It was the principals’ jobs to feed the staff this week at Parent/Teacher Conferences. My goodness, but they are a hungry bunch. We went through two pans of lasagna, a double-batch of Veronica’s Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole, a BIG salad, two loaves of French Bread, angel food cake, and brownies. (And, really…we have a small staff.)
Our teachers deserved it!!!!
We were first going to do an Italian night, but that morphed into Italian/Mexican/Creole night. What a combination of flavors (but thankfully, I threw in the extra food!).
Since I had okra from the garden, I wanted to make a gumbo.
Some okra and a few tomatoes from the garden.
I didn’t have any of my gumbo mix ready in the freezer so I went to my Jambalaya Junior League Cookbook from New Orleans.
I used two recipes from the cookbook to create this recipe: a Creole Okra side dish and a Chicken and Sausage (and Oyster) Jambalaya recipe. This is what I came up with.
Creole Okra and Sausage Jambalaya Gumbo
Now, that’s a mouthful!3 T. butter
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 c. shallot, copped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes
4 c. okra, chopped
1 bay leaf
3/4 t. ground thyme
1/2 t. dried marjoram
1 t. Worchestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce to taste
6 c. chicken stock
2 pkg. smoked sausage, sliced
2 c. cooked riceMelt butter in a large Dutch oven. Add onions, shallot, bell pepper, celery and garlic and sauté until soft. Add in tomatoes, okra, spices, Worchestershire, Tabasco, chicken stock and sausage. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer thirty minutes. (While the mixture simmers, you can cook the rice separately.)
Add cooked rice and serve.
According to Wikipedia, Jambalaya is a Louisiana Creole dish of Spanish and French influence so I guess I was a bit redundant with the recipe title. Since I added the okra, I tacked gumbo on to the end.
If there is any left, this dish can easily be frozen.
For a great way to use up a lot of okra and keep you in gumbo for the entire winter, check out my gumbo freezer mix.
How do you like the serving spoon? 🙂 I swiped it from the cafeteria.
Wow–we put the food out at 3:00 in the teachers’ lounge. At 4:30, there was nothing left but a few spoonfuls of lasagna. Hungry bunch!
(Thank your children’s teachers today. These folks do a lot for little money and less praise most of the time.)
I have been so busy lately that I haven’t picked any virtual flowers for Abigail this week. Abby, just know that good thoughts, giggles, and hugs are directed your way! 🙂
Also, thanks everyone for all the kind comments on my last post.
Mmmmmmm…………..It’s been a while since I’ve had Jambalaya but yours looks delicious. BTW – you really have to feed the staff at PTC? I’m sure you like to do it but still……:)
We don’t HAVE to but if you don’t feed the teachers they eat the students! 🙂
That must be why I always got chewed on when I was a kid! Mr. Washington wasn’t feeding them! 🙂
LOL. It is true!
Wow, you did so good for your hard-working teachers! But I do hope that they cook for you sometimes too. 🙂 worked hard for your teachers! I know they have a hard job, but hopefully they cook for you too sometimes. 🙂
We have a great staff! (They loved your chile casserole! )
I want to work at your school.
Send me your resume! 🙂
Jambalaya is new to me..yours sure looks very comforting and delicious.
Mine is probably not authentic. I think seafood has to be in a real jambalaya.
Even though I’ve lived in the south for almost 20 years now, I still haven’t developed a taste for okra. How sad is that. I’d be willing to give it another try in your jambalaya though. Heck, I might even be willing to be a teacher for a little while for a bowl. Maybe 🙂
Can you substitute? 🙂 Will work for food?
I am sure all the teachers enjoyed this fusion night! I would for sure with this dish influenced from the American South!
I love it. Should have named it fusion night!
Oh, what a fun feast you must have had! I know the teachers loved it!!
It did make the evening go faster!
I haven’t made either jambalaya or gumbo in years! This is a nice combo of the two. I actually have one of those serving spoons that I bought at a restaurant supply house. Good stuff – thanks.
Almost end of okra here. Have to make it while you can.
Oh I love those “league” cookbooks from Louisiana! I have at least six different ones in my bookcase. What a great gumbo recipe! Bet it was super special with your homegrown okra! What nice people y’all are to feed your teachers!
Sounds like I need to get some more LA ones.