Sunday, January 31, 2010

Cajun Chicken Lasagna

Oh my this was soooooooooooo good and I don't normally like sausage very much, but this is very mild and seems to help the whole flavor. Take the extra step to make the alfredo home made, its so easy and so good.

1 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
1 pound andouille sausage, removed from casing
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
Alfredo sauce (recipe below)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Alfredo

1 pint half and half
1 stick butter
2 tbsp garlic
3 cups shredded parmesan cheese

To make alfredo:
Heat butter, half and half and garlic until rolling boil, whisk in parmesan cheese. Heat until melted turn off heat.

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine sausage, chicken, Cajun seasoning and sage. Cook until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, about 8 minutes. Remove meat from skillet with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Saute onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic until tender. Remove from heat, and stir in cooked meat and half of the Alfredo sauce.

Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover bottom with 4 lasagna noodles. Spread with 1/2 of the meat mixture. Repeat layers, and cover with a layer of noodles. Spread remaining Alfredo sauce over top. Top with mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Pork Chops with Beer and Bacon Gravy

This is from Rachael Ray. I used a really dark beer and next time would try with an Amber Bock.

4 bone-in pork chops, just over 1-inch thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus a drizzle
2 thick slices smoky bacon from deli counter, diced 1/4-inch
1 medium onion, diced 1/4-inch
1 rounded tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 bottle amber to dark German beer
1/2 cup stock
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions
Season the chops liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil
in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil smokes, add the chops and cook, turning once, until caramelized and the meat is just turning firm, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a platter and cover with foil, reserve.
Add a drizzle more oil to the pan, add bacon and brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the onions and saute over medium heat with the bacon until soft, 6 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle in flour, stir for 1 minute, then add the beer. Cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes more, then whisk in the stock. Remove from the heat and season with pepper. Pour the gravy over the chops, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.