Charlye’s Bayou Red Rice

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Ok y’all.  Since  the Super Bowl is being played tonight in New Orleans and it is only  a short time till Mardi Gras, I decide to make a dinner tonight to honor both.  So I headed for my bayou recipes that mostly come from my dear friend Trina Bearden and her family.  This one is her daughter Charlye’s recipe.  I have been wanting to make it since I came back from my stay with them in Louisiana.  I decided that I would wait till it got closer to Mardi Gras so I could share some of the regions best recipes.

Well I will tell you what.  I am sitting here watching the beginning of the Super Bowl eating what I think might be the best bayou recipe I have ever made.  I love my Cajun Jambalaya and make it often, but this has so many other flavors and textures going on that this may become my new favorite bayou recipe.

So I will quit talking here and get to the recipe.  Mainly because I want to go get another bowl of this awesome Bayou Red Rice.  I know y’all will enjoy this one.

One word of caution: This makes a large quantity.  You may want to half the recipe to serve 4-6.  I’m going to be freezing the left overs for a quick easy mid week meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 chopped onion
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper chopped
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 pound smoked sausage
• 1 pound ham (cut in 1” cubes)
• 2 cans Mexican corn
• 1 can sliced mushrooms
• 2 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• salt and pepper to season
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 pound small peeled/cooked salad shrimp
• 4 or 5 hotdogs sliced
• 4 cups cooked white rice

Directions:

Sauté onion, celery and bell peppers (I used a green and orange pepper) in a small amount of oil, adding garlic last.  Don’t add garlic at the beginning because it could become bitter.

Slice your smoked sausage in bite size pieces and add along with ham and cook for a few minutes then add corn, mushrooms (I left out this time) tomato sauce and diced tomatoes (I chopped up a fresh beefsteak tomato to use).

Season with salt and pepper plus the sugar and cook on medium low heat for about 20 minutes.

Now add the shrimp and hotdogs (I used Chorizo Sausage instead) and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

stir in 4 cups of cooked white rice and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Charlye suggests serving with a salad and corn muffins.