Chicken Bombs

I love trying new sauces, marinades, and seasonings. Jay D's Louisiana Molasses Mustard is fantastic!!! This sauce gave that extra kick to the Chicken Bombs and also a sweet, tangy taste. The way the sauce tasted on top of the bacon wrapped chicken was amazing!

Chicken Bombs
by Luke

4 boneless chicken thighs
3 Tablespoons of Teet's Food Store All-Purpose Seasoning
2 jalapeños, seeded and sliced
4 ounces of cream cheese, sliced
1 pack of sliced bacon
3 ounces of Jay D's Louisiana Molasses Mustard

Place boneless chicken thighs on a cutting board and beat with meat tenderizer to flatten, then cut in half. Season meat on both sides. Place a slice of jalapeño on chicken then lay cream cheese on top of the jalapeño. Now, lay slices of bacon down and place chicken on top and roll tight (if needed, use a toothpick to keep bacon attached).

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place a non-stick cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and place chicken bombs on top. Now, put chicken in the oven for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove from oven and pour the Louisiana Molasses Mustard generously over chicken.

Smoked Tasso Burgers

I have never cooked in a pressure cooker much less an Instant Pot. My first experience with this magnificent cooking tool was a great one. The Instant Pot DUO 6 quart model is amazing. Cooking a tasso roast can take some time to get tender, but with this Instant Pot it took 35 minutes to tenderize and the flavor was outstanding. I figured it would have had a boiled taste, but there was nothing but true smoked pork flavor! This is a wonderful meal, enjoy!

Smoked Tasso Burgers
by Luke

1 Tablespoon of olive oil
3 pound Smoked Jalapeno Garlic Tasso Roast
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 cups of chicken broth
Hamburger buns
Butter
Cole slaw for topping the burger
Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce

Turn the Instant Pot on using the Sauté function, add oil and wait until the screen reads Hot. Once hot, add tasso roast, and brown each side of the roast for 8 minutes and remove the roast and place on plate.

Add onions and sauté until onions are translucent. Place tasso roast back into Instant Pot and sauté for another 4 minutes on each side.

After everything is browned, add chicken broth into pot and lock lid and make sure vent is closed. Press the Cancel/Keep Warm button to cancel the sauté function, now press the Meat/Soup button and cook for 35 minutes. Once timer goes off let the pot naturally release the pressure for 15 minutes.

During this time, preheat oven to 350°F. After oven is heated, place buns onto the oven rack and toast buns for 5 minutes. Remove buns from oven and spread butter.

Carefully open the lid and remove tasso roast from pot and place onto a cutting board. Slice roast into 1/2-inch slices. Place one slice onto the buttered buns and add a handful of cole slaw on top of the slice of roast and drizzle the BBQ sauce on top to add a sweet flavor.

Take one good look at it, let your brain understand what is about to happen, and enjoy!

Golden Graham Breaded Fried Fish

It is a great time of the year when the fish start biting. I was lucky enough to be included on a fishing trip recently and we had a blast. We caught a bunch of fish, so I decided what better time for this General Mills Challenge! I decided to use Golden Grahams as a breading and it did not disappoint! It added a nice sweet taste to the already delicious white perch!

Golden Graham Breaded Fried Fish
by Luke

6 filets of fish
2 Tablespoons of your favorite Cajun seasoning (I used Teet's All Purpose Cajun Seasoning)
2 eggs beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup of flour
2 cups Golden Grahams cereal, crushed
Peanut Oil

Pour the recommended amount of oil in your fryer, and heat to 375°F.

Season fish with seasoning. Beat eggs in a mixing bowl, then add buttermilk and stir. Mix flour and crushed cereal well in a bowl and set aside.

Take one seasoned fillet and soak in egg wash, remove from egg wash and place fillet into the batter and coat both sides well. Bring back to egg wash. Once dipped into egg wash the second time, place the fillet back into the batter and coat both sides well. Place each fillet aside on a cutting board until all fillets are battered.

Carefully place fillets into fryer and fry until they are golden brown or until they float to the top. Once cooked, place cooked fillets onto a baking rack so that the bottom of the fillets do not get soggy.

Once cooled enough, go ahead and indulge on the great flavor that the Golden Grahams give the fish.

Cajun Cabbage Rolls

The second dish from this fun challenge with Leafcutter Designs threw me for a loop!

The remaining Recipe Dice were eggplant, cabbage, green beans, mushrooms, and onions. My grandmother makes rice dressing using pork and eggplant. I have never done that before and when this came up I thought that I'd give it a shot! So, I took some of our Jalapeno Pork Sausage stuffing and cooked it with some eggplant, mushrooms, and onions just like a rice dressing. Here's what happened:

Cajun Cabbage Rolls
By Luke

1 head cabbage
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Jalapeno Pork Sausage stuffing
1 onion, chopped
1 eggplant, peeled and chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 pound fresh green beans (I used for a side dish)

Start by peeling the cabbage and dropping the leaves into a pot of boiling water to soften them, about 5 minutes. Remove them from the pot and dry with paper towels.

In a large skillet, warm oil and brown meat for 10 minutes, remove from skillet and place in a bowl. Now, brown onions, eggplant and mushrooms until eggplant is softened. Once cooked, remove from skillet, place in bowl and mix well.

Divide the stuffing into portions for about 8-10 rolls. Place stuffing in center of cabbage leaves and roll like a burrito. Use toothpicks to hold leaves together. Position cabbage rolls in a baking dish and top with tomatoes. Cover dish and place in oven at 350°F for 1 hour.

Once done, remove from oven and serve!

Grilled Chicken Cheesy Pasta

Leafcutter Designs came up with a great product, Recipe Dice! This was a fun challenge. All you do is roll the dice and create a dish with the ingredients on the dice. I love this idea! When I rolled the dice, all sorts of ingredients were in front of me. Then the fun started by starting to figure out what to do with all of these ingredients. I saw chicken, tomato, pasta, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and Parmesan cheese and thought that this one could be fun, because I love using pasta in my dishes. Here's what happened:

Grilled Chicken Cheesy Pasta
By Luke
Inspired by Cooking Classy - Lemon Ricotta Parmesan Pasta with Spinach and Grilled Chicken

1 package of linguine pasta

2 Tablespoons of butter

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 can of fire roasted tomatoes
2 grilled chicken breast, stripped
2 handfuls of spinach

15 ounces of chicken broth
1 1/2 cups of skim ricotta

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1/2 cup of chopped parsley

1 cup of freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
2 lemons

Start by cooking pasta according to package directions.

Once pasta is cooked you can begin melting the butter in a skillet, add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add fire roasted tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes stirring frequently. Now, throw in the chicken and spinach, cook for 5 minutes. Then add chicken broth and ricotta. Cook until cheese has covered all of the meat. Once you get the desired thickness, throw in the pasta, top with black pepper, parsley, and Parmesan cheese. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice out and stir in to the pasta. Now, sit back and enjoy a very flavorful dish!

Cajun Shrimp Burger

This is the first time I've used Cluck 'n Moo products. I was a little bit skeptical about the low fat content and not having a great tasting burger, but I was surprised at how delicious the meat is! They have done a great job with their products and I look forward to using it more often! Here is my burger recipe.

Cajun Shrimp Burger
by Luke

2 pounds of Cluck n Moo Ground
3 Tablespoons of Cajun seasoning
1/2 pound of peeled shrimp, cleaned
2 Tablespoons of minced garlic

1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of sliced mushrooms

1 cup of sliced jalapenos
Cheese (your favorite)

Light the BBQ pit or your grill and do not place patties onto the grill until coals are grey.

At this time, place ground meat on freezer paper or a cutting board and season generously with Cajun seasoning. Mix well and form into patties.

Place shrimp in a bowl, mix in minced garlic and oil, mix well and place in refrigerator.

Once coals are ready, place patties onto grill and let them cook until half of the patty is cooked, then flip. Watch for the color of the meat to turn dark. Cook until internal temperature is at least 165°F.

Remove burgers from pit and add shrimp, cook shrimp for 3 minutes then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove shrimp from grill and add a grill sheet to the grill, and add mushrooms and grill them for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from heat.

Top your burgers with your favorite cheese and add jalapenos, mushrooms and shrimp and enjoy!

Cluck 'n Moo Dirty Rice

Cluck 'n Moo Ground is a very good product to use in a dirty rice. This low-fat food product works really well with the dirty rice. I used some smoked pork sausage smoked tasso, and Cluck 'n Moo Ground. It came out very delicious! This goes great with fried chicken or BBQ!

Cluck 'n Moo Dirty Rice
by Luke

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 1/2 pounds Cluck 'n Moo Ground 

1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 pound smoked pork sausage, coined
1/2 pound smoked pork tasso, sliced

2 cups water
1 can beef broth
2 cups cooked rice
1 bundle green onions, chopped

In a black pot or Magnalite pot, add oil. Season meat with Cajun seasoning and brown for 10 minutes. Remove meat from pot and add onion, bell pepper, sausage and tasso. Brown the meat and onions until onions are translucent.

Place browned Cluck 'n Moo meat back into the pot and cook for another 5 minutes then add 2 cups of water and boil. Keep stove on medium heat and let the meat cook with the onions and bell pepper for about 20 minutes, stir occasionally. Add 1 can of beef broth and reduce heat to medium low and stir.

After the liquid has cooked down add half of the chopped green onions and stir. Turn heat off and cover for 10 minutes. Add rice, stir in well and add remaining green onions. Let it cool for about 5 minutes then serve!

Baked Crawfish Pies

The Mrs. Anderson's Bread Crisping Mat from Harold Import Company is a great bread baking mat. This bread crisping mat did just what it's meant to do. The bottom of the pies were crisp and delicious! This is a great recipe! You can use crawfish, crab meat, or shrimp!

Baked Crawfish Pies
by Luke
Inspired by Little Crawfish Pies

4 Tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped celery

3 Tablespoons Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning
1 pound of crawfish tails
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 large egg
2 Tablespoons milk
1 box Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry
2 Tablespoons Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, to garnish

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions, bell pepper and celery, saute for 4 minutes. Add 3 Tablespoons of seasoning to crawfish tails and cook for 4 minutes. Now, add garlic and green onions and cook for 2 minutes.

Remove skillet from warm burner and pour mixture into a bowl to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk egg and milk together to make egg wash, set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut pastries into 3- to 4-inch squares and add 2 Tablespoons of crawfish mixture onto the middle of each pastry. Then fold one end over the other and use egg wash to seal the ends. Place pastries onto Mrs. Anderson's Baking Bread Crisping Mat and set on cookie sheet. Once all of the pies are made and placed onto the mat, place the sheet in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, garnish pastries with remaining seasoning and serve!

Bacon Wrapped Sausage Rolls

When this challenge came to us from Harold Import Company I was wondering, "What can I do with these Mrs. Anderson's Baking Mats?" I'm not much of a baker, but I was thinking, baking and bacon...

These days everything is wrapped in bacon. Bacon is delicious and pork is just my thing. So, I was thinking how about we incorporate bacon and the sushi rolling technique to make a very flavorful dish. Then I thought, well, I do not have a sushi mat, so I grabbed a clean kitchen towel and some Cling Wrap and this is what I came up with.

This works well whenever it is too hot and humid to stay outside and BBQ.

Bacon Wrapped Sausage Rolls
by Luke

6 slices bacon
1 pound ground sausage
1 large jalapeno, seeded and sliced
1 cup diced pepper jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F.

If you have a sushi mat, use it for this recipe. If not, then grab a heavy kitchen towel and some Cling Wrap. Lay the towel down, then place plastic wrap on top. Place each slice of bacon side by side, add ground sausage and flatten across the slices of bacon evenly. Add cheese and jalapeno slices.

Carefully grab the closest end of the towel and plastic wrap and start rolling so that the bacon rolls into the sausage mixture. Once rolled, apply pressure to the roll so that it stays together.

Place Mrs. Anderson's Baking Sheet on a cookie sheet and transfer the roll onto it. Cook in oven for 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Once the roll is cooked, put the oven on broil and broil the bacon until you get the crispy bacon you love.

Remove from oven and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then slice and enjoy​​.

Braided Sausage Cheese Bread

I love bread and I have never attempted to make bread. When this challenge came to us, I was thrilled! I decided to take a chance and try to bake this braided bread. I used the white bread recipe for this challenge. I figured that I could spice it up a bit with some seasoning, cheese, and smoked sausage. This recipe did not disappoint my taste buds.

Braided Sausage Cheese Bread
by Luke
Adapted from a receipe in Make Ahead Bread: 100 Recipes for Melt-in-Your-Mouth Fresh Bread Every Day by Donna Currie

Prepare the dough the day before baking.

For the white dough:
1/2 cup room temperature water
1 teaspoon dry active yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups bread flour

You will need to prepare the dough 3 separate times in 3 separate bowls, one for each rope.

Stuffing:
3/4 pound Smoked Pepper Jack and Onion Sausage, diced
2 cups of shredded Colby & Monterey Jack cheese

Garnish:
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
2 Tablespoons Slap Ya Mama Seasoning
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Mix all ingredients for dough in medium bowls, then knead each by hand. Once dough has been kneaded place dough back into medium bowls, cover and set aside in a warm place for 45 minutes to rise.

While bread is rising, brown sausage in a skillet for 20 minutes, until cooked. Remove from skillet to cool.

After the dough has risen, place a sheet of wax paper on a baking pan and lightly coat with flour. Remove each dough from bowl and form into 3 ropes, each roughly 20 inches long. Place each rope on the baking pan. Using a paring knife, butterfly each rope and place diced sausage and cheese into the dough. Once everything is placed into the dough, close the dough so that no ingredients fall out.

Line up each piece of dough next to each other. Pinch the three together at one end, then braid loosely. After each piece of dough is braided, pinch the other end together and fold the pinched ends under the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours.

After 24 hours or less, remove the dough from the refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Add spices to the top of the bread. Preheat oven at 350°F. Place dough in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the bread is browned.

Remove bread from oven and from pan to cool. Add remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil to top of bread. Serve bread once it has cooled.

Tasso Tot Casserole

When I found out that Hamilton Beach was sponsoring our next challenge, I was really excited! Then I was told it was a slow cooker challenge and I was thinking, "what could I cook in a slow cooker that would be very delicious and fun?" The answer was this recipe. This is a great dish to serve at a football party or as an appetizer at a family gathering. This Hamilton Beach Set & Forget 6 Qt. Programmable Slow Cooker is amazing and it did the job perfectly!

Tasso Tot Casserole
by Luke
Adapted from "Crock Pot Tater Tot Casserole" from Tammilee Tips

3/4 pound of ground beef, seasoned to taste
1/2 pound of Smoked Tasso, diced (you can use bacon as a substitute)
1 small white onion, diced
1 can of Rotel tomatoes
1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 bag of Tater Tots
3 cups total of shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of sliced jalapenos

1 cup green onions, chopped

Brown the beef, tasso, onions and Rotel tomatoes in a skillet on medium heat. After the meat is browned pour mixture into the slow cooker, then mix the cream of chicken soup into the meat mixture. Top with tater tots, just enough to cover the top, but you can add a little extra if you are a big fan of tater tots. Cook on low for 2.5 hours.

When the slow cooker has 30 minutes remaining, uncover and add cheese, jalapenos, green onions, recover and continue cooking. Once the timer goes off, let it sit for a few minutes to cool, then serve!

Slow Cooker Pepper Jack Pull Apart Pizza

This challenge with Hamilton Beach had me thinking that a good pizza made in the slow cooker would be awesome! We recently started making a new sausage, Smoked Pepper Jack and Onion Sausage and it is awesome. I was thinking, this sausage would be the perfect topping for this pizza. The Hamilton Beach Programmable Slow Cooker cooked this pizza to perfection! This is also a very easy recipe that anyone can enjoy!

Slow Cooker Pepper Jack Pull Apart Pizza

by Luke

Adapted from "Rosemary's Original Crock Pot Pizza"

1/2 pound Smoked Pepper Jack and Onion Sausage

1/3 pound Smoked Tasso, diced
2 Tablespoons olive oil 
14 ounces pizza sauce

10 canned biscuits, quartered (I used Grands!)

1/2 white onion, diced

1/2 bell pepper, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup sliced jalapenos

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown sausage link and diced tasso. Once browned, slice the sausage into coin-sized pieces. Spread olive oil on the bottom of the slow cooker and 1/4 of the pizza sauce. Place quartered biscuits on the bottom of the pot, but do not let them touch the side of the pot. Spread the remaining pizza sauce on top of the biscuits. Add sliced sausage, diced tasso, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and jalapenos. Then top all of your ingredients with cheese. Cover, lock the lid, and set it to cook on high for 2 hours.

After the timer goes off and it begins warm mode, let it sit for about 20 minutes, uncovered, then pull it apart and enjoy!

Crawfish Bowtie Pasta

Crawfish Bowtie Pasta
by Luke
Adapted from Food.com's "Crawfish and Tasso Fettuccine"

1/2 stick butter
1 pound Smoked Pork Tasso, chopped
3 cubes Dorot Crushed Garlic
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 Tablespoon Papa Gator's Seasoning
1 pound peeled crawfish tails
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms

15 ounces Classico Creamy Alfredo

1 package bowtie pasta
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Jambalaya Balls

Jambalaya Balls
by Luke

1 Tablespoon Slap Ya Mama Original Cajun Seasoning
1/2 pound ground chuck
1/2 pound Teet's Smoked Pork Tasso, diced
1/2 pound Teet's Smoked Pure Pork Sausage, diced
2 cups water

1 box Slap Ya Mama Cajun Jambalaya Mix

For batter:

2 eggs, beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1 box Slap Ya Mama Cajun Fish Fry

Peanut oil (use the recommended amount of oil that your fryer requires)

Slap Ya Mama Cajun Nachos

Down here in South Louisiana you must have a great seasoning on your food. The Walker Family at Slap Ya Mama created a really great seasoning for everyone to enjoy. Now they have created some really easy to use and very delicious boxed dinners. Use the dinner mixes but think "outside the box." This challenge was a great one and I loved it. One of our cooks, Linda, mentioned a great idea to me using corn chips. I thought about it a little more and decided to use chips made right here in Louisiana! I must say, this recipe is awesome! Wife approved! Give it a shot.

Sauteed Pork Tenderloin with Dorot's Crushed Garlic and Chopped Parsley Sauce

I love pork.

That is what you need to know. I really love pork tenderloin. I also love pasta and mushrooms. So, I decided that I should use Dorot's fine products in this lovely recipe that I enjoy the most.

Marinated Pork Tacos

Like I said before, I love pork. I decided to use a boneless pork shoulder in this recipe with Dorot's finest spices. I was thinking that there really isn't anything better than marinated pork, so I decided to use Dorot's spices to marinate this meat. It was very good, these spices are amazing with this recipe. You have to try it!

Spice House Venison Rice and Gravy

Down here in Louisiana, just about everyone hunts something. I am a very avid sportsman and love to eat what I harvest. With this challenge I thought that a good Cajun style venison meal with these great seasonings would be a blast. I was not wrong on my assumption, the Bouquet Garni and Milwaukee Iron Seasoning with the venison steaks were amazing. Try it out, you cannot go wrong!

Spice House Cajun Hen and Sausage Sauce Piquant

When I received word about this Spice House challenge I was thrilled! I knew I wanted to cook a hen and sausage sauce piquant after looking at some of their Cajun recipes and I thought this would be perfect! If you use this recipe, it goes well when cooking outside near a fire with good friends and a pretty lady. Ha, ha! Check it out!

Holiday Smoked Ponce, Rice and Gravy, A Cajun Holiday Tradition

Here in South Louisiana, especially in Ville Platte, the holiday season means food. Really good food. For as long as I can remember, whenever our family got together for a holiday we had smoked ponce and many other types of delicious foods. Cooking smoked ponce for a holiday is a tradition that is very strong here in Ville Platte. This is how I cook a smoked ponce, and I know you will love it.