Yankee Gumbo Chicken Bog

Anderson Stew

(Up-County Boil or Yankee Gumbo Chicken Bog)

2/3 cup cranberry beans

2/3 cup black beans

10 oz beer

1 packet chicken flavored Ramen noodle seasoning

2 cups chicken broth

1 tbsp butter

1 large onion, diced

3 stalks celery, chopped

4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

2 smoked sausages

*1 lb hickory smoked grilled chicken

½ cup uncooked rice

1 tsp Italian seasoning

½ tsp garlic salt

½ tsp chili powder

¾ tsp cumin

Cover beans by an inch with water and bring to a boil.  Boil for five minutes and turn off heat.  Let stand for one hour.  Drain and rinse beans.

In large Dutch oven, sauté onions and celery in butter until onions are golden (about 10 minutes).  Pour in beer and add Ramen noodle seasoning; stir until dissolved and well blended. 

Add chicken broth, carrots, beans, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, chili powder and cumin.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 1½ hours, stirring frequently. 

Add sausage and chicken (added bone and all to add more flavor) and cook for 1 hour.  Remove meat from chicken bones and add rice.  Cover and cook 35-40 minutes longer.  Serve with corn-corn bread. 

**To make Hickory smoked grilled chicken: Sprinkle chicken with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper; place charcoal in grill and put 4-5 good size pieces of Hickory bark around the charcoal.  This will add a nice smoked flavor to the chicken.  Once the charcoal has turned gray and the grill is about 350° place chicken directly on grill.  Spray with apple cider vinegar every 20 minutes and turn often.  Cook for about 1½ hour.

© Crackerberries 2012

Yam Casserole

Festive Sweet Potato Casserole

This is a most versatile casserole dish.  It is an excellent side dish, dessert or brunch dish.  It is tasty warm, at room temperature and cold.  Serve it plain or with a dollop of sour cream or whip cream, depending on what or how you are serving it.

9 inch pie crust

3 medium sweet potatoes

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

½ cup maple syrup

½ tsp nutmeg

Cook sweet potatoes in boiling water for about 45 minutes, until fork tender.  Drain and cool slightly.  Peelings will slip right off. 

Prick pie crust with fork and cook in 350° for 15 minutes.  Let cool slightly. 

Mash one sweet potato in bowl and add brown sugar, egg and maple syrup.  Whisk or beat until well blended and smooth.

Slice remaining sweet potatoes and place in pie crust, overlapping each other if necessary.  Pour mashed sweet potato/syrup mixture over top.  Bake in 350° oven for 55 minutes. 

Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

© Crackerberries 2012