CAJUN RICE DRESSING

Steps:

• Place the giblets in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes; set aside to cool. Once cooled, pulse the giblets in a food processor until finely minced.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. In a large skillet, brown and crumble the beef and pork. Drain and set aside. In that same skillet, start a roux by heating the canola oil over medium heat; stir in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture reaches a caramel color. Stir in the onion, bell pepper and celery; cook and stir about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook another minute. Stir in the mushroom steak sauce or cream of mushroom soup and the beef stock, until fully incorporated. Add the browned beef and pork to the sauce mixture. If you are substituting a spicy sausage for the giblets, taste before adding any Cajun or Creole seasoning; otherwise, stir in the Cajun/Creole seasoning, pepper and rice and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Turn out into the buttered baking dish, cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
• Serve with hot sauce at the table.
• Cook's Notes: Mushroom steak sauce can usually be found on the grocery aisle with the canned mushrooms. If you can't find the mushroom steak sauce, substitute a can of cream of mushroom soup with a splash of Kitchen Bouquet and/or a teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon beef in a pinch. Can use turkey or chicken necks, livers and gizzards for the giblets. Can also omit the giblets and substitute a couple of links of raw sausage (like fresh, un-smoked andouille or boudin), ground beef, or any combination as desired. If you use a spicy raw sausage, taste before adding any Cajun/Creole seasoning. Zatarain's Big & Zesty is a large flake Creole seasoning. If you are using a more finely ground Cajun or Creole seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), you will probably want to tone it down from a full tablespoon. As always, add a little first, then taste and adjust.
• Variation - Cajun Dressing Sandwich: Prepare the dish all the way up to the point of adding the rice but omit the rice, and do not bake. Instead, let mixture simmer on the stovetop for 20 minutes, stirring regularly. Spoon the meat mixture onto warmed pistolette rolls and serve as sandwiches.
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