Sunday Jambalaya on Tuesday in My New Dutch Oven

Hello again!

This was going to be my Sunday post, but our plans fell through on Sunday, so we had to delay Sunday dinner a few days.  It all works out because my husband and older daughter, Sara, were out of town a field hockey tournament.  Jambalaya is one of my family's favorite meals so they were able to have some rather than smelling the yummy onions, peppers and sausages that go into the Jambalaya.

The fun part of the night was using my brand new, porcelain-lined, RED Lodge Dutch Oven!  Normally I have a great Bialetti pan that I use for dishes like this, but I was dying to try this out.  It was awesome!  If you live in the Louisville area Kroger's has them on sale $10 off until March 24.

Back to the food!  I found this recipe in Emeril Lagasse's Louisiana Real & Rustic back when everyone was just starting to scream "Bam!" when cooking.  This is one of those dishes that take a little bit of prep work (a LOT of chopping), but when those flavors come together I swear even my dad can smell that aroma 30 miles away.

The recipe is the Andouille and Chicken Jambalaya and can be found either in the Real & Rustic cookbook, or on the Food Network Site.  Here is your link:  Andouille and Chicken Jambalaya, and here is the finished product, in my brand new dutch oven:

I use long grain rice, so instead of the water they list in the recipe I use 4.5 cups.  I also omit the 1/4 tsp of cayenne if I'm using the andouille otherwise it could make you sweat.  It's still tasty, but not everyone can handle the heat!

This is great served with a white wine, but I personally prefer a nice cold beer!

Have a great week, and thanks again for reading!!

Alicia

Cookie Dough & Taco Dips at Trivia Night!

Hello again, everyone!

Last night was the 17th Annual FOP Trivia Night for the Louisville Area Special Olympics.  It's always a great time, and our team tied for 3rd!

We always make dips and snacks for the table and this year I decided to make two.  I use the "steam table" aluminum pans you can find at Kroger or Costco as these tend to be taken to places where I can't clean up and it's just easier that way.

Layered Taco Dip
The first is my usual standby - only because it's constantly requested.  It's also a fairly healthy dip.

I've made this for years, so no real recipe, but here's an approximation.  It's a layered dip so I'll start at the bottom:

1.  1 can of nonfat refried beans mixed with chopped jalepenos (to taste.  My husband likes this spicy so I put a few spoonfuls in).
2.  Guacamole (you can make this or buy it.  I like the Wholly Guacamole).
3.  1 pint of reduced fat sour cream combined with one package reduced sodium taco seasoning.
4.  Cheese (you can use reduced fat, but I figured we've saved enough to use the real stuff!).
5.  Chopped roma or cherry tomatoes, sprinkled on the top.
6.  Sliced jalepenos - this is strictly optional and depends on how much heat you like.  I'll refer you back to my comment on item #1.

Layer those in the order above and put in the fridge for an hour or so.  Serve with any kind of corn chips, preferably ones that are thicker.

Cookie Dough Dip
My second dip (which the Husband has labeled a gateway drug) is the Cookie Dough Dip as found on Pinterest.  I cannot rave enough about this, only to say it almost didn't make it out of the house!  I love cookie dough raw, and this is a safe version without eggs (and maybe a good idea for those with egg allergies?).

Here is the link to the recipe:  Cookie Dough Dip

We also thought this would be a great filling for cannoli!

Also, most of these are linked in my Pinterest - just look for Alicia Wilder.

Thanks again for reading, and "see you soon"!

WilderMom

Outback Steakhouse Recipe Links

Happy Weekend everyone!  I promised in my first post I would put some of the recipes online from last week's "Outback" meal at home.

First is the Outback Ranch:  Outback Ranch
This is at Food.Com and is a great recipe.  I found it was a little thick after chilling for a few hours, but adding a little more buttermilk when you make it seemed to help it out.  It just depends on your tastes.  As is it is a great ranch dip as well!

Next, the Baked Potato: Outback Baked Potatoes
This is so easy, I was almost embarrassed to say I looked it up, but I am a recipe girl so here you go!

And finally, the Alice Springs Chicken (including that glorious Honey Mustard):  Alice Springs Chicken
I added a little more honey to the Honey Mustard, but it's just incredible.  I also only put mushrooms on mine, as my husband and children don't seem to care for that umami goodness!

Thanks for following and good luck!