So equipped with our new idea, we set out to try a whole chicken to grill.  Our local meat and seafood market, Maxwell’s Market, features fresh local free range chickens. 

The butcher recommended to cut the bird into 10 pieces instead of the usual 8: 2 legs, 2 breasts, 2 thighs and 2 wings. 

The extra cut basically cuts the large breast in half.  And you know what – it worked out great.  We had 2 extra pieces of white meat.

Cutting the breast in half also made for a perfectly sized meat portion.

Ingredients for Grilled Chicken

Whole Chicken cut-up into 8 or 10 pieces
Garlic Powder
Tony’s Creole Seasoning
Sea Salt
A flavorful Bar-be-que sauce

Grill
Charcoal
Hickory or Mesquite Chips
Grilling brush or mop
Grilling Tongs

Cooking Directions for Grilled Chicken

Begin by preparing your grill and starting the charcoal.  For a full video on how to start a charcoal grill, please see our video called How to Grilling Tips.

Meanwhile, rinse the chicken pieces with water and drain on paper towels or in a colander.  Keep the skin on to provide juicy chicken instead of dried out burnt chicken meat.  Place on a platter or large baking sheet. 

Season with Garlic Powder, Sea Salt and Tony’s Creole Seasoning.  Sprinkle on both sides if you wish.  We just seasoned on the skin side.

Place on the grill opposite the charcoal – off the direct heat.  Grill for 25 minutes, then pat on a generous portion of BBQ sauce.  Continue grilling for another 20-30 minutes.  Chicken’s internal temperature should reach a minimum of 160 degrees in the thickest part of the meat. 

Remove from grill onto a serving platter.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes or so to soak in the great flavor.

Serving Suggestions for Grilled Chicken

Grilled chicken goes great with our Cajun Potato Salad!

Prep Time: 2.5 hours
Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients for Texas Barbeque

1 Large sweet onion – diced
1 fresh jalapeno pepper – diced (remove seeds)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 Pork tenderloin – cut into cubes
2 lbs cubed beef stew meat
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 Bay leaf
1 cup beef stock
2 tablespoons canola oil
8 oz Jalapeno Jack Cheese (shredded)
1 package of large flour tortillas
Toppings: Salsa, Sour Cream, sauteed onions & peppers, etc.

Cooking Directions for Texas Barbeque

In a 6 quart pot, begin sauteing onions, jalapeno and garlic in 2 tablespoons oil.

Brown all the meat thoroughly.

Add in chili powder, ground cumin, and Italian seasonings.

Stir in 1 cup beef stock and 1 can Rotel tomatoes.

Cover and cook on medium heat (#5) for 1 hour.

Stir occasionally.

Uncover and cook an additional hour stirring occasionally.

Remove meat to a platter and break apart with a fork.

Return to the pot.

Heat flour tortillas according to package directions.

Serving Suggestions for Texas Barbeque

Spoon Texas Barbeque meat into the flour tortilla. Top with shredded jalapeno jack cheese, salsa, and whatever you normally like on fajitas.

Prep Time:  30 minutes     
Serves: 4

Ingredientsfor Grilled Filet Mignon

4 Choice cut Filets (these were Black Angus)
Seasonings: Tony’s Creole Seasoning, Sea Salt, and Garlic Powder
Mesquite wood chips

Cooking Directions for Grilled Filet Mignon

(See our Grilling Tips video for best grilling practices.)

Soak a handful of wood chips in a bowl of water for 30 minutes. 

Prepare your grill and charcoal. 

Spray the grill with canola oil spray. 

Season the Filets Mignons with Tony’s, Sea Salt, and Garlic powder.  Not too much. 

Place the meat on the grill.
 
Grill covered for 9 minutes.  Flip the meat and grill another 9 minutes. This is medium rare.

Remove meat to a platter add a pat of butter to each. Let sit 5 minutes and serve with your favorite side items.

Ingredients for Burgundy Beef Stew

2 pounds lean beef stew meat
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 slices of bacon cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups Cajun Trinity (onion, bell pepper, & celery)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 large carrot (diced)
4 large mushrooms (sliced)
3 cups Burgundy wine or any red cooking wine.
(We chose a California Red Wine)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups beef stock
Ground Thyme
Egg Noodles or Rice

Cooking Directions for Burgundy Beef Stew

Place stew meat in a large mixing bowl.

Season with Sea Salt, Tony’s, and Garlic Powder.

Toss in 1/4 of all-purpose flour to coat the stew meat.

Mix well until all meat is covered in the flour.

In a large 6 quart pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil on medium heat (#6).

Place bacons pieces in the hot oil and brown. Remove from heat into a separate bowl.

In the same pot, brown the stew meat in 2-3 batches.

Brown the meat on all sides to sear in the juices and the browning creates a nice gravy.

Remove from from heat after each batch and reserve in a separate clean bowl.

Next, saute’ 2 cups Cajun Trinity (onion, bell pepper, and celery) and 1 tablespoon minced garlic.

Add diced carrots. Cook 5 minutes.

Toss in sliced mushrooms.

Add 3 cups red wine, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, and 4 cups beef stock. Stir well to blend.

Mix the stew meat and bacon bits back into the liquid mixture.

Sprinkle the beef stew with a dash of ground thyme.

Cover and let simmer on low heat (#3) for 1 1/2 hours stirring occasionally.

Cook egg noodles according to package direction and number of servings needed.

Serving Suggestions for Burgundy Beef Stew

Serve the Burgundy Beef Stew over the egg noodles.

Man this dish was so good. The gravy was thick and rich. You could taste the wine just a bit and the meat was super tender. This stew would also serve well with rice or mashed potatoes.

Many times we’ve had Grilled Chicken Fajitas; however, this night we had a Grilled Pork Tenderloin.  We sliced it thin and tossed around in the sautéed onions and peppers.   They were so tasty and a bit different than your typical restaurant fajitas.

Fajitas Ingredients

1 Pork Tenderloin
1 large sweet onion
1 large red bell pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Prepared Guacamole
Salsa or Pico de Gallo
Sour Cream
Lime juice
Sliced Black Olives
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Slices Jalapeno peppers
6-10 Flour Tortillas
2 Tablespoons butter or olive oil
Sea Salt, Tony’s Creole Seasoning and Garlic Powder

Preparation:

Prepare the charcoal grill. 

Season the pork tenderloin with sea salt, Tony’s and garlic powder. 

Grill the meat for approximately 45 minutes not directly over the heat. 

For more specifics about grilling meat, please see our Grilling Tips video or How to Grill a Steak video.

Slice onions and bell pepper. 

Heat a skillet to medium heat (#6) with melted butter or olive oil. 

Saute’ the onions and bell pepper stirring often.  Squeeze or sprinkle on lime juice.

Thinly slice the pork tenderloin. 

Heat the flour tortillas according to package directions.  I just heat in a toaster oven on a low toast setting. 

Place tortilla on a plate and begin to add all your favorite toppings. 
Try to keep the fillings to about 1 cup so that it all fits. 

Fold one end and then roll like a taco or burrito.  The folded end helps keep the filling from falling out as you eat from the other end.

Serving Suggestions for Fajitas

Serves well with a small salad, black beans or refried beans, and Spanish rice.

Ingredients for Homestyle Chili

Serves 8

1 1/2 pounds Ground Round Beef (or split between ground beef & ground pork)
Cajun Trinity
1 bell pepper (diced)
1 sweet onion (diced)
2 ribs of celery (diced)
1 tablespoon minced Garlic
2 tablespoons Chili Powder (some people also use ground Cumin)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Tony’s Creole seasoning
2 cans diced Rotel tomatoes
1 can Pinto Beans or Chili Beans
Dash of Tabasco sauce
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Chopped Green Onions (for garnish)

Also need a large 6 qt pot and a flat wooden utensil.  Optional – Blender or food processor.

In a large 6 qt pot, turn on the stove heat to medium-to-high #6. 

Pour in 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Saute the bell pepper, celery and onion until soft.  Add minced garlic. 

Push the vegetables to the sides and add the ground meat. 

Begin to break the meat apart with the wooden utensil. 

Add the 2 tablespoons Chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon of Tony’s Creole Seasoning.  Continue to brown the meat by stirring and chopping into small clumps. 

While the meat is cooking, open Rotel tomatoes. 

Pour one can in a blender or food processor and puree (remember to put the lid on or you will have a red ceiling).  This will create a rich and thick sauce for the chili. 

Once the meat is well cooked, add the tomato puree and the second can of Rotel tomatoes. 

Add the pinto beans and stir well. 

Allow to simmer uncovered on medium-to-low heat #3 for 30-45 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent scorching or burning. 

Suggested Servings for Homestyle Chili

Serve over a Baked Potato or simply by itself in a bowl topped with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped green onions for garnish.  Don’t forget the crackers or French bread for dipping. We hope you enjoy our recipe for chili and share it with your friends.

Note:  If chili is not thick enough for you, try using a little corn starch (follow package directions) or blend 1 tablespoon flour with 1 tablespoon softened butter and mix in the sauce.  Allow to cook an additional 5-10 minutes to thicken.

Ingredients for Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf (Serves

1 1/2 pounds Ground Round Beef
1/2 cup Bread crumbs
2 cups Cajun Trinity
1 tablespoon minced Garlic
2 tablespoons chopped dried or fresh Parsley
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Sea salt and Tony’s Creole Seasoning
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 – 1 cup bacon (6-8 slices), cooked and crumbled

Also need a large baking sheet, wax paper and canola oil spray.

Preheat oven on 350 degrees. 

Cook the bacon strips.  Remove to several paper towels to blot off excess oil. 

In the bacon drippings, saute the Cajun Trinity until well cooked.  If desired to hide from your children or those that don’t like the sight of onions, chop well in a food processor.

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground meat, seasonings, bread crumbs and eggs.  Blend together well with your clean hands. 

Using a baking sheet either 13 x 9 or a 15 x 10, place a sheet of wax paper over the pan. 

Place the meatloaf mixture on the pan and begin to spread out evenly and flat like making a pizza dough or a jelly roll cake. 

Sprinkle the crumbled bacon all over and spread out shredded cheddar cheese. 

At this time, add other ingredients as desired like caramelized onions or sliced mushrooms.

From one end, begin to roll up sealing off the ends as you go.  You may have to gradually remove the wax paper. 

Place the loaf on a greased baking sheet with the seal side down.  Make sure the ends are meshed together good so the cheese doesn’t unnecessarily ooze out.

Bake for 1 hour or until the Cheeseburger Meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees.  It always a good idea to have a meat thermometer for cooking.

Serving Suggestions for Bacon Cheeseburger Meat Loaf

Serve with Baked Potatoes, Macaroni and Cheese or Steamed Broccoli. 

Leftovers are wonderful to have a Cheeseburger Meatloaf sandwich.  Oh this is making me hungry!

These hot sausage New Orleans style sandwiches are called Po-Boys here in Louisiana.  According to Wikipedia, a po boy, or po’boy, poboy, po-boy, or poor boy, is a traditional submarine sandwich from Louisiana. 

Anyway you say it or spell it, Po-Boys are a tasty treat and not a week goes by that a Louisiana Cajun doesn’t have some sort of Po-Boy.  Our favorites are Fried Shrimp, Fried Catfish, Fried Oysters and Hot Andouille Sausage Po-Boys. What we’re making today we just call a hot sausage po boy.

Note:  If you do not have Andouille sausage available in your area, try grilling any quality sausage available in your area.  Don’t forget to smoke with favorable smoking chips too.

Ingredients for Hot Andouille Sausage Po-Boys:

6-8 links of fresh Andouille sausage
       (1 link per person at least)
Po-Boy Buns or Hoagie Rolls
Cheese  
Mustard
Tomatoes 
Relish or Pickles
Shredded Lettuce
Mayo  
Spicy Creole Mustard

Grill the Andouille Sausage. 

(See the Grilling Tips Video if you need help with grilling.)

Serving Suggestions for Hot Andouille Sausage Po-Boys:

Open the buns and butter each side.  Heat the buns in the oven to toast and melt the butter.  Don’t take to dancing or you might burn the buns.

Layer on the condiments of your choice. 

Spilt a link of Andouille sausage down the middle. 

Open up and place on the buns. 

Close the bun and take a big bite of deliciousness. 

This is one of our favorite Cajun recipes Saturday lunches.

Ingredients for a Crockpot Pot Roast:

Large Beef Roast (3-4 pounds)
6-8 garlic cloves (cut in half)
2 cups Cajun Trinity
2-3 Turnip Roots (peeled and quartered)
1 – 1 pound bag baby carrots
1-2 cups water
Tony’s Creole Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Canola or Olive Oil

Preheat slow cooker and drizzle in 2-3 tablespoons oil.

On a platter, cut slits in the roast and slide in garlic cloves all over the roast. Push deep down in the meat. Sprinkle the roast all over with Tony’s Creole Seasoning and Garlic Powder.

Place the roast in the slow cooker. Add in Cajun Trinity, turnip roots, baby carrots and any other seasoning you like. Add 1-2 cups water.

Cover and let cook for 8-10 hours.

Serving Suggestions for your Crockpot Roast:

Remove from slow cooker and slice for sandwiches or cut into chunks for eating with mashed potatoes and gravy. Enjoy!

Don’t know how to make great mashed potatoes? Check out this video and recipe.

Mashed Potatoes Recipe and Video

Do you remember back in the 70’s and frozen foods were really only able to be cooked in the “real oven”? There were no microwaves back then so for Chicken Pot pie you had to wait the long 45-50 minutes to eat that oh so crusty pie crust and tasty pot pie filling inside.

Well, rather than have that small frozen food portion, you can easily make Chicken Pot Pie from scratch and big enough for your family. It will still take about an hour, but so much better and it’s a complete nutritious meal in one pie shell.

Ingredients for Chicken Pot Pie:

1 package forozen prepared deep dish pie shells – usually 2 in the pack.

1 lb bag of frozen mixed vegetables

1 full grilled chicken breast – cubed

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

White pepper

Sea Salt

¾ cup sharp cheddar cheese (finely shredded)

Deep skillet or saucepan

Saucepan to cook the vegetables

Baking Sheet

Foil

Early in the day place your frozen pie shells in the refrigerator to thaw.

At cooking time, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook the frozen vegetables according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a deep skillet, melt the butter on medium heat (#6). Gradually add the flour and stir well cooking for about 1-2 mins. Slowly add 2 cups milk. Stir well and constantly for 10 mins. You should have a thick soup consistency white sauce. Turn off heat. Add about a ¼ teaspoon or to taste white pepper and sea salt.

Whisk in cheddar cheese. Stir in vegetables and cubed chicken. Mix well.

Pour mixture into one pie shell and pat down.

Cut off the crust edge of the second pie shell. Carefully peel the pie shell to position on top of the pot pie mixture. Seal the two crusts together with a fork. You can dab your fork in warm water to help the sealing process.

Cut 2-3 slits in the top of pie crust to vent; otherwise the white sauce will come leaking out wherever it can escape.

Place the Chicken Pot Pie on a baking sheet lined with foil. There is nothing worse to clean than burned on Pot Pie on you baking sheet or the oven. Take the empty pie tin and place on top of the Chicken Pot Pie. This will prevent the top pie crust from baking faster than the bottom pie shell. Bake covered for 30 mins and 20 mins uncovered for a total of 50 mins baking time.

Remove from oven and let sit for 5 mins.

Serving Suggestions for Chicken Pot Pie:

Cut into sections and serve. Since Chicken Pot Pie consists of all the nutritious elements such as meat, vegetables, milk, and bread – it’s a complete meal in one. Of course a cool side salad is a nice accompaniment.

Enjoy this wonderful and easy Chicken Pot Pie recipe, which is a great reminder of what some call “comfort food”. We just call it “some good groceries”.

P.S.: You can substitute making the white sauce with a can of mushroom soup. I can’t eat canned soup because of the preservatives and MSG. But this is a quick alternative.

Grilled chicken and pasta, with broccoli or asparagus and a cheese sauce, is one of my husband’s favorite dishes. We have it at least one Sunday night a month, if not more often! Although this chicken and pasta recipe calls for grilled chicken, you can certainly bake it, broil it, or even fry it if that is more convenient for you. The real secret to this recipe (at least this is what my husband would tell you) is the cheddar cheese sauce. This cheddar cheese sauce recipe is so good you could pour it over cardboard and you’d have a great tasting meal. Anyway, the cheese sauce recipe is included in the video, and although this isn’t a specifically Cajun cooking Cajun recipe, we Cajun’s just plain love all good food, so we’ve included this in our Cajun recipes collection, under “other recipes”. We hope you enjoy our grilled chicken and pasta as much as we do.

For your complete recipe with video, go to:
How to Make Grilled Chicken and Pasta Recipe and Video

.

Grilled hamburgers. I can’t think of a more American meal. Us Cajun’s love grilling hamburgers almost as much as eating crawfish. There’s not many things better than a grilled hamburger cooked over a charcoal fire. We’ve been grilling hamburgers for 40 years or more, and I’s like to think that we’ve gotten pretty good at it. So here are some grilling tips and complete step by step preparation and grilling directions by Cajun cook Beryl Stokes along with her husband Mike.

.
For complete recipe with video, go to:
How to Grill Hamburgers Recipe and Video
.

 PS – If you’d like a notification when we publish a new recipe, you can subscribe to the right.