Sean found this recipe from Food & Wine, and while last year's Thanksgiving stuffing was delicious, we decided to change it up this year with a cornbread recipe. With the unique addition of roasted poblano peppers, this seemed like a perfect one to try. We made the cornbread a couple days ahead of time to cut down on the Thanksgiving day preparations. The flavor of the stuffing was so delicious- a little sweet from the cornbread, and extra savory from the country sausage and vegetable combination. It was a big hit!
Ingredients:
- corn bread (made in one 13x9 sized baking dish) We used the recommended country corn bread recipe, but you could also do a box mix.
- 4 medium poblano chiles
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium celery ribs, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 pound coarsely ground country sausage meat or breakfast sausage without casings
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano, crumbled
- salt & pepper
- 1 cup turkey or chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
Directions:
Break the corn bread into 1-inch pieces and spread on a baking sheet. Let it dry out for 4 hours (or longer). We put ours in a barely warm oven for 30 minutes or so to help it dry out faster.
Heat the broiler and place the poblanos on a foil covered baking sheet. Roast them until the skin is charred and bubbly on both sides, flipping as needed. Remove from the oven and fold up the sides of the foil creating a pouch around the peppers. This will help sweat the skins off so they'll be easier to remove. After 15-20 minutes, peel the skins off and remove the seeds. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, melt the butter until foaming. Add the onions,
celery, carrots and garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring,
until softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the sausage, breaking it up, and
cook until no pink remains.
Stir in the oregano, salt,
pepper and poblanos, and finally mix in the corn bread. Stir in the turkey/chicken stock.
Spread the stuffing in a large buttered casserole dish. Bake covered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer until the top is a golden-brown. You can also make this ahead of time and refrigerate for 1-2 days before baking. This was so flavorful and delicous with our Thanksgiving dinner. The leftovers also made a great savory breakfast!
This recipe had a delicious unique flavor that I've never had before- the savory sausage cooks down with some fennel, and the clams cook in this fragrant mixture, with the little bits nestling in the clams as they open. Then, when tossing with pasta a horseradish cream sauce is added which gives the dish a whole new level of complexity. It also adds heat without making the dish "spicy."
Sugar snap peas are mixed in with the pasta which adds a bit of sweetness, and some fresh green crunch. We got some bacon-sausage from a farmer's market and it was amazing in this dish. Italian Sausage from your local grocery store would work too, but if you can find it fresh I would definitely recommend it. If you can't get littleneck clams, this would be good with another type of clam or with mussels, just check the cooking time for whatever you end up using because it might vary. This recipe was adapted from it's posting on Serious Eats, which got the original recipe from Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup crema or creme fraiche
- 1/3 cup prepared horseradish (make sure you don't get "horseradish sauce" by accident; the prepared horseradish should be in the refrigerated section.)
- 4 ounces sugar snap peas (about 2 cups) thawed if you are using frozen
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 lb bacon-sausage or mild Italian pork sausage, casings removed
- 1 pound dried linguine
- 1/2 fennel bulb, minced
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha or other hot chili sauce
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 lb littleneck clams, or other variety (rinsed)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Start by making the cream sauce. Combine the crema and horseradish in a small bowl and set aside.
Next, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the snap peas. [Skip this step if you used frozen snap peas that are thawed] Cook
until almost tender, about 2 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon,
leaving the water behind to cook the pasta. Run cold water over them to
stop the cooking. Leave the pot on the heat.
Meanwhile, add the oil to a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the sausage, and break it up into little chunks until it is fully browned, about 5-7 min. Next, add the fennel, shallot, and garlic to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes. Taste for salt- depending on your sausage you may or may not need it here. Add some freshly ground black pepper.
Mix in the Sriracha, and then pour the wine in the skillet, scraping up any bits that might have stuck to the bottom.
Add the clams, nestling them in to the sausage and fennel mixture. Put a lid on and let them cook for the appropriate time, until they have all opened. Ours took 10-12 minutes.
While the clams are cooking, put your linguine in the boiling pot of water and cook until al dente. Drain, and mix in your sugar snap peas.
When the clams have opened, pour the entire mixture into the pasta. Stir in the horseradish cream sauce, and serve!
The flavor of this dish is so amazing with all the flavors combined. The crema really mellows out the horseradish so it doesn't take over the dish. We'll definitely be making this one again!
Anyone who knows me well knows that I love grits, especially cheese grits. So when making jambalaya I took the opportunity to serve it over grits instead of cooking rice into the dish. The jambalaya is full of flavor from the shrimp, sausage, and chicken combination, and goes well with the creamy and mild grits. It would also be good over rice or pasta if preferred. As always, adjust the spiciness to your own taste level.
Ingredients:
1 yellow or white onion, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 jalapeno with seeds, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons cajun seasoning (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3-4 fresh tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced
1 lb chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (I used boneless skinless thighs, but white meat is fine too)
3/4 lb raw medium shrimp
3/4 lb smoked sausage, or spicy andouille sausage, diced
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
3 green onions, thinly sliced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the grits:
4 cups water
1 cup old fashioned grits
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
dash of garlic powder
freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, green pepper, garlic, and jalapeno. Sprinkle in some kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon or so).
While this mixture is sauteing, heat a skillet over medium-high. Add the last tablespoon of oil and let it heat. Sprinkle one tablespoon of cajun seasoning over the chicken and mix until it is evenly coated. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes until it is browning on the outside and cooked through. Remove to a bowl.
Next, cook the shrimp. Before placing them in the skillet, sprinkle them with cayenne pepper with some salt and pepper and mix until even. Cook them for 1-2 minutes on each side until they are opaque and remove to the bowl with the cooked chicken.
While you are cooking the proteins- remember to occasionally stir your veggies which should be reduced to medium-low. They should be pretty soft by now, so add one tablespoon of cajun seasoning to the mixture, along with the tomatoes. Next, on to the sausage. Add it to the empty skillet and cook for about 5 minutes until it starts to brown. Remove it and place in the bowl with chicken and shrimp.
Add all the cooked proteins to the vegetable mixture with 1 cup chicken broth and the final tablespoon of cajun seasoning.
Put the butter in the skillet that has all of the sausage drippings, and reduce heat to medium-low. Let the butter melt, and whisk in the flour. The roux should start to bubble up as it cooks. After about 5 minutes, add the remaining cup of chicken broth and whisk until it thickens. This gravy will thicken the jambalaya mixture.
Mix it in to the jambalaya and let this cook, covered over medium-low heat for about 5-10 more minutes before serving. Make sure to taste it as you are cooking so it's seasoned properly!
For the grits- I would recommend starting them around the time the chicken is cooking. Heat your water with salt to a boil and whisk in the grits. Cover and turn heat to low. Let this simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
Add the cheese, garlic powder, and more salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat until ready to serve.
Place a couple large spoonfuls of grits into a bowl, and top with jambalaya. Top with sliced green onions. Enjoy this spicy, savory, and creamy dinner!
