Quick, easy and comforting dishes for the busy fall season.
COOK OF THE MONTH – Sylvia B. Clark, Baldwin EMC
About six years ago, Sylvia Clark’s son-in-law introduced her to a jambalaya recipe that was a favorite at the firehouse where he works as a firefighter. “It’s a firehouse recipe from a big bunch of men and you know they like their food hot,” she says. “I had to tone it down.” So instead of the hot version of Ro-tel tomatoes, Sylvia uses the mild version. And rather than the hot Conecuh sausage, she uses the regular type. “My mother always said you have to adjust your recipes to your family’s needs,” she says, and that’s what she did with her prize-winning recipe for jambalaya that took Cook of the Month honors for November. The retired school counselor from Abbeville loves to cook for her family. Back when she was working, she didn’t have a lot of time to cook big meals, but now that she’s retired to Bay Minette, cooking gives her a lot of joy. For this recipe, she uses a rotisserie chicken, Conecuh sausage and for the seasoning, “a little bit of chili powder and a little bit of smoked paprika, plus salt and pepper. And if I can get some Gulf shrimp, I add a half-pound of that to it, and that makes it really good.” – Lenore Vickrey
Jambalaya
- 1 can beef broth
- 1 can chicken broth (do not add to initial mixture)
- 1 can Rotel tomatoes
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1 can French onion soup
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 2 cups raw rice
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 heaping tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 pack sausage, cut in bite-sized pieces
- 3 cooked, shredded chicken breasts
- Seasoning to taste (your choice)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dump everything (except chicken broth) in pan and mix well. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for 11/2 hours. Taste after this initial cooking and see if rice is still crunchy; cook more if it is until tender. May need to add chicken stock. Don’t let it dry out. If rice is a little dry when you take it out of the oven, just stir in some of the chicken broth.
Porcupine Meatballs with Mushroom Sauce
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2/3 cup long grain white rice
- 1 small onion, diced small
- 2 eggs, large
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash original
- seasoning
- 2 (10 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
- 2 cups milk or cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the beef, rice, onions, eggs and seasonings. Form into meatballs about one and a half to two inches in diameter. Place the meatballs in a casserole dish. It works best to use a dish that will keep the meatballs closely packed in, so they will be covered more fully in the cream sauce. Whisk together the cream of mushroom soup and milk until well combined. Pour this mixture over the meatballs, spooning a bit of the sauce over the meatballs to make sure they’re covered. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for one hour to an hour and a half, or until a thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees. Cook’s note: This recipe freezes well. Freeze the uncooked meatballs on a cookie sheet and then place them in a zip-lock freezer bag. You can keep them in the freezer for about 3 months, and bake them right from frozen, following the same directions, except extend the baking time for an extra 30 minutes.
Gwen Windham, Baldwin EMC
Tucker’s Venison Fried Rice
- 1 pound venison backstrap
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Small bunch green onion
- 1 cup frozen mixed veggies
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups minute rice, cooked
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Using your vegetable oil, sear venison until medium to well done, depending on preference. Cut into strips and set aside. Add diced onion to remaining oil, add more if needed. Sauté until half done and add frozen veggies and garlic, cook until done. Scrape to the side of the pan and scramble the eggs. Mix in sesame oil, cooked and cooled rice and venison. Fry until hot all the way through and serve.
Cook’s notes: Using cooled rice helps it fry better and it absorbs the soy sauce. I always cook my venison medium rare; this stops it from overcooking after it’s mixed with the rice and fried again. Makes excellent leftovers.
Janie Tucker, Clarke-Washington EMC
Baked Rice
- 1 stick oleo or butter
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1 cup onions, chopped
- 2 cans beef consommé
- 1 small can mushrooms (if desired)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in iron skillet and add rice. Stir rice often and cook until golden brown. Add other ingredients to a casserole dish. Add rice. Onions can be sliced on top. Put in oven and cook for 1 hour.
Annie Jo Crowley, Covington EC
Stovetop Coconut Rice Pudding with Caramel Sauce
Pudding:
- 1 can coconut milk (not coconut milk in the dairy section)
- Whole milk, enough to make 4 cups when combined with the coconut milk
- ½ cup uncooked medium or short grain rice (do not substitute long grain rice)
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
In large saucepan, stir together milks, coconut and rice. Slowly bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover and simmer on low about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid
is absorbed. Remove from heat. In small mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks, vanilla and brown sugar. While stirring yolks, pour in a small amount of hot pudding mixture to temper the egg, then slowly stir yolk mixture to hot pudding. This will slightly thicken the rice mixture. Mix in raisins, if using. Cover and let set about 10 minutes. May be served hot, warm, or cold. Serve with caramel sauce.
Caramel sauce:
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup half and half
- Pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon sorghum (optional)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
In medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except vanilla. Bring to a low boil, stirring well. Cover and cook 1 minute. Remove lid and cook 4 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Stir well and let cool until desired temperature to serve.
Cook’s note: To refrigerate pudding, let cool at room temperature and press plastic wrap over surface of pudding to prevent a ‘skin’ from forming. Refrigerate caramel sauce and reheat in microwave as needed.
Kathy Skinner, Tallapoosa River EC
The Buttered Home
We love comfort food recipes this time of year. Truthfully though, there is so much going on, some nights it is hard to have the time to take a moment and sit down to a nice full supper. Our recipe for this Cowboy Rice Casserole is an easy and filling way to do just that! Several of the ingredients we prepare ahead of time and in true casserole fashion, we pop it together and have a nice sit-down meal. It’s a little spicy with a whole lot of filling goodness, perfect for a special occasion or even a Tuesday night. For more recipes like this, visit thebutteredhome.com.
Cowboy Rice Casserole
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 small poblano pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1/2 pound beef chorizo
- 1 1/2 cups rice, uncooked
- 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté peppers and onions in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft. Add minced garlic and cook for one minute, being careful not to burn. Add ground beef and chorizo and brown well. Drain.
In a large casserole dish, add peppers, onions and beef and chorizo mixture to dish. Add broth, beans, corn, rice , tomatoes and chili powder. Mix well. Cover with aluminum foil tightly and cook for 1.5 hours until rice is done. Remove foil and top with cheese. Return to oven to melt. Enjoy!
