Jambalaya and Sopapilla Cheesecake

I love Cajun food. So many foods I had never tasted until we moved to Beaumont when I was 16 years old. It is a long list, it includes: etouffee, gumbo, boudain, andouille sausage, dirty rice, fried okra, lima beans, and chicken fried steak. I know some are not Cajun, but they are southern foods that Aaron talked me into trying so I am including them in the list. If there is anything on that list you have not tried you need to make a visit to Southeast Texas or to Louisiana to try some. If you come to my house I will cook you some!

One of the Moms at Co-op passed along some delicious Cajun recipes. The first one is Jambalaya. I have made Jambalaya before but it was always out of the box. This recipe tastes so much better and is not hard. Here is the recipe:

Jambalaya

1 pound ground meat
1 pound smoked beef sausage (I used Zummo's Sausage- from Beaumont.)
Tex Joy Steak Seasoning to taste (Also, from Beaumont. This is the best seasoning. We use it on chicken, hamburgers, steaks, anything.)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
3/4 cups dry rice
1 3/4 cups water

Brown ground meet and drain. Add sliced sausage, and brown. Add all veggies and cook until wilted and tender. Sprinkle generously with Tex Joy. Stir in dry rice. Add water and heat to boiling. Lower heat to low, cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is done.

We had Jambalaya with a salad and Jalapeno Cheese Bread (from Kroger) for dinner. This is a good Jambalaya recipe.



We even had a dessert tonight- Sopapilla Cheesecake! It is delicious and when you see the ingredients you will know why it is so good.


Sopapilla Cheesecake

2 8-oz. cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 t. vanilla
2 pkgs. crescent rolls
1/2 t. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9"x 13" pan with Pam. Combine cream cheese and 4 t. butter. Beat until creamy. Beat in 1 cup sugar and 1 t. vanilla. Set aside. Unroll 1 package of crescent rolls. Place in pan and seal the perforations. Spread cream cheese mixture over the rolls. Unroll second crescent rolls and place over the cream cheese mixture. Melt 4 t. butter. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 t. vanilla and cinnamon. Stir until dissolved. Spread over above.

Bake 30 minutes or until slightly puffed and golden brown.

This dessert is so delicious.


Coming soon: I am going to try the Gumbo recipe. Yum!