Mirliton Dressing with Shrimp and Ham

This is my Mom's recipe that everyone LOVES. It is a Thanksgiving and Christmas MUST!   It is labor intensive, but you won't mind spending the time making this dressing knowing that your family will love you for it.

Ingredients:

• 6 mirliton
• ½ stick of butter, plus 2 T. for the top
• 1 C. of chopped onions
• ½ C. of chopped bell pepper
• ½ C. of chopped celery
• 4 cloves of mined garlic
• ½ bunch of green onions finely chopped
• ¼ C. of fresh parsley finely chopped
• 1 lb. of  shrimp, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 1 lb. of ham, cut into small chunks
• 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
• ½ T. of salt
• ½ T. of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• ¼ t. cayenne pepper
• 1 ½ C. bread crumbs, more or less depending on the amount of liquid the shrimp draw, plus ¼ C. for the top
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions:

1. In a large pot, boil the mirlitons for one hour or until tender
2. Drain and cut each in half, then carefully scoop out the seeds
3. Chop the mirlitons into small pieces and reserve
4. In a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven on medium heat, add onions, bell peppers, and celery and cook until limp about 20 minutes
5. Add garlic for 1 minute
6. Add shrimp and cook for 10 minutes
7. Add ham and cook for 10 minutes
8. Add mirliton, green onions, parsley, Worcestershire, salt, Creole Seasoning, and cayenne pepper
9. Fold all ingredients together and cook for 5 minutes
10. Add the bread crumbs a little at a time, when it gets difficult to stir and the dressing starts to thicken up, you have the correct amount of bread crumbs
11. Cut the heat and allow the dressing to sit for 5 minutes
12. Then add the beaten egg, fold into the dressing
13. Transfer the dressing into a casserole dish
14. Sprinkle with extra bread crumbs and dot with butter
15. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes

Tips and Tricks:

·        When you are removing the seeds of the mirliton, it is important to get the membrane that surrounds the seed also,  It is filmy and should be removed.  The bottom of the mirliton is the toughest part.  Run you hand along the bottom edge, if it still feels tough and kind of prickly, cut it off as well.

·        If you make this ahead of time, you can place the dressing in the casserole dish you wish to serve it in and freeze it until you are ready to use it.  (Don’t add the extra bread crumbs or butter until after you defrost the dressing)

Baked Manicotti with Sausage and Peas

My friend Gina is a Manicotti fan.  I have never made Manicotti, so I found this recipe by Giada De Laurentiis.  It is work, but it is GOOD.  Ok, Gina, now I'm ready!

Ingredients:

• ¾ C. whole milk
• ½ C. heavy cream
• 6 oz. (3 C.) grated Pecorino Romano
• ¼ C. chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 t. kosher salt
• ½ t. black pepper
• ¼ C. white wine
• 1 C. petit pois peas, drained
• ½ C. whole milk ricotta
• 12 manicotti shells
• 1 (26 oz.) jar of marinara sauce
• 2 C. shredded mozzarella

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13x9x2 glass baking dish with cooking spray
2. You need 3 pots and 3 burners going at the same time to make this recipe.  A large pot to boil the manicotti shells, a medium sauce pan to make the fonduta sauce, and a skillet to make the meat mixture.
3. Start the large pot of water to boil over high heat
4. Pour the cream and milk in the sauce pan and set to a medium heat, when the milk begins to simmer, reduce the heat to low and add the Pecorino Romano and whisk until smooth
5. Cut the heat, then add the basil
6. Stir well and set aside
7. Add the manicotti shells to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain when cooked and set aside.
8. Heat the olive oil and shallots in the skillet over medium heat
9. Cook for several minutes, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute
10. Add the sausage that has been broken into small pieces, about ½ inch thick
11. Add salt and pepper and cook until sausage is brown, about 5 minutes
12. Increase the heat to high and add the wine, cook for 2 minutes and scrape the bottom of the skillet
13. Turn the heat off, add the ricotta, 1 C. of the fonduta sauce, and the peas
14. Mix well
15. Pour half of the marinara sauce into the bottom of the baking dish
16. Fill each of the shells with the meat mixture and place in the baking dish
17. Pour the other half of the marinara sauce into the fonduta sauce and mix well
18. Pour over the manicotti, then sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese
19. Bake for 35 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown
20. Allow the dish to set for 5 minutes, then serve

Tips and Tricks:

• You can use any bottled marinara sauce, but I bottle the Scaccia Family Red Sauce and freeze it.  It works well with this recipe. Follow my link to get the recipe.
• I use Dubon or LeSueur petit pois peas.
• This recipe is LABOR INTESIVE, but it is worth it.

Tamale Bites

These are little bites of heaven!  The recipe comes from my friend, Jeannien's cousin, Marlene.  It makes about 200, so make them for a big party or clear out some room in the freezer.

Ingredients:

Tamales:

• 4 lbs. of ground chuck
• 1 pack of chili seasoning or ¼ C.
• 1 pack of taco seasoning or ¼ C.
• 2 T. garlic powder
• 2 (10 oz.) cans of Enchilada sauce 
• 1 lb. of Mexican cheese, shredded
• 1 corn bread

Corn bread:

• 2 C. corn meal mix
• 2 C. milk
• 2 eggs
• ½ C. vegetable oil

Sauce:

• 3 (10oz.) cans of enchilada sauce
• 1 can of Mexican Rotel

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Prepare the corn bread and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown
3. Reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees
4. Allow the corn bread to cool, then crush the bread into crumbs
5. Mix all ingredients for the tamale mixture in a large bowl
6. Use a 1 inch scoop leveled, then roll into balls
7. Place tamale bites on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray
8. Bake for 30 minutes
9. At this point you can freeze the tamale bites until you are ready to serve them, or
10. Heat the sauce, add the tamale bites and enjoy!

 Tips and Tricks:

• This is a great Mexican Fiesta dish.  Everyone loves these.
• These freeze well without the sauce.  If you have leftovers that you want to freeze with the sauce, they become mushed up after they are reheated.  They still taste great, but they don't hold their consistency of balls.

Smothered String Beans

A one pot meal, what cook doesn't like that?  This has all the food groups: the veggies, the starch, the meats, and very little fat.  My Mom and I love these, Donald not so much.  Hope you do!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. of fresh string beans, snapped into bite-size pieces
• 2 lbs. of new potatoes, peeled and cut in half
• ½ lb. of ham, cubed
• ½ lb. of smoked sausage, cut into semi-circles
• ¼ C. of vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 can of Rotel tomatoes
• 1 C. chicken broth
• ½ T. kosher salt
• ½ T. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven, add onions with oil and cook until limp over a medium-low heat, about 10 minutes  
2. Add garlic for an additional minute
3. Add sausage and ham and fry for about 10 minutes
4. Add tomatoes, salt, Tony’s, beans and chicken broth
5. Cook over medium heat, covered for 15 minutes
6. Add potatoes and cook for an additional 20 minutes, covered
7. Serve steaming hot

Tips and Tricks:

• I use Bryan Cajun Smoked Sausage.
• The times are tricky.  It really depends on the firmness of the string beans.  It usually takes about 15 minutes for them to start to wilt.  If they aren’t wilted at 15 minutes wait until they are to add the potatoes.
• We usually make these when we have ham leftover from a holiday or gathering.  If not you can just buy a ham steak and cut it into chunks.

Everything Jambalaya

Everything, but the kitchen sink.  Yeah, that's about it.  Bacon, pork sausage, smoked sausage, chicken, and shrimp are all in there.  This makes a big gumbo pot full, so invite the family and friends over.

Ingredients:

• 2 C. of chopped onions
• 1 C. of chopped bell pepper
• 1 C. of chopped celery
• 6 cloves of mined garlic
• ½ lb. of bacon
• 1 lb. of fresh pork sausage, squeezed out of the casing
• 3 lbs. of shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 lb. of smoked sausage cut into semi circles
• 1 can of Rotel
• 1 large can of crushed tomatoes (3 ½ C.)
• 6 C. shrimp stock or chicken stock
• ½ C. of Louisiana or Crystal Hot Sauce
• 1 T. of salt
• ½  C. flour
• 5 C. parboiled rice

Directions:

1. Cut bacon into thin small strips
2. In cast iron pot, fry the bacon until crisp and remove
3. Add the pork sausage in crumbles and cook about 5 minutes and remove
4. Make a roux with the bacon and sausage drippings and flour over medium high heat until the color of dark peanut butter
5. Add onions, bell peppers, and celery and cook until soft, about 10 minutes
6. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute
7. Add Rotel and crushed tomatoes then transfer to a gumbo pot
8. Add chicken or shrimp stock, smoked sausage, bacon, pork sausage, salt, and hot sauce
9. Bring to a boil and cook for 45 minutes
10. While cooking cut chicken into 1 inch chunks
11. Add chicken and cook for 15 minutes
12. Add rice and cook for 15 minutes on low heat
13. Add shrimp and make sure they are all covered by the rice
14. Cook for an additional 15 minutes
15. Serve hot!

Tips and Tricks:

·     You can make shrimp or chicken stock.  It is easy!  Follow my link to find out how I make mine.

·      If you don’t have a cast iron pot you can make a roux in a heavy bottomed pot instead.  The trick is to stir constantly.  You can NOT multi-task during this step.  This is where the base of flavor for your jambalaya comes.  Be diligent, it takes about 15 minutes to make a roux the color you need.

·        I use Bryan Cajun Smoke Sausage. 

·        ½ C. of hot sauce might have you scared.  Don’t be!  The sausage, chicken, shrimp, and rice all absorb the hot sauce and give this jambalaya a great flavor.  It is spicy, but not tongue numbing.

·        This freezes well.

Beef Stroganoff

This is another family favorite from "Talk about Good" cookbook.  You know the drill, I've tweaked it and made it my own.

Ingredients:

• ½ stick of butter
• 1 small chopped onion
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lb. of ground chuck
• ¼ C. lemon juice
• ¼ C. red wine
• 1 can of consommé
• 1 can of water
• 1 T. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• 1 C. sour cream
• 1 (12 oz.) bag of extra broad egg noodles minus 1 C.
• Chives

 Directions:

1. Sauté the onions in the butter over medium heat until soft
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute
3. Add the ground chuck and cook until brown
4. Add the lemon juice, wine, consommé, water, and Creole Seasoning
5. Cook for 15 minutes
6. Stir in the uncooked noodles and cover
7. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the noodles are tender and most of the liquid is incorporated
8. Stir in the sour cream and heat through, but DO NOT BOIL
9. Serve with sprinkled chives

 Tips and Tricks:

• I use light sour cream.
• Use a red wine that you like to drink for this recipe.  You only use a little bit in the recipe, but you can drink the rest with the meal.
• This recipe is rich, so a steamed veggie is a great side dish.

Meatloaf

This is a Herry family favorite!  The sauce is sweet and sour and the meatloaf is tender. This recipe started as one out of "Talk about Good", but I've added so many things it no longer resembles that original recipe.

It kinda looks like a big meatball, Huh?

Ingredients:

Meat mixture:

• 2 lbs. of meatloaf mix
• 1/3 C. chopped onions, fine
• 1/3 C. chopped green pepper, fine
• 2 eggs
• 1 T. kosher salt
• ½ T. black pepper
• 2 T. Worcestershire sauce
• ½ C. of chopped Rotel tomatoes (save the juice for the sauce)
• ¾ C. bread crumbs
• ¾ C. parmesan cheese

Sauce:

• 2 (8oz.) cans of tomato sauce
• ½ C. juice of the Rotel tomatoes
• ¼ C. apple cider vinegar
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ C. brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix all ingredients for the meat mixture in a large bowl
3. Form a meatloaf shape in the center of a 13 x 9 pan
4. In a different bowl mix the ingredients for the sauce
5. Pour the sauce over the meatloaf
6. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes
7. Baste every 15 minutes

 Tips and Tricks:

• Meatloaf mix is ground beef, pork, and veal.  I have made this recipe with just ground chuck and it is good.  It is great with the meatloaf mix.
• The sauce starts thin and runny.  It thickens up as it cooks with the meatloaf.
• Mashed potatoes are a great side dish with this meatloaf.
• This freezes well. 

B-B-Q Country Style Pork Ribs with Corn and Potatoes

This is a Emeril recipe that I've barely tweaked.  The corn and potatoes are my addition.  If you have never tried boiling your ribs in crab boil, let me help you enter into a new dimension.  They are so tender and flavorful.  You are going to LOVE it.

Ingredients:

• 6 lbs. country style pork ribs
• ½ C. concentrated liquid crab boil
• 1 head garlic, cut in 2 pieces
• 3 ribs celery, cut into 3-inch lengths
• 1 large onion, cut in half with skin on
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 T. kosher salt
• 2 t. Tony Chachere Creole Seasoning
• 1 t. whole black peppercorns
• 1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce
• 12 pack of frozen corn
• 3 lb. bag of new potatoes

Directions:

1. Place ribs and all the ingredients through peppercorns into a large pot with enough water to cover the ribs by about an inch
2. Bring to a boil on high heat
3. Reduce heat to a low boil and cook for 1 hour
4. Remove ribs from the pot and place on a foil lined cookie sheet
5. Put the cover back on the pot and return to a boil for the corn and potatoes
6. Dry the ribs with paper towels
7. Now you have a choice, you can finish them off on the grill or
8. Preheat the broiler
9. Pour a ½ bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce over the ribs 
10. Flip each rib and pour the other ½ bottle of sauce
11. Broil for about 5 minutes each side or until they start to caramelize
12. Remove from the broiler
13. When water is boiling, add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes once the water returns to a boil
14. Then add the corn and cook for 10 minutes once the water returns to a boil
15. Pour the contents of the  pot into a colander and serve the piping hot corn and potatoes with the ribs

Tips and Tricks:

• I use Kraft Spicy Honey Barbecue Sauce.
• Country Style Pork Ribs tend to be fatty, but some of the fat cooks off during the boiling and some during the grilling or broiling.  Don’t bother cutting off the excess fat.  It takes care of itself.

Party Hot Sausage

This is an appetizer that is served at most parties we have.  It is a recipe that my sister-in-law Darlene shared with me in a cookbook that she made for me as a shower gift (over 21 years ago).  The sausage is sweet and spicy. 

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs. of Bryan Cajun Smoked Sausage
• 2 C. dark brown sugar
• 2 C. ketchup
• 1 C. of barbecue sauce with onion bits
• ¼ C. Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ C. dry mustard
• ¼ C. Crystal hot sauce

Directions:

1. Slice the sausage into thin slices and place in a large pot with a cover
2. Mix all the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl
3. Pour the liquid mixture over the sausage
4. Cook covered for 1 hour on medium heat
5. Stir occasionally
6. Uncover and cook for an additional ½ hour
7. Chill overnight and then remove the grease from the top
8. Place sausage in a crock pot and heat, when they are hot they are ready to serve

Tips and Tricks:

• I use Kraft barbecue sauce with onion bits or Jack Miller has a good sauce with onions as well.
• A 1 lb. box of brown sugar is just a little over 2 C.  Just add the box!
• I have used 1/4 C. of Dijon mustard in place of the dry mustard.
• This freezes great!

B-B-Q Beef

This is a recipe from my friend Karen.  It serves a bunch of people and is so easy to make.  It's great for parties or for sitting around and watching the game. 

Ingredients:

• 6 lbs. of rump or chuck roast
• 1 head of garlic
• 1 envelope of Lipton Onion Soup mix
• ½ C. water
• 2 bottles of Kraft Spicy Honey barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. Cut rump roast into cubes and stuff each with a garlic clove
2. Place cubes of beef, soup mix, and water in a crock pot
3. Cook for 6 hours on high heat
4. Drain the beef and return to crock pot
5. Use tongs to shred the beef
6. Add B-B-Q sauce and cook for an additional hour
7. Serve with rolls

Tips and Tricks:

• You can prepare this the night before and let it cook on low for 10 hours.
• White Mountain rolls are great to serve with this.  They are small yeast rolls.  Yum!
• It’s ok if the roast has some fat on the edges or even running through it.  It gives the roast flavor, but it cooks off and you won’t even see it when it is served.
• This freezes great!

Grillades

Serving brunch?  You will need a Grits and Grillades recipe if you want to do it the "New Orleans" way. This is not the veal steak "Grillades".   It is just a lean cut of beef (round steak) simmered in a delicious gravy.

See how the meat is so tender it's falling apart?

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs. of round steak cut into ½ inch strips
• 1 lb. of bacon
• ½ C. vegetable oil
• ½ C. flour
• 2 C. of chopped onions
• 1 C. of chopped bell pepper
• 1 C. of chopped celery
• 6 cloves of mined garlic
• 1 bunch of green onions finely chopped
• ½ C. of fresh parsley finely chopped
• 2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 T. Crystal or Louisiana hot sauce
• 1 T. salt
• 1 T. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• 1 t. thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes
• 1 C. beef broth
• 1 C. red wine

Directions:

1.    Fry bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp and remove from pot

2.    Brown round steak in the bacon fat and remove from pot

3.    Make a dark roux with oil, flour, and drippings from browning the meat. This starts as a brown color because of the meat drippings.  Be careful to cook the roux long enough, at least 15 minutes.

4.    Add onions, bell pepper, and celery and cook until limp

5.    Add garlic and cook for 1 minute

6.    Add meat, crumbled bacon, and all of the other ingredients to the pot

7.    Cook on a low heat, covered, and stirring occasionally for about 4 hours

8.    When the meat looks like it is starting to fall apart and the gravy starts to thicken up “It’s DONE”

Tips and Tricks:

·        I’ve tried cooking this in the crock pot and I didn’t have success.  I have friends who say it can be done.

·        I usually start this the night before I am serving it.  I cook it for about 2 hours and then put it in the refrigerator.  The day it is being served I cook it for the additional 3 hours.  You know the theory on the flavors getting to “marry” in the refrigerator.

·        This is great with grits.  I make a Garlic Cheese Grits to serve with this.  Follow my link to get the recipe.

Barbeque Pork Chops

This is a recipe from Talk About Good Cookbook.  I am not very reverent of cookbooks.  I write in them and scratch things out and put a big star on the ones that we like.  This is one of the recipes that has a big STAR.

Ingredients:

• 6 – 8 pork chops
• ¼ C. vinegar
• 1/3 C.  chili sauce
• ½ C. water
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• ¼ C. brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Mix all ingredients, except pork chops, in a baking dish
3. Place pork chops in mixture and cover with foil
4. Bake for 1 hour
5. Remove foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes

Tips and Tricks:

• I use apple cider vinegar.  I think it gives the sauce a great taste.
• I have made this recipe with pork chops and with a pork roast cut into cubes.  It tastes great both ways. 

Chili

This is my mother-in-law, Dotty's Chili recipe.  It is quick and yummy.  She says she does not use beer, so I'm not sure when I added that step, but it gives the chili a good flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground chuck
• 1 medium onion chopped fine
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 1 can of beer
• ¼ C. chili powder
• ½ T. sugar
• 1 T. salt
• ½ T. pepper
• hot sauce to taste

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven on medium heat, brown the ground meat then drain
2. Heat olive oil over medium-low heat and sauté onions until limp
3. Add tomato paste and chili powder, stir well and brown
4. Add beer and sugar
5. Cook for 30 min
6. Add salt, pepper and hot sauce if desired

Tips and Tricks:

• Don’t use a light beer.
• If you double or triple this recipe, be careful with the chili powder.  It seems to me that chili powder intensifies the more you add.  The strength of chili powder differs greatly.  It depends on what kind you use.
• This freezes great!