♥ Blue Cotton Gumbo Casserole with Creamed Garlic Chicken

This recipe, is the kissin’ cousin recipe to a 2006 Christmas with Southern Livings “Gumbo Casserole with Creamed Garlic Shrimp.” I was tired of all my shrimp recipes delivering that spicy “pop” and all my chicken recipes, well, being passive and oh, so properly. . . pop-less. Added incentive was the lack of shrimp in my freezer or fridge. And, I wanted something to dazzle my taste buds!

Dinner should always be so dazzling in a Cajun kind-of-way. The Big Guys loved it, though the Little Guys preferred spice-free.

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken tenders

1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning (my little guys do not like spicy, but the big guys do)

2 tablespoons bacon drippings

4 pieces bacon

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

1/3 cup finely chopped celery

1/3 cup diced mushrooms

3 garlic gloves

2 teaspoons Tuscan Herbs

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

4 green onions, chopped

1 1/2 cup chicken broth or water (with chicken bouillon cubes)

2 cups whipping cream

1 lb uncooked spaghetti, broken in half and cooked according to package directions

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: Combine chopped chicken and Creole seasoning in a medium blow; set aside.

Fry 4 pieces of bacon. Cook bacon drippings, flour, and oil in a large skillet over medium heat, whisking constantly, 15 to 2- minutes or until roux is the dark brown color of pecan shells. Add 1/3 cup onions and next 4 ingredients; cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add Tuscan Herbs and next 2 ingredients. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken and 4 green onions; cook over medium heat until chicken is thoroughly cooked. While the chicken cooked, I added in intervals 1 ½ cup chicken broth or water with bouillon cubes.

When chicken is cooked thoroughly, add whipping cream. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce and simmer 6 minutes.

Place cooked pasta in 13” x 9” baking dish. Pour chicken gumbo over top, stirring in. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350º for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish with Italian Parsley if desired. Yield: 8 servings.