Country Gravy and Biscuits Casserole

Country gravy isn’t big on our list of thing for breakfast here in New Orleans, but when we visit our daughter in Monroe, it is on most breakfast menus.  I found this recipe on Pinterest from a blog called “Miss Information”.  Now I’m ready with a great casserole for breakfast the next time the kids come to visit.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of biscuits
• 1 lb. of breakfast sausage
• 8 eggs
• 1/4 C. sour cream 
• 1 t. Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning
• 2 C. Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 envelope of Peppered Country Gravy Mix
• 2 C. water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the breakfast sausage for 10 minutes or until fully cooked and crumbled.
3. Remove from the skillet and allow draining on paper towels.
4. Spray a 13” x 9” baking pan with cooking spray.
5. Cut the biscuits into fourths and drop into the bottom of the pan.
6. Sprinkle the breakfast sausage on top.
7. In a bowl, scramble the eggs, sour cream, and Creole seasoning together.
8. Pour the eggs in and cover with the cheese.
9. In a small sauce pan, make the Country Gravy by combining the packet and the water and whisking over a medium heat for about 2 minutes or until thickened.
10. Pour the gravy over the casserole.
11. Bake for 35 – 45 minutes, or until browned and eggs are set.
12. Remove from the oven and allow to set for 5 minutes.
13. Cut into pieces and serve.

Tips and Tricks:

• I use an immersion blender to scramble the eggs with the milk.  They are light and fluffy this way.
• I use Jimmy Dean’s Hot pork sausage, Grands Jr. Flaky Layers Honey Butter biscuits, and Pioneer Country Gravy packet for this recipe.
• I cut this casserole into 16 pieces.

Crawfish Boil

This is my Dad’s recipe.  He liked the combination of the citrus and the liquid and powdered crab boil.  We like it, too!  

Ingredients:

• 5 onions, cut in half
• 5 lemons, cut in half
• 5 oranges, cut in half
• 5 heads of garlic, top cut off
• 1 C. Zatarain's liquid crab boil, concentrated
• 1 sack size container (4.5 lbs.) Zatarain's powdered crab boil
• 1 C. Kosher or Sea salt
• 3 lbs. new potatoes
• 30 - 40 lbs. crawfish
• 1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into bite size pieces
• 12 mini ears of corn, frozen
• 1 lb. of Crimini or button mushrooms
• 10 lbs. ice
• Cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

1. Place the crawfish in a cooler and fill with fresh water, allow the crawfish to sit in the water for a few minutes while you prepare the boiling pot.
2. Fill the boiling pot with water, half-full.  Allow the water to come to a full boil while you squeeze the lemons and oranges into the water.
3. Drop the onions, garlic, liquid crab boil, powdered crab boil, salt, and potatoes into the pot.
4. Drain the water from the cooler, if it is murky; rinse the crawfish again with fresh water.  If the water is clear, the crawfish are ready for the pot.
5. Once the water comes to a boil, allow the potatoes to boil for 15 minutes, and then add the crawfish and the sausage.
6. Allow the water to come back to a boil and then cut the heat.
7. Add the frozen corn, mushrooms and the ice.  Put the cover on the pot and allow the crawfish to sit for at least 25 minutes, and then fish a few out of the pot to test their texture and spicy level.
8. If they are difficult to peel, they may need a little more time, if they aren’t spicy enough, you can add some cayenne pepper to the water at this time, maybe ½ C.
9. Drain the ingredients and serve hot!

Tips and Tricks:

• We use 4 boiling bags: one for the veggies and citrus, one for the potatoes, and one for the sausage, and one for the corn and mushrooms.  It makes it easy to pull the bags out of the pot and makes it easy to keep things separated.
• You will need about 4 lbs. of crawfish per person.
• If you are boiling more than 30 – 40 lbs. of crawfish, you can use the same water for the second boil.  We use the same recipe, but keep in mind the crawfish are usually salter and spicier on round two.

Quick Breakfast Sandwich

Here is another breakfast favorite.  I got the basic recipe from "The Pioneer Woman" and made a few adjustments.  Great for a group or just for yourself, several times.  ; )

Ingredients:

• 6 English muffins
• ½ lb. of breakfast sausage
• 6 boiled eggs
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• ½ C. mayonnaise
• ½ T. Dijon mustard
• ½ T. Worcestershire sauce
• ½ t. Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning
• ½ t. garlic powder
• 1 C. Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the breakfast sausage for 10 minutes or until fully cooked and crumbled.
2. Remove from the skillet and allow draining on paper towels.
3. Give the boiled eggs a rough chop.
4. In a medium bowl combine the sausage, boiled eggs, green onions, mayo, Dijon, Worcestershire, Creole seasoning and cheese together.
5. Preheat the broiler to low and put a generous heap of the egg mixture on both sides of an English muffin that has been cut in half.
6. Place in the broiler for 3 – 4 minutes or until the cheese melts and the egg mixture begins to brown.
7. Serve hot!

Tips and Tricks:

• You can use bacon in the place of the sausage.  6 thick slices of bacon is about a ½ lb.
• I use Jimmy Dean’s Hot pork sausage.
• I make this on the weekend and I have a hot breakfast for the rest of the week.

Italian Sausage Sandwiches

This is a quick fix supper.  I made this one up.  It's good, try it out for yourself.

 Ingredients:

• 5 hot Italian sausages, casing removed
• 1 large sweet onion, sliced into rings
• 1 (6 oz.) tomato paste
• ½ C. water
• ½ T. sugar
• 1 t. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• Provolone cheese, sliced thick
• Lettuce
• 5 hoagie rolls

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. In a large skillet, sauté the onions over medium heat for 5 minutes or until they start to wilt.
3. Cut the sausages in half and remove the casing.
4. Add the sausages to the skillet, moving the onions to the side so each sausage can touch the bottom of the skillet.   Arrange the onions on top of the sausage and allow to cook for 5 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, combine the paste, water, sugar, and Creole seasoning.
6. Pour over the sausage and onions and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
8. While the sauce is simmering, toast the hoagie rolls for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
9. Serve each sausage on a hoagie roll with the sauce and onions.  Cover with a slice of provolone cheese over the top and then add the lettuce.

Tips and Tricks:

• I use Johnsonville Hot Italian Sausage.  I have also used Zia Hot Italian Sausage.  

Breakfast Pizza

This is a great breakfast when you have overnight guest to feed.  It's quick and easy and feeds 8 people (2 servings each).  My friend Karen shared this recipe with me.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of crescent rolls
• ¼ C. of chopped green onions
• 1 lb. of breakfast sausage
• 10 eggs
• ½ C. sour cream
• ½ T. Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning
• 2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the breakfast sausage for 10 minutes or until fully cooked and crumbled
3. Remove from the skillet and allow to drain on paper towels
4. Spray a 13” x 9” baking pan or corning ware with cooking spray
5. Press the crescent rolls into the bottom of the pan
6. Sprinkle the green onions on top of the crust and press them into the crust
7. Sprinkle the breakfast sausage on top
8. In a large bowl, scramble the eggs, sour cream, and Creole seasoning together
9. Pour the eggs in and bake for 30 minutes
10. Remove from the oven and add the shredded cheese
11. Bake for an additional 10 minutes
12. Remove from the oven and allow to set for 5 minutes
13. Cut into pieces and serve

Tips and Tricks:

• I use an immersion blender to scramble the eggs with the sour cream.  They are light and fluffy this way.
• I use Jimmy Dean’s Hot pork sausage,
• I cut the breakfast pizza into 16 pieces.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

When it gets cold, this is the dish I want to fill my belly. My Mom told me I couldn't make a good chicken and sausage gumbo, without the bones, but the key is a good chicken stock.  I make my own. 

Ingredients:

• 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
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 lbs of smoked sausage cut into semi circles
• 1 (32oz.) bag of frozen okra
• 2 cans of Rotel
• 12 C. chicken stock
• 4 C. of water
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T. of salt
• ½ T. of black pepper
• 1 T. of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• ½ t. cayenne pepper
• 1 C flour
• 1 C vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dust with flour
2. In cast iron pot, brown chicken in ½ cup of veggie oil
3. Remove Chicken and let rest
4. Add other ½ cup of oil, and make roux with oil and flour over medium high heat until the color of dark peanut butter
5. Add onions, bell peppers, and celery and cook until limp
6. Add garlic for 1 minute
7. Add okra and cook for 30 min
8. Add Rotel then transfer to a gumbo pot
9. Add chicken stock, water, sausage, salt, pepper, Creole Seasoning, and cayenne
10. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 ½ hours
11. While gumbo is cooking cut chicken into 1inch chunks
12. Add Worcestershire sauce and chicken
13. Cook for ½ hour
14. Add green onions and parsley and cook for 10 minutes
15. Serve with rice

Tips and Tricks:

• 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 gumbo comes. Be careful to cook the roux at least 10 minutes, because you are browning the chicken first, the roux starts darker than normal.
• I use Bryan Cajun Smoke Sausage in my gumbos. It has a soft casing that absorbs some of the gumbo. Yum!
• Making your own chicken stock for this recipe is cheaper and tastes better.  Follow my link to find out how I make mine. 
• This gumbo always tastes better the next day, so make some room in your refrigerator. The flavors get to “marry” (as 9^th ward Gloria says) as they sit over night.

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.

Sausage Balls

My friend, Ron's mom, Judy makes these when Ron and Jeff have friends over for breakfast or brunch.  I took her recipe and tweaked it a bit. One recipe will make about 50 (1" balls).

Ingredients:

• 2 C. biscuit mix
• 1 lb. of hot breakfast sausage in a roll
• 2 C. Sharp Cheddar cheese, finely shredded
• ¼ t. cayenne pepper
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. In a large bowl, mix the biscuit mix with the cayenne, salt, garlic powder, and Tony’s
3. Add the crumbled sausage and the cheese
4. Kneed the mixture together
5. Roll into balls about an inch in diameter
6. Place on cookie sheets and bake for 18 minutes
7. Use a spatula to flip the balls after 9 minutes
8. Remove from oven and move each to paper towels to absorb the excess grease
9. Serve with the dipping sauce in Tips and Tricks

 Tips and Tricks:

• These are a great for a brunch.
• These are good with a dipping sauce made with ½ C. mayonnaise and ¼ C. of Creole mustard.

Smothered Cabbage with Pickled Meat

This is another one pot meal.  My Mom and Dad liked making meals that could be made in one pot.  If you don't like cabbage, you might still like this dish.  The cabbage becomes sweet when it is cooked down.  The way we make this there is a bite of meat with every bite of cabbage. YUM!

Ingredients:

• 2 large heads of cabbage
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into semi-circles
• 1 lb. pickled pork
• ½ C. vegetable oil
• 1 T. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• ½ T. kosher salt
• 1 t. black pepper

Directions:

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil on medium heat and add the onions and sauté until limp
2. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute
3. Add the sausage and pickled meat and fry off
4. Cut the cabbage in half and then into bite-size pieces
5. Rinse the cabbage in a strainer
6. Add the cabbage and the salt, pepper, and Tony’s
7. Cook covered until the cabbage starts to wilt, about 1 hour
8. Remove the cover and cook for an additional hour, or until the cabbage begins to brown

Tips and Tricks:

• You don’t need to add water.  The water from rinsing the cabbage will be enough.
• The amount of time you cook the cabbage depends on how you like cabbage.  We like to cook it until it is very soft and starts to caramelize.  You can adjust to make yours the way you like.

Corn Macque Choux

This is my Mom and Dad's recipe for Macque Choux.  My Dad liked corn.  He made Macque Choux different ways, but this was a favorite because it is a one pot meal.  It serves like a soup.

Ingredients:

• 2 C. of finely chopped onions
• 1 C. of finely chopped bell pepper
• 1 C. of finely chopped celery
• 6 cloves of mined garlic
• ¾ C. vegetable oil
• 6 ears of fresh corn, cut off the cob and scraped
• ½ lb. of pickle meat or ham seasoning
• 3 lbs. of shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 lb. of smoked sausage cut into semi circles
• 2 cans of Rotel
• 2 cans of Cajun stewed tomatoes
• 2 cans of yellow corn
• 2 cans of white corn
• 2 cans of cream corn
• 10 C. shrimp stock or chicken stock
• 2 T. of salt
• 1 T. of black pepper
• ½ t. of cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. In a gumbo pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onions, bell peppers, and celery and cook until limp
2. Add garlic for 1 minute
3. Run the Rotel and stewed tomatoes through a food processer
4. Add both to the pot and cook for 10 minutes
5. Add the fresh corn, including the cobs, to the pot
6. Add the chicken or shrimp stock, sausage, ham, salt, pepper, and cayenne
7. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes
8. Add the can corn and cook for an additional 15 minutes
9. Stir then add the shrimp and cook for an additional 15 minutes

Tips and Tricks:

·        My Dad insists that the KEY to Macque Choux is scraping the corn cob to get the “milk” from the corn.  After you cut the kernels off the cob, you need to scrape the knife down the side of the cob and add the “milk to the bowl of corn. 

·        I use Bryan Cajun Smoke Sausage. 

·        I use Green Giant corn.

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

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.

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!

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

This is a combination of my Mom and Dad's Jambalaya recipe with my friend Gary's quick tips to make it a little easier. It's got all the "Cajun" staples (a roux, the trinity, plus garlic and pepper) It's spicy and makes enough to feed a crowd.

Ingredients:

• 2 C. of chopped onions
• 1 C. of chopped bell pepper
• 1 C. of chopped celery
• 6 cloves of mined garlic
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 lbs of smoked sausage cut into semi circles
• 1 can of Rotel
• 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
• 6 C. chicken stock
• ½ C. of Louisiana Hot Sauce
• 1 T. of salt
• 1 C flour
• 1 C vegetable oil
• 5 C. parboiled rice

Directions:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dust with flour
2. In cast iron pot, brown chicken in ½ cup of veggie oil, about 4 minutes per side
3. Remove chicken and let rest
4. Add other ½ cup of oil, and make roux with oil 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, cook for 5 minutes and then transfer to a gumbo pot
8. Add chicken stock, sausage, salt, pepper, 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 (cookbook has 5 minutes, that's a typo)
13. Serve hot!

Tips and Tricks:

•         Making your own chicken stock for this recipe is cheaper and tastes better. 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 gumbo comes.  Be diligent, it takes about 20 minutes to make a roux the color you need.
•         I use Bryan Cajun Smoke Sausage. 
•         The ½ C. of hot sauce might have you scared.  Don’t be!  The sausage, chicken, and rice all absorb the hot sauce and give this jambalaya a great flavor.  It is spicy, but not tongue numbing.
•         This freezes well.