, drained 

1 cup dried fusilli (rotini) pasta 

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or white beans, drained 

Salt and pepper to taste 

3/4 to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional for topping soup when serving)

Preparation and Cooking:

In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and onions and cook until translucent. Add broth, tomato paste, parsley, basil, celery, carrots, bay leaf, and tomatoes with their juice and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add chickpeas, pasta, and beans and simmer for another 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

My Recommendations:

The recipe originally called for cabbage, but hubby and I aren't fans so I left it out.  I also didn't read once again, and just used the whole can of chickpeas but it actually worked out because I made a little bit more than the recipe calls for.  The only size containers of broth I could find at the store were 32 oz each.  They were really low on broth that day.  I didn't feel like having left over veggie broth that would just sit in the fridge and go bad,  so I used it all.  It was only an extra 2 cups of broth.  I just added in a little more of each of the veggies.  Of course, being part Sicilian, I didn't think 1 cup of dry noodles was enough.  I was wrong.  I went overboard and put way too many in and it soaked up a lot of the broth.  It was still good, but next time I make this, I will stick to the recipe on the noodle amount!  I also used whole grain rotini.  I couldn't tell the difference.  It tasted great!  Other than that, I just had a little fun with spices from the spice rack, tossing in a little Oregano, Basil, and whatever else smelled like it would go well!

The Verdict:

All around good reviews.  I'll definitely be making it again, with less pasta so it's more soupy.  It's a very filling and tasty soup!  This recipe makes a lot, and I'm sure it would be great for freezing as well.

Click here to download this recipe page!

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

This is a recipe I came up with on my own, although it's really not too difficult!  I cooked everything but the noodles in the slow cooker, because it's all I had until I recently bought a stock pot.  I cooked the noodles separately, as directed, and then added them in afterwards.  I decided to do this, because last time I made the mistake of adding them to the slow cooker, and they turned the whole soup into a slimy mess.  This batch was a lot more successful!

Ingredients:

8 cups (48 oz) chicken stock or broth

5-6 cups cooked or boiled chicken, diced

Desired amount of cut up carrots or baby carrots, and cut up celery

1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup or so finely chopped parsley

desired amount of egg noodles, cooked, drained, and rinsed in cold water

Slow Cooker Method:

Cook or boil the chicken, and dice into small pieces.  Combine all ingredients except noodles in slow cooker.  Cook on High for 4 hours.  Cook about half the bag of noodles as directed.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  When soup mixture is finished, add in noodles until you get your desired amount.  Serve or store for later!

The Verdict:

This one was another hit with the husband and co-workers as well.  It's simple, and was very easy and cheap to make.  I've learned to take my extra left overs into work.  They always get eaten!  Next time I make this, I will make it in the new stock pot I just bought since it would probably take less time and I could just add the noodles and chicken in raw and let them cook in the pot instead of separately.  I'll make sure to update when I try it that way!

Savory Herb-Crusted Chicken (or Turkey) Pot Pie

Ok faithful readers, here is yet another trial from the Campbell's Kitchen website.  The recipe originally says Turkey pot pie, but you can substitute chicken if you prefer, or in my case, that's what's in the fridge. I'm currently eating this for dinner while I type, and so far so good!

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

6 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken

5 cups frozen mixed vegetables or your favorite frozen vegetable blend

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups Chicken Broth or Chicken Stock

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed according to package directions

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme and/or oregano)

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 400°F. Mix the turkey/chicken and vegetables in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Heat the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook and stir for 3 minutes. Gradually stir the broth into the saucepan. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the black pepper. Pour the broth mixture over the turkey mixture.Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 13x9-inch rectangle. Place the pastry over the filling. Press the pastry to the rim to seal. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork. Brush the pastry with the egg mixture and sprinkle with the herbs. Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbling.

My Recommendations:

I followed this one to the letter except for the fresh herbs part. I love fresh herbs, but could not find oregano at the store, and figured it would taste just as fine with dried parsley and oregano that I already had in house. I didn't use Thyme. I also didn't have the full size dish, or a rectangular one for that matter, since my 3 qt spontaneously combusted in the sink one day (no it was not hot! At least according to my hubby :) ). My options were to go .75 qt smaller or 1.5 qt bigger, so until I get another dish, I opted for the smaller of the two. To save time, I just boiled the chicken breasts and then diced them. I didn't use the full amount, since my dish was a little smaller. Having the oval dish made the crust part a little awkward as well, but it worked out alright. I think I'm going to add more chicken broth to the broth mixture. The butter evaporated pretty quickly, and the flour kind of congealed when I added the broth, so I used a whisk to break it up while it was cooking. I think the extra broth will also help add some extra flavor, which I think is needed. I usually don't salt things but I put a little salt on my meal tonight, so I'll be adding a little of that as well, along with a few other spices to kick the flavor up a little bit. Other than that, it's fabulous! Hubby likes it too, so another plus in the recipe book!

The Verdict:

Overall, I really like this recipe.  I've been looking for an easy pot pie after the one I kind of put together myself didn't really work out too well.  As I said, I'll be adding a few more things to kick the flavor up a bit, possibly trying cream of chicken soup instead of the broth/flour mixture.  The only thing about this recipe is that it isn't as quick as some of my others, but if you have the time and don't mind making a bit of a mess, go for it!

I'm trying two more new recipes for next week, so stay tuned!

Click here to download a printable page for this recipe!

Super Chicken Casserole

Here is another Campbell’s Kitchen recipe I tried over the weekend, which got rave reviews.  It’s an easy chicken casserole with noodles and veggies.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Pepperidge Farm® Herb Seasoned Stuffing, crushed

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Condensed Cream of Broccoli Soup

1 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup elbow pasta, cooked and drained

2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey

1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas and carrots, cooked and drained

Preparation/Cooking:

Heat the oven to 400°F.  Stir the stuffing, Parmesan cheese and butter in a medium bowl.

Stir the soup, milk, mozzarella cheese, garlic powder and black pepper in a 2-quart baking dish.  Stir in the pasta, chicken and peas and carrots.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbling.  Stir the chicken mixture.  Sprinkle with the stuffing mixture.

Bake for 5 minutes or until the stuffing mixture is golden brown.

  

My Recommendations:

I didn’t change anything except for adding more noodles to the amount of my personal liking.  I think one cup was way too sparse, unless it meant one cup of uncooked pasta at first.  I can never tell!

 So as I said before, the hubby LOVED this one, possibly more than the pork roast.  He had two heaping plates, and the leftovers lasted one day, when I had expected them to last a little longer!


Click here to download a printable page for this recipe!