skillet meals

Cajun Rice Skillet

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I recently made my sister Tracy’s recipe for Skillet Fiesta. It’s on regular rotation at our house, and always a hit. So if you love easy, quick meals, check it out here: Skillet Fiesta. This particular day, a thought occurred to me – this would be really good made into a jambalaya-inspired Cajun dish! Sub out the meat and change the spices a little and BAM! (channeling Emeril here)… it goes from Mexican to Cajun. So that’s precisely what I did, and I have to say, I was impressed with myself. Ha! The family loved it too, which is always a win. If you are sensitive to spicy food, cut back on the Cajun seasoning and leave out the hot sauce, but my crew gobbled it up with no complaints on the spice level. I served it with corn and garlic bread, and I went back for seconds on the Cajun Rice Skillet. So, so good!! As a bonus, it was even better the second day. ~Erin

1 (13 oz. package) Cajun-style andouille smoked sausage, sliced thin (I use Hillshire Farm)

1 (10 oz. package) small shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 yellow onion, diced

2 medium bell peppers, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 T. avocado or olive oil

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes

1 1/2 c. prepared beef bouillon

1 – 1 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning (I use Tony Chachere’s)

1/2 tsp celery salt

1 1/2 c. minute rice

2 green onions, sliced thin

a few dashes hot sauce (optional)

Serving suggestions: garlic bread, corn

Cook the shrimp according to your preference and set aside. I sprinkled mine very lightly with Cajun seasoning and grilled until done. Sometimes I air fry them. Either way is fine!

In a large skillet, brown the sausage slices on both sides over medium high heat. The sausage is fully cooked, so this step is solely to get some caramelization on the sliced sausages. Remove from heat, and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside. Using a paper towel, carefully clean out any residual sausage grease from the pan.

Add the avocado oil to the skillet and sauté the onion, bell pepper, and garlic over medium heat just until the onions become translucent. (3-5 min.)

Stir in the canned tomatoes, prepared bouillon, spices, and rice. Stir well and then stir the sausage into the mixture.

Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat and cover loosely with foil. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the cooked shrimp. Sprinkle with green onions.

Great served with garlic bread and corn!

Cajun Sausage & Cabbage Hash

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Wow, what a school-year! Between quarantines and trying to enforce social distancing and masking guidelines, it was a wild ride and this teacher is tired. I will say, this school year was much better than I initially predicted and for that I’m grateful. That being said, I’m soooo ready for summer!  

Summer makes me want to cook, but I don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. This quick dinner is just my speed. The sausage is fully cooked so, with minimal prep time, this can be on the table. It makes a lot and the leftovers make a fantastic breakfast with a couple of over-easy eggs. Supper leftovers that can be made into breakfast are the best kind of meals!  ~Erin

3 T. oil, divided (I used avocado oil)

Non-stick cooking spray

2 packages (13 oz. each) smoked turkey sausage, thinly sliced (I used Hillshire Farm)

1 medium onion, diced

1 (32 oz.) bag frozen Southern style hash browns

1 T. minced garlic

1 T. Cajun seasoning (I use Tony Chachere’s) 

1 (16 oz.) bag tri-color coleslaw mix

Spray a large, high-sided non-stick skillet cooking spray. Add the thinly sliced turkey sausage and cook over medium-high heat until the sausage pieces are brown on both sides. Transfer to a large serving dish. Next add 1 T. oil and reduce heat to medium.  Add the diced onions and stir and cook until onion is translucent – a couple minutes; then add garlic and cook about another minute. Add the coleslaw mix and Cajun seasoning and cook and stir until the cabbage is tender, about 4-5 minutes; transfer to the serving dish with the sausage. Lastly, heat the remaining 2 T. of oil over medium-high heat. Add the hash browns in an even layer; cook until fork-tender and browned, flipping every 2-3 minutes. Transfer the hash browns to the serving dish and gently combine with the cabbage and sausage mixture.  

WW info:  This recipe makes 7 large 2-cup servings.  Each serving is 9 points on both Blue and Green plans, and 6 points on the Purple plan.

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