Recipes

[RespectLife]

Now that is an interesting cocktail @ChiliPepper 

Thanks!

I might even have those ingredients!

[ChiliPepper]

---

@RespectLife wrote:

@ChiliPepper 

I musta got 5 emails today from places trying to sell me purses!   LOL

I was a good girl and didn't cave....

---

@RespectLife 

IT'S STILL EARLY THOUGH GF!!!

[RespectLife]

---

@ChiliPepper wrote:

---

@RespectLife wrote:

@ChiliPepper 

I musta got 5 emails today from places trying to sell me purses!   LOL

I was a good girl and didn't cave....

---

@RespectLife 

IT'S STILL EARLY THOUGH GF!!!

---

Hee hee @ChiliPepper 

Don't you enable me!    LOL

[ChiliPepper]

[ChiliPepper]

Ultimate Sausage Pizza Dip

Be the hero at your next party by making or bringing this Ultimate Sausage Pizza Dip. It's loaded with delicious pizza flavor everyone is going to love!

Prep Time: 15 minutes 

Cook Time: 35 minutes 

Total Time: 50 minutes 

Servings10

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 1/2 large onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
• 1 1/2 cup Italian cheese blend divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 jar (14 ounces) pizza sauce
• 1 cup mini pepperoni
• 1-2 loaves bread for dipping

Instructions

• Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Drain off most of the fat from the sausage. Reduce the heat to medium and push the sausage to the side of the pan. Add the onion and garlic to the center and cook until tender. Mix in the sausage and remove the pan from the heat.
• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a bowl, combine the sausage mixture with the cream cheese, 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese, 3/4 cup of the Italian cheese blend, and oregano. Spread this mixture evenly into the bottom of a 10x8-inch baking dish. Top with the pizza sauce and a sprinkle of mini pepperoni reserving about 1/4 cup to garnish the top. Top the pizza sauce and pepperoni with the remaining cheese. Finish the top with the remaining mini pepperoni.
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes*. Remove the foil and turn your oven to broil. Cook an additional 5 minutes.
• Serve hot with sliced bread.

Notes

*You can prepare this in advance and refrigerate it overnight. Just increase the bake time to about 45 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 1112mg | Potassium: 429mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 713IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 168mg | Iron: 2mg

[RespectLife]

OOHH Great pick @ChiliPepper 

Crustless!  A dip I can eat w/ a spoon or in my low carb wraps!

Copied and pasted!

Thanks!

[ChiliPepper]

---

@RespectLife wrote:

OOHH Great pick @ChiliPepper 

Crustless!  I dip I can eat w/ a spoon or in my low carb wraps!

Copied and pasted!

Thanks!

---

@RespectLife 

YES!!!

And it looks like it would be so easy to customize it to what you like/what you have on hand!

[ChiliPepper]

[ChiliPepper]

NATIONAL GUMBO DAY

A heavily seasoned, stew-like dish is in the spotlight on National Gumbo Day which is annually observed on October 12.

Originating in southern Louisiana during the 18th century, Gumbo is a dish that typically consists of a strongly flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener and seasoned vegetables.  

The seasoned vegetables may include celery, bell peppers and onions which are a trio known in Cajun cuisine as the “holy trinity.

The dish is commonly served over rice.

Gumbo is usually categorized by one of the following types of thickener used:

• The African vegetable okra
• The Choctaw spice filé powder (dried and ground sassafras leaves)
• Roux (the French base made of flour and fat)
•  

Gumbo arose from a West African word for okra, which many believe is how the name and the ingredient also intertwined.  

Gumbo is thought to have been first documented in 1802 and was listed in various cookbooks in the latter 19th century.  

It gained widespread popularity in the 1970s when the United States Senate cafeteria added Gumbo to the menu in honor of Louisiana Senator Allen Ellender.

Gumbo is the official cuisine of the state of Louisiana.  

Since 1989, New Iberia, Louisiana has held The World Championship Gumbo Cook-Off.  

[ChiliPepper]

Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo

YIELDS: 4 servings

PREP TIME: 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
2 stalks celery, finely sliced
12 oz. andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2" rounds
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Cajun seasoning (without salt)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined

3 scallions, sliced
Cooked white rice, for serving

Directions

Step 1
In a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat, melt
butter, then add flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until
roux is dark caramel colored, 12 to 15 minutes.

Step 2
Add onions, peppers, and celery and cook, stirring,
until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in sausage,
garlic, and Cajun seasoning; season with salt and
pepper. Stir in broth, tomatoes, and bay leaf and
bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer,
stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 1 hour.

Step 3
In the last 6 minutes of cooking, add shrimp. Once
shrimp is pink and cooked through, taste and adjust
seasonings. Stir in scallions, reserving some for
serving.

Step 4
Divide rice among bowls. Spoon gumbo over. Top
with reserved scallions.