6 Alabama cooks dish up comforting rice recipes for the holiday season

About six years ago, Sylvia Clark’s son-in-law introduced her to a jambalaya recipe that was a favorite at the firehouse where he works as a firefighter.

“It’s a firehouse recipe from a big bunch of men, and you know they like their food hot,” she says. “I had to tone it down.” So instead of the hot version of Ro-Tel tomatoes, Clark uses the mild version. And rather than the hot Conecuh sausage, she uses the regular type. “My mother always said you have to adjust your recipes to your family’s needs,” she says, and that’s what she did with her prize-winning recipe for jambalaya.

The retired school counselor from Abbeville loves to cook for her family. Back when she was working, she didn’t have a lot of time to cook big meals, but now that she’s retired to Bay Minette, cooking gives her a lot of joy.

For this recipe, she uses a rotisserie chicken, Conecuh sausage and, for the seasoning, “a little bit of chili powder and a little bit of smoked paprika, plus salt and pepper. And if I can get some Gulf shrimp, I add a half-pound of that to it, and that makes it really good.”

Jambalaya

Ingredients

• 1 can beef broth
• 1 can chicken broth (do not add to initial mixture)
• 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can French onion soup
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 2 cups raw rice
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 heaping tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 pack sausage, cut in bite-sized pieces
• 3 cooked, shredded chicken breasts
• Seasoning to taste (your choice)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dump everything except chicken broth in pan and mix well. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for 1½ hours. Taste after this initial cooking and see if rice is still crunchy; if it is, cook more until tender. You may need to add chicken stock. Don’t let it dry out. If rice is a little dry when you take it out of the oven, stir in some of the chicken broth.

Sylvia B. Clark

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Porcupine Meatballs with Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• ⅔ cup long-grain white rice
• 1 small onion, diced small
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash original seasoning
• 2 (10-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups milk or cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the beef, rice, onions, eggs and seasonings. Form into meatballs about 1½ to 2 inches in diameter. Place the meatballs in a casserole dish. It works best to use a dish that will keep the meatballs closely packed in, so they will be covered more fully in the cream sauce. Whisk together the cream of mushroom soup and milk until well combined. Pour this mixture over the meatballs, spooning a bit of the sauce over the meatballs to make sure they’re covered. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 to 1½ hours, or until a thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees.

Cook’s note: This recipe freezes well. Freeze the uncooked meatballs on a cookie sheet and then place them in a zip-lock freezer bag. You can keep them in the freezer for about 3 months and bake them right from frozen, following the same directions, except extend the baking time for an extra 30 minutes.

Gwen Windham

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Tucker’s Venison Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 1 pound venison backstrap
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Small bunch green onions
• 1 cup frozen mixed veggies
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups minute rice, cooked
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

Instructions

Using vegetable oil, sear venison until medium to well done, depending on preference. Cut into strips and set aside. Add diced onions to remaining oil and add more oil if needed. Sauté until half done and add frozen veggies and garlic; cook until done. Scrape to the side of the pan and scramble the eggs. Mix in sesame oil, cooked and cooled rice, and venison. Fry until hot all the way through and serve.

Cook’s notes: Using cooled rice helps it fry better, and it absorbs the soy sauce. I always cook my venison medium rare; this stops it from overcooking after it’s mixed with the rice and fried again. Makes excellent leftovers.

Janie Tucker

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Baked Rice

Ingredients

• 1 stick oleo or butter
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 2 cans beef consommé
• 1 small can mushrooms (if desired)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in iron skillet and add rice. Stir rice often and cook until golden brown. Add other ingredients to a casserole dish. Add rice. Onions can be sliced on top. Put in oven and cook for 1 hour.

Annie Jo Crowley

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Stovetop Coconut Rice Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

Pudding:

• 1 can coconut milk (not coconut milk in the dairy section)
• Whole milk, enough to make 4 cups when combined with the coconut milk
• ½ cup uncooked medium- or short-grain rice (do not substitute long-grain rice)
• 1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut
• ½ cup golden raisins (optional)
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Caramel sauce:

• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup half-and-half
• Pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon sorghum (optional)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Instructions

In a large saucepan, stir together milks, coconut and rice. Slowly bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover and simmer on low about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks, vanilla and brown sugar. While stirring yolks, pour in a small amount of hot pudding mixture to temper the egg, then slowly stir yolk mixture into hot pudding. This will slightly thicken the rice mixture. Mix in raisins, if using. Cover and let set about 10 minutes. May be served hot, warm or cold. Serve with caramel sauce.

Caramel sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except vanilla. Bring to a low boil, stirring well. Cover and cook 1 minute. Remove lid and cook 4 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Stir well and let cool until desired temperature to serve.

Cook’s note: To refrigerate pudding, let cool at room temperature and press plastic wrap over the surface of the pudding to prevent a “skin” from forming. Refrigerate caramel sauce and reheat in the microwave as needed.

Kathy Skinner

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Cowboy Rice Casserole

We love comfort food recipes this time of year. Truthfully, though, there is so much going on, some nights it is hard to have the time to take a moment and sit down to a nice full supper. Our recipe for this Cowboy Rice Casserole is an easy and filling way to do just that. Several of the ingredients we prepare ahead of time, and, in true casserole fashion, we pop it together and have a nice sit-down meal. It’s a little spicy with a whole lot of filling goodness, perfect for a special occasion or even a Tuesday night. For more recipes like this, visit thebutteredhome.com.

Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 small poblano pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• ½ pound ground beef
• 4 cups beef broth
• ½ pound beef chorizo
• 1½ cups rice, uncooked
• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté peppers and onions in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft. Add minced garlic and cook for one minute, being careful not to burn. Add ground beef and chorizo and brown well. Drain.

In a large casserole dish, add peppers, onions and beef and chorizo mixture to dish. Add broth, beans, corn, rice, tomatoes and chili powder. Mix well. Cover with aluminum foil tightly and cook for 1½ hours until rice is done. Remove foil and top with cheese. Return to oven to melt. Enjoy.

Brooke Burks, The Buttered Home

This story originally appeared in Alabama Living magazine.