Chicken & Andouille Sausage Jambalaya

This turned out better than I expected. It is flavorful with a hint of spice and that delicious New Orleans flair that I love so much!

Ingredients:

1 ½ white onions, chopped

1 ½ green bell pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic

Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s

14 – 16 oz. Andouille sausage, cut into rounds – or half rounds

14 ½ oz can diced tomatoes, break up tomatoes with a spoon

¾ cup chicken broth

1 ½ cups white rice

2 ½ cups chicken broth

1 ½ teaspoon Tony Chachere’s

1 lb chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces (can substitute chicken breast)

Directions:

Drizzle olive oil in large, non-stick skillet. Add onions and garlic; sauté for a couple of minutes. Add green & red peppers; continue to sauté for a few minutes.

Add tomatoes, Tony’s and ¾ cup chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add rice, 2 ½ cups chicken broth, 1 ½ teaspoon Tony’s, and chicken tenders. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until broth is absorbed, and rice and chicken are cooked. Check the rice occasionally and add more broth if needed.

Click here for printable recipe.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Toffee Sauce

I wanted to try something a little different for Thanksgiving this year. I still made my traditional Pumpkin Pie (recipe here), but I thought Pumpkin Bread Pudding might be a nice change. After reading about 10 different recipes – this is what I came up with. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Bread Pudding Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon cloves

¼ teaspoon (heaping) allspice

1 ½ cup milk

3 Tablespoons melted butter

5 cups bread, torn or cut into 1” cubes (I actually used left over rolls, but a challah or a dense egg bread would be perfect for this)

½ cup pecan pieces

For Topping:

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Mix pumpkin, eggs, sugars, vanilla and spices together in a large bowl. Add milk slowly, whisking to fully incorporate. Add melted butter; mix well.

Add bread pieces and gently mix to be sure bread is completely soaked in mixture. Stir in pecan pieces.

Transfer to a 8 x 8 baking dish, ungreased. Mix cinnamon and sugar together; sprinkle over top.

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until set, in 350 degree oven.

Remove from oven, allow to cool. Can be served warm, or reheated in the microwave.

Serve with Toffee Sauce drizzled over pudding. Can be served as is, with fresh whipped cream, or with vanilla ice cream.

Directions for Toffee Sauce:

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place the butter, sugar, and cream in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for about 3 minutes then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. You can make this sauce in advance and simply reheat.

Click here for printable recipe.