With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought it would be helpful to post a list of our favorite side items recipes all in one place.
Some of these items we have every year, and others are according to what we’re in the mood for when it’s time to cook.
So here’s a list of great side items for you to choose from!
And we wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season!
This is an Easy Cornbread Dressing Recipe you can make that your family will love and it won’t take you all day to make.
Now that it’s the holiday season, Thanksgiving is just a few days away and Christmas will follow soon enough. I thought I’d share some traditional holiday recipes that I’ve learned from my MawMaw, my mom, and my step-mother.
For Cornbread Dressing, they each did or do slight variations of the recipe below.
I remember I always loved my MawMaw Hebert’s dressing. My mom Patsy makes her dressing with cornbread and rice.
My step-mom Murl makes two different dressings each year. She makes a cornbread dressing similar to the recipe below and she makes what she calls Shrimp Dressing. I can’t decide which one is my favorite.
Good thing I get to sample all three on Thanksgiving Day.
Looking for a dessert? Check out our Pecan Pie. It’s so easy to make and so good.
I’ll be going to the Caillouet Thanksgiving this year where there are 14 of us now. Everyone is getting older and now even a nephew is about to welcome a new baby into the family.
I love Thanksgiving Day because of the meaning of giving thanks and getting together with family and friends is so much less stressful than Christmas time.
We have no other obligation than to bring a good dish (and make it a double batch), enjoy some football, have some laughs and take a nap.
But most importantly, I am thankful for my family on all sides, my daughters Alletia, Ashley, and Alexandra, my grandchildren, my god-daughters, and of course the one and only Bossman – my husband Mike.
Happy Holidays to everyone!
We appreciate your support and for watching our videos.
Recipes and videos coming soon are: Traditional Pecan Pralines, Maw Maw’s Tea Cakes, Patsy’s Snowball Cookies, and many more.
2 boxes JIFFY corn muffin mix
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
Spray canola oil
1 and 1/2 pounds ground beef, pork, chicken or turkey (or a combination of pork & beef)
1 (10 ounce) frozen package of Seasoning Blend (chopped onions, bell pepper, and celery) or 3 cups of Cajun Trinity
2-3 cloves of garlic – chopped
3 cups Chicken Stock
handful of chopped green onions
Tony’s Creole Seasoning
Optional add-ins:
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup chopped fresh cherries or cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Cornbread Preparation:
Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.
Make the JIFFY corn muffin mix according to package directions by mixing the 2 eggs and 2/3 cup of milk with the cornbread flour.
Mix well and it’s alright to be lumpy.
Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.
Pour in the cornbread mixture and spread evenly across the pan.
Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Remove pan from oven and let rest until cool.
Once cool enough to handle, begin to crumble the cornbread and set aside in a bowl.
Turn oven down to 325 degrees.
In a large 6 quart pot, begin by melting 1/2 stick butter on medium heat.
Carefully place the Seasoning blend in the pot and sauté until vegetables are limp and translucent.
Add the chopped garlic and ground meat in the pot and chop up with a flat edged wooden spatula.
Continue to cook the meat and keep chopping into small pieces. (May take minimum 45 minutes to an hour.)
Turn off the heat.
Begin to mix in the crumbled cornbread little by little and mixing well.
Next, one cup at a time, mix in the 3 cups of Chicken Stock. (Mixture should resemble the consistency of a thick batter.)
Pour Cornbread Dressing into a deep casserole dish that has been sprayed with canola spray oil.
Spread evenly.
Place Cornbread Dressing in the oven covered with the glass cover or foil and bake for 35-45 minutes.
Take the cover off and bake another 15-20 minutes.
Dressing should be firm and not too mushy.
Serve warm and garnish with chopped green onions.
Will feed 10 – 12 people a big spoonful.
If you have a smaller group, just make 1 box of Jiffy corn muffin mix and half all other ingredients.
Beryl
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Cajun Cooking TV features Beryl Caillouet Stokes and her grand-daughter Addison cooking up some good eating Cajun recipes from their kitchen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Please Follow Us On Facebook for Daily Updates and New Recipes:
https://www.facebook.com/CajunCookingTV/
The Cajun Cooking TV show airs on local Baton Rouge, Louisiana channel WLFT MeTV channel 30.1 and on Cox cable channel 117 on Tuesday mornings at 10 am.
You Can Write Beryl At:
Cajun Cooking TV
7516 Bluebonnet Blvd # 179
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810
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Bacon Wrapped Green Beans are a great party finger food or a beautiful side item next to a steak, pork or chicken dinner.
I love how they just melt in your mouth.
I highly recommend using fresh Green Beans, however whole frozen beans would also work.
Avoid canned beans – just not the same effect.
Applewood Bacon (or your favorite bacon)
1 or 2 pounds fresh green beans (uncut, cleaned and ends trimmed)
Sea salt (regular table salt is OK)
Tony’s Creole Seasoning
Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees.
Fill a 6 quart pot with water.
Season lightly with salt.
Heat water to boiling.
Drop green beans in the boiling water to blanch (boil) for 2 minutes.
Immediately and carefully drain the green beans in a colander in the sink.
Allow cold water to run over the green beans to instantly cool and stop the cooking process.
Put green beans in a bowl and place a few ice cubes in the bowl.
On a cutting board, take 5-6 slices of bacon and cut in half.
Season the green beans lightly with Tony’s Creole Seasoning.
Begin to wrap the green bean bundles by taking 5-6 green beans and wrap the half slice of bacon around in an angled method.
Place wrapped green bean bundles on a large non-stick cookie sheet.
Continue wrapping until all beans are utilized.
Place the pan in the oven and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
Carefully remove pan from the oven.
Place your Bacon Wrapped Green Beans bundles on a tray and serve warm.
Beryl
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Cajun Cooking TV features Beryl Caillouet Stokes and her grand-daughter Addison cooking up some good eating Cajun recipes from their kitchen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Please Follow Us On Facebook for Daily Updates and New Recipes:
https://www.facebook.com/CajunCookingTV/
The Cajun Cooking TV show airs on local Baton Rouge, Louisiana channel WLFT MeTV channel 30.1 and on Cox cable channel 117 on Tuesday mornings at 10 am.
You Can Write Beryl At:
Cajun Cooking TV
7516 Bluebonnet Blvd # 179
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810
===========================================================================
How to Make Cocktail Sauce is so simple, but an essential dip for any fried or boiled seafood dish.
We use this Cocktail Sauce recipe for boiled shrimp, french fries, shrimp po-boys, fried catfish, fried crab claws, raw oysters and Snow Crab Legs. You get the point.
This homemade Cocktail Sauce recipe is an easy alternative to buying Cocktail Sauce out of a bottle that has been sitting on store selves for months and often contain unneeded preservatives and artificial flavoring.
To make this Shrimp Cocktail Sauce recipe, you’ll need your favorite ketchup, prepared or freshly grated horseradish, and lemon or lime juice.
Here’s the how to make Shrimp Cocktail Sauce recipe from the Cajun recipes at Cajun Cooking TV.
Easy, easy to make and quite tasty too!
1/2 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons fresh prepared horseradish
Dash of lemon or lime juice
Mix all ingredients well and serve chilled in small dipping bowls.
If expecting a crowd, double or triple the recipe.
Prefer Tartar Sauce?
Also check out our Homemade Tartar Sauce recipe.
Beryl
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Cajun Cooking TV features Beryl Caillouet Stokes and her grand-daughter Addison cooking up some good eating Cajun recipes from their kitchen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Please Follow Us On Facebook for Daily Updates and New Recipes:
https://www.facebook.com/CajunCookingTV/
The Cajun Cooking TV show airs on local Baton Rouge, Louisiana channel WLFT MeTV channel 30.1 and on Cox cable channel 117 on Tuesday mornings at 10 am.
You Can Write Beryl At:
Cajun Cooking TV
7516 Bluebonnet Blvd # 179
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810
===========================================================================
How to Make Homemade French Fries with Beryl Stokes. Homemade French Fries are a staple accompaniment to PoBoys, Steaks, Fried Seafood dishes.
French fries may not have started out as a Cajun recipe, but they sure are a standard basic menu item in just about all Cajun restaurants (and homes!)
Idaho or white potatoes (1 potato per person)
Sea Salt or Tony’s Creole Seasoning
Canola or vegetable oil
The Potatoes:
Thoroughly scrub the potatoes and leave skin on or peel the potatoes.
Cut a piece off one end of the potato so that it will sit flatly on a cutting board.
With a sharp paring knife, cut potato into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch slices.
Then, lay flat on the cutting board and cut into strips.
Cut evenly as possible for even cooking time.
Place in a bowl of cold water. Drain.
Place back in a bowl in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
The Oil:
Using a heavy bottom deep pot, skillet, or electric fryer, pour in fresh canola or vegetable oil.
Always be careful to leave 2-4 inches from the top to leave room for the oil to bubble up.
Optimal temperature is 350 to 375 degrees.
An electric fryer either has an automatic temperature setting or a button to help you.
If you are using a regular pot and do not have a thermometer, drop a small amount of a potato into the oil.
If it bubbles up quickly, the oil is ready.
Deep Frying French Fries:
Once the oil is properly heated, carefully drop potatoes into the oil.
Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. Potatoes should freely move around.
Potatoes should be golden brown and probably will be floating to the top of the oil.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain excess oil on layers of paper towels.
Serve with Sea salt or Tony’s Creole Seasoning sprinkled on top.
Or for a bit if indulgence, top with finely shredded cheddar cheese.
Note: Oil and water DO NOT MIX!! Keep water away from the hot oil. If you pour water on the oil, the mixture will explode. If the oil smokes or catches fire, cover it with a pan lid or cookie sheet. You can use baking soda to put out any grease fires, but be careful that you don’t spread the flames around.
Sometimes you just want to drop some french fries in the oil can cook them up in a hurry… The BEST frozen french fries we’ve ever tasted are the Whole Foods store brand 365 Crinkle Cut French Fries. They are awesome!
Beryl
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Cajun Cooking TV features Beryl Caillouet Stokes and her grand-daughter Addison cooking up some good eating Cajun recipes from their kitchen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Please Follow Us On Facebook for Daily Updates and New Recipes:
https://www.facebook.com/CajunCookingTV/
The Cajun Cooking TV show airs on local Baton Rouge, Louisiana channel WLFT MeTV channel 30.1 and on Cox cable channel 117 on Tuesday mornings at 10 am.
You Can Write Beryl At:
Cajun Cooking TV
7516 Bluebonnet Blvd # 179
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810
===========================================================================
How to Make Smothered Potatoes. Smothered Potatoes, also known as Scalloped Potatoes are easy and really delicious.
I love the taste of the sour cream sauce.
This is a baked smothered potatoes casserole is made with white potatoes, milk, sour cream, cheese and green onions.
We like it with steak or grilled pork tenderloins.
8 medium size white potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk or half & half
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped green onions
Tony’s Creole Seasoning
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel potatoes and slice in half. Begin to slice in 1/4 inch slices. Potato slices should look like thin half moons.
Place in a large bowl of cold water and set aside.
To make the white sauce, melt butter and whisk in flour.
Slowly add milk and stir constantly for 8 minutes.
Stir in the sour cream and blend until smooth.
Turn off the heat and toss in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
Sprinkle in a dash of Tony’s Creole Seasoning (salt and pepper will do if no Tony’s available).
Stir in 1 cup chopped green onions.
Spray a deep casserole dish with canola oil spray.
Drain the potatoes in a colander.
Pour half of the potatoes in the casserole dish.
Pour half of the sour cream white sauce over the potatoes and spread evenly over the potatoes.
Repeat with remaining potatoes and sauce.
Place on a baking sheet and add casserole cover or foil.
Bake covered for 30 minutes.
Then, bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
Add additional cheese and green onions if desired.
Serves well with our Grilled Filet Mignons, Grilled Chicken or Grilled Pork Tenderloin with a side of steamed broccoli or steamed asparagus.
Beryl
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Cajun Cooking TV features Beryl Caillouet Stokes and her grand-daughter Addison cooking up some good eating Cajun recipes from their kitchen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Please Follow Us On Facebook for Daily Updates and New Recipes:
https://www.facebook.com/CajunCookingTV/
The Cajun Cooking TV show airs on local Baton Rouge, Louisiana channel WLFT MeTV channel 30.1 and on Cox cable channel 117 on Tuesday mornings at 10 am.
You Can Write Beryl At:
Cajun Cooking TV
7516 Bluebonnet Blvd # 179
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810
===========================================================================
Learning How to Cook Squash is really very simple and your family will love it.
Smothered Yellow Squash Recipe. Yellow Crookneck squash is from the family of vegetables called summer squash; which includes zucchini and patty pan squash.
Summer squash are named so as they are harvested when the vegetables are young and the skin still tender to eat with little or no cooking. In other words, you can eat summer squash either raw or cooked.
In this recipe, we smothered the squash in a small amount of water with a sweet Texas onion, vibrant red bell pepper, seasonings and crumbled bacon. I had a couple junior cooks that I was teaching how to cook squash – Ashley and Marie.
Prep: 30 minutes
Serves: 6-8 as a side dish
4-5 yellow squash, sliced
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced
4 slices bacon
2 cups water or chicken stock
Tony’s or salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Begin by heating 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 6 quart pot on medium heat (#6).
Cook the bacon. Set aside on a paper towel to drain and cool.
Saute‘ onion and bell pepper until softened.
Add 2 cups water.
Season with small amount of Tony’s or salt and pepper.
Add the sliced squash.
Crumble the bacon and add to the squash.
Stir well.
Cook covered for 20 minutes.
Serve in small bowls as a side item topped with a sprinkling of Italian bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
Optional: Substitute bacon with sliced and cooked sausage or ground pork.
Beryl
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Cajun Cooking TV features Beryl Caillouet Stokes and her grand-daughter Addison cooking up some good eating Cajun recipes from their kitchen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Please Follow Us On Facebook for Daily Updates and New Recipes:
https://www.facebook.com/CajunCookingTV/
The Cajun Cooking TV show airs on local Baton Rouge, Louisiana channel WLFT MeTV channel 30.1 and on Cox cable channel 117 on Tuesday mornings at 10 am.
You Can Write Beryl At:
Cajun Cooking TV
7516 Bluebonnet Blvd # 179
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810
===========================================================================
This Eggplant Casserole Recipe is made by cooking down cubed and peeled eggplant and mixing with ground meat, shrimp, crawfish or crabmeat. We serve it i s a side dish or as a party dip on crackers. You’ll definitely want to try this Cajun recipe. (Mike thought it would be awful, but he loved it!)
4 Eggplants
2 cups Cajun Trinity (or frozen seasoning blend)
1 stick of butter or 2-3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 pound ground round
1/2 pound ground pork (or one pound of either one)
Tony’s Creole Seasoning
2 cups bread crumbs
1-2 cups chicken stock
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray a casserole dish with spray oil.
First start by peeling the eggplant.
Cut in half and then cut into strips. Then, cut crosswise into 1 inch cubes.
Heat in a large pot about 2 cups chicken stock.
Place in the pot the cubed eggplant.
Season with salt and a sprinkle of Tony’s Creole Seasoning.
Let simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir occasionally.
Once tender, mash with a whisk or a potato masher to get the lumpy pieces.
Meanwhile, heat 1 stick of butter on medium heat (#6) in a deep skillet.
Cook the ground round beef and ground pork by chopping up with a flat edged wooden spatula.
The meat should all be brown and no pink.
Pour the meat mixture into the eggplant pot. Stir well.
Then, add in 1 cup of bread crumbs.
Stir to mix all ingredients evenly.
Add seasoning if needed.
Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle with another cup of bread crumbs.
An optional step would be to also sprinkle on Parmesan cheese.
Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve as a side dish in a small bowl or serve with a good butter cracker or whole wheat cracker for a party.
Replace ground meat with boiled or sautéed shrimp, crawfish, or crab meat.
The seafood really makes for a tasty party dip.
Beryl
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Cajun Cooking TV features Beryl Caillouet Stokes and her grand-daughter Addison cooking up some good eating Cajun recipes from their kitchen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Please Follow Us On Facebook for Daily Updates and New Recipes:
https://www.facebook.com/CajunCookingTV/
The Cajun Cooking TV show airs on local Baton Rouge, Louisiana channel WLFT MeTV channel 30.1 and on Cox cable channel 117 on Tuesday mornings at 10 am.
You Can Write Beryl At:
Cajun Cooking TV
7516 Bluebonnet Blvd # 179
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810
===========================================================================
Learn How to Cook Cauliflower with Beryl at Cajun Cooking TV.
Cauliflower is a wonderful vegetable that is often overlooked as a great tasting cooked vegetable. Cauliflower is most often used in vegetable trays with a dip.
Although I love to eat raw cauliflower and broccoli, having it steamed is also very tasty; especially with some finely shredded cheddar cheese, a cheese sauce, or fresh Parmesan cheese.
1 head fresh cauliflower (it should be firm and free of brown spots on the top)
1 cup water
Dash of sea salt (plain table salt is OK)
Butter (optional)
Shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
Cut off the green leafy part attached at the bottom of the cauliflower.
Cut off as much of the stem as you can.
You may have to insert a paring knife at an angle to get down to the stem.
Rinse well to remove any grit.
Heat 1 cup water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Place cauliflower in water. Sprinkle some salt.
Cover and lower the heat to medium-to-low #3.
Cook for 8-12 minutes or until soft enough to run a knife through the stem.
Ours took about 12-15 minutes.
Cut into serving wedges and top with cheese or cheese sauce.
A dash of Tony’s Creole Seasoning adds a great kick also.
Mike thinks there’s nothing better than cheese sauce on fresh cauliflower.
Happy eating and don’t forget to dance while you cook. We have so much fun!
Beryl
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Cajun Cooking TV features Beryl Caillouet Stokes and her grand-daughter Addison cooking up some good eating Cajun recipes from their kitchen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Please Follow Us On Facebook for Daily Updates and New Recipes:
https://www.facebook.com/CajunCookingTV/
The Cajun Cooking TV show airs on local Baton Rouge, Louisiana channel WLFT MeTV channel 30.1 and on Cox cable channel 117 on Tuesday mornings at 10 am.
You Can Write Beryl At:
Cajun Cooking TV
7516 Bluebonnet Blvd # 179
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810
===========================================================================
Twice Baked Potatoes, also called stuffed potatoes, give your meal that restaurant quality pizzazz.
We had to add twice baked potatoes to our Cajun recipes after enjoying them so much at Mike Anderson’s restaurant.
So, this is what we conjured up.
If you’re hungry for something a little jazzier than baked potatoes, try this recipe (some people call them stuffed potatoes.)
It’s sure to be a hit!
4 medium – large Idaho potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 small broccoli crowns (or 1/2 bag frozen broccoli crowns) – steamed
2 cups finely shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter
Bacon bits (optional)
Sea salt
Tony’s Creole Seasoning
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Wash potatoes.
Wrap in foil.
Bake for 1 1/2 hours turning over half way through cooking.
In the meantime, steam broccoli crowns.
Remove potatoes from oven and open from foil.
Let sit a few minutes.
Cut potatoes in half and separate.
Allow to cool a bit in order to handle.
Take a small spoon or ice cream scooper and hollow out the potato halves.
Put in a large mixing bowl.
(Do not scoop all the way to the skin so that you have a stable base.)
To the potatoes, add butter, sour cream, broccoli, green onions, cheese, and seasonings.
With a potato masher or a large whisk, mash all the ingredients together well.
Place the mixture back into the potato shells.
Place on a baking sheet or casserole dish.
Top with more shredded Cheddar cheese.
Bake 5-10 minutes to re-heat and melt the cheese.
Remove from oven and serve.
A typical serving is a half potato for each person.
Enjoy with a steak or seafood or anything you like.
Beryl
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Cajun Cooking TV features Beryl Caillouet Stokes and her grand-daughter Addison cooking up some good eating Cajun recipes from their kitchen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Please Follow Us On Facebook for Daily Updates and New Recipes:
https://www.facebook.com/CajunCookingTV/
You Can Write Beryl At:
Cajun Cooking TV
7516 Bluebonnet Blvd # 179
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810
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