A Mardi Gras Themed Dinner

Most of us won’t be going down to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, but that doesn’t have to stop us from enjoying some great Creole food, does it? No way! We can travel to New Orleans via our taste buds by making and enjoying its most famous dish, Jambalaya! This authentic Jambalaya recipe consistently gets rave reviews and is sure to be a hit at your dinner table! For our Gourmet Cooking Club we were the hosts for a Mardi Gras-themed dinner. 

Each of the guests bought an authentic dish so there was a wide variety of foods. Pineapple was served as it's a symbol of southern hospitality. Buttermilk Cornbread Muffins are a true southern side found at most meals. 

There are two general kinds of jambalaya: Creole and Cajun. Both utilize what’s referred to as the “holy trinity” – onion, celery, and bell pepper (usually green). The main difference is that Creole jambalaya, also called “red jambalaya,” uses tomatoes while Cajun jambalaya does not. 

This jambalaya recipe is the Creole version and serves 6-8.  The recipe was adapted from daring gourmet

Ingredients: 

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 5 andouille sausage links (about 1/2 pound), sliced in 1/4 inch slices 
• 1-1/2 cups sweet onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups green bell pepper, diced
• 2 cups celery, diced
• 1-1/2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice 
• 2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes with chiles
• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning 
• 1 teaspoon each of dried oregano and thyme
• 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 48 oz. box chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound medium raw shrimp, deveined (optional: tails removed)
• Optional topping 4 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

• Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a soup pot and brown cut sausage slices and chicken pieces over medium heat on all sides. Remove and set on a paper towel-lined plate. 
• Wipe the pan clean and add in the remaining olive oil. 
• Add the onions, garlic, celery, and bell pepper and saute for 5 minutes, then cover and cook for 4 minutes more on medium-low heat.  Add the rice, diced tomatoes, seasonings, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, water, and chicken broth. 
• Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, giving it one stir around the halfway point to make sure the rice is tender.

Shrimp Directions:

Saute small shrimp in a frying pan until pink in 1 tablespoon of butter with 2 minced cloves. Serve shrimp on top of jambalaya or add to the jambalaya mixture in the pot before serving. 

Other featured items were Red Beans and Rice

Kings Cake 

note the baby in the center for the decoration-another baby was hidden inside the cake 

Beignets

Roasted Barley Drink with Frothed Milk

Enjoying a variety of dishes, meeting new people and sharing fine converations=  a very fun evening!