Bilateral Ham (it’s on both sides!)

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Serving Size: depends on size of ham

8-15 lb. Smoked, Spiral, or any ready to eat Ham (Your preference. I prefer a smoked spiral ham)

1 can Coca Cola, opened and left out to go flat

1 1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 cup Honey

3 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar

1 teaspoon Ginger

2 tablespoons Cinnamon

4 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

Oranges or Pineapple Rings, to taste

1/4 cup Whiskey or Bourbon**

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Bring ham to room temperature in sealed wrapper. In a deep baking pan, open and place the ham and the juices from the wrapper into the pan. Add 1/3 of the flat can of soda. Optional: Add some oranges cut into quarters, or some pineapple rings into the bottom of the pan if preferred. Cover with tin foil and place into oven for 1.5 hours at 300 degrees. 

Let the steam from the soda and the fruit juices seep into the ham. The ham is already dead, so please whatever you do, don't stab it or poke holes in it! This will only let the true flavor of the ham run out.  

Pour the rest of the soda into a sauce pan. Turn heat to medium.  Add brown sugar, honey, apple cider vinegar, ginger, cinnamon and dijon mustard. Stir or whisk until all ingredients are incorporated. You may have some lumps, but thats o.k. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower flame and keep stirring until sauce reduces and becomes syrupy. If it starts to foam as its boiling, remove from the heat to another burner and stir quickly. The foam should subside. If you cannot tell if the sauce is the right consistency, use the back of a wooden spoon and place just the back of the spoon on top of the sauce. If the spoon has a nice coating of the sauce on it, then its ready. If you go too far beyond this point, you will scorch and burn the sauce. 

After 1.5 hours, remove the tin foil starting with the side farthest away from you so you won't get a face full of steam. Using a pastry brush, paint the sauce mixture onto the ham, a little on the heavy side, until the whole ham is covered. If the slices seem to flop over, (if you have a spiral ham that is pre-sliced), just use tooth picks to hold the ham slices in place. Put the ham back in the oven for 30 more minutes, brushing and bathing the ham with the sauce every ten minutes until all of the sauce is used. When the ham is golden brown and has the beginning of a caramelized crust on the outside, it is done. 

Serve it with your favorite vegetables and mashed potatoes with hot rolls or just eat it right out of the baking pan!

**The adult version of this recipe is the exact same way, except that you can add about a quarter cup of your favorite Whiskey or Bourbon into the sauce. Instead of using 2/3 cup of soda, cut it down to half of can and one shot of whiskey for the chef. Remember to remove the pan away from the flame when adding alcohol to your recipes or you won't have to worry about trimming your eyebrows.  Bon Apetit!

Submitted By: Wally Norcross, EMT/Police Officer

Massachusetts, USA

Oven BBQ Shrimp

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Serving Size: 8-10

2 lb. large Shrimp; Preferred: head and shell on with antenna trimmed*

1 stick Butter, melted

1 bottle Worcestershire

1 sm. bottle Italian Dressing

½ bottle Tiger Sauce

2 med. Onions, sliced

1 Bell Pepper, sliced

2 lemons, sliced and un-peeled

1 tbsp. Minced Garlic

1 tbsp. Louisiana Hot Sauce or Tabasco

Salt, Pepper and Creole Seasoning (Tony’s preferred)

Place shrimp in Pyrex Glass or Casserole pan, and season to preferred taste with salt, pepper and Tony’s (you can use Season-All and Cayenne Powder or any brand of Creole season). Top with onion, pepper and lemon slices then sprinkle with garlic. 

Combine butter, Italian dressing, Tiger, Worcestershire, and Hot Sauce then pour over shrimp. Cover with foil and place in oven (or closed pit) @ 325 deg. for 2 hrs. Stir approximately every 20-30 min.

Plate, serve and ENJOY!

Note: French Bread is GREAT dipped in sauce.

*You may use de-headed and peeled/de-veined shrimp, but it won’t be as flavorable.

Submitted By: Jai Bourg, EMT

Louisiana, USA

Jai’s Galliano Grillades

Prep Time: 10 minutes (not including butcher’s time to slice meat)

Cook Time: 8-10 minutes per batch (as many as you can fit on grill at one time)

Serving Size: 24-30 

2 Boston Butts (have butcher freeze and thin cut into 1/8 inch slices)

Tony’s or any other Creole seasoning;

Garlic Powder

Barbecue Sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s if available)

Marinade: 1 lg. bottle Wishbone Italian Dressing 

                    1 bottle Lea&Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

                    1 cup of Honey

Pour Marinade (pre-combined) over thawed meat and lightly season both sides of slices with seasoning and garlic powder.

Place in Ziploc bag and refrigerate 12-24 hrs (best to do over night).

Pre-heat grill then turn down heat to low (Gas preferred over charcoal to aide in flame control needed due to flare ups from dripping grease).

Turn meat with tongs about every 30-60 seconds for 5 min.

Lightly baste with BBQ sauce on each side and continue on low heat only long enough to caramelize sauce.

Recommended: serve on French Bread.

Submitted By: Jai Bourg, EMT-Basic

Louisiana, USA

Rice Cooker Jambalaya

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 45-60 minutes

Serving Size: 6-10

4 lbs. Smoked Sausage, sliced

2 oz. (4 tbsp.) Italian Dressing

½ oz. (1 tbsp.) Season-All

2 can Swanson’s 14 oz. Beef broth and 2 tbs. Better than Bullion Chicken Base

½  small can Cream of Chicken and Celery

1 oz. (by volume) dehydrated Onion Flakes 

½ oz. (by volume) dehydrated Bell Pepper Flakes

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tbsp. (½ oz.) Tabasco Chipotle Sauce 

1 tbsp. (½ oz.)   Paprika 

2 tbsp. (1 oz.) Kitchen Bouquet

1 lb. (2 cups) parboiled or long grain Rice 

Mix sausage in Italian Dressing and coat with Season-All and set aside (keep cool/cold)

Add broth to cooker and stir in chicken base. Add rice and onion/bell pepper flakes. Mix everything together along with Cream of Chicken and Celery.

Add Tabasco or cayenne. Add Paprika, garlic powder and Kitchen Bouquet. Add meat and stir around one last time.

Place the lid on rice cooker and turn on (cook). Let rice steam out till cooker chimes and sets itself to warm. Reset to cook (full on) and hold button for 1 min. Eventually will re-chime and turn itself back to warm. Initially let the cover stay on for 15-20 minutes.

Check rice and scrape sides into the bottom. Once rice is done, Turn off and let sit covered 5-10 minutes before serving.

You can also use pork and/or chicken, alone or in any combination, but you must brown and pre-cook in skillet abut 15-20 min.

Feeling adventurous? Replace onion/pepper flakes with > Sauté 1 med. onion, 1 bell pepper and 1 can Rotel Diced Chili Tomatoes in skillet and add in at beginning. .

  

Submitted By: Tony Guidry, EMT-Paramedic

Louisiana, USA

Magnificent Magnalite Gumbo

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Serving Size: 16-20 

8 lbs. halved skinless boneless Chicken Thigh fillets, pre-seasoned with 1 oz. Season-All & marinated in 4 oz. Italian Dressing and 4 oz. Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

2 lb. sliced Conecuh Hickory Smoked Sausage

1 lb. Andouille Sausage sliced ½ moons (if unavailable use another lb. of smoked sausage)

1 lb. Smoked Turkey Necks or smoked Pork Tasso 

4 cans Swanson garlic seasoned chicken broth

4 chicken bullion cubes 

2 lb. PictSweet Blend or Cajun Holy Trinity of onion, bell pepper and shallots 

2 oz. Tabasco Chipotle hot sauce

1 gal. Water

Salt and/or more Season-All, to taste

2 oz. (by volume) parsley flakes

2 cups Flour

2 cups Oil

Coat deep Magnalite pot with a little cooking oil or PAM and preheat slightly. Brown chicken @ med. heat.  Remove chicken and set aside. 

Brown smoked sausage then remove and set aside.

Sauté onion blend @ med/low heat till caramelized. Add broth, bullion and Tabasco along with andouille and turkey necks. Bring to a low simmer while making Roux separately. 

In a separate shallow Magnalite pot make Roux of 2 cups ea. flour and oil.                          

Add ½ gal. water to stock pot and @ med/high heat bring to soft boil then reduce to med/low. Add Roux/base to gumbo. Add salt and further seasoning as needed. If needed, add water (4 oz. at a time) for desired thickness, consistency, color and taste.

Return sausage to gumbo and continue cooking on med/low.

About 1 hour later add chicken (about 1 hr. before finish) and cut down to low heat. Add (float) parsley flakes, don’t stir in.

If Filé is used add very little at very end and preferably in the actual served bowl of gumbo. WARNING: If unsure or not familiar with Filé, DON’T use.

Submitted By: Tony Guidry, EMT-Paramedic

Louisiana, USA

Mulligan Stew

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Serving Size: 8 Quarts

3 lbs. Pork stew meat or diced Boston Butt

Roux (see directions):1 cup each flour and Vegetable or Canola cooking oil)

Cajun Trinity (diced): 2 large onions, 1 bell pepper and 1 stalk of celery

1 handful chopped Shallots (green onions/scallions) 

10 oz. can Rotel Diced Chili Tomatoes 

6 oz. can Mushroom pieces and stems

5 oz. can Cream of Mushroom

6 oz. Worcestershire

3 oz. Italian dressing

2 tbsp (1oz.) Tabasco Chipotle Sauce 

2 packs McCormick Beef Stew Mix

1 tablespoon Morton Season-All

8 oz. water

14 oz. beef broth

15 oz. can Early Potatoes (drained and sliced/cubed)

4 oz. baby carrots (leave whole)

8 oz. jar small Cocktail Onions (drained and rinsed)

Marinate diced pork in Worcestershire and Italian dressing and lightly coat with Season-All, set aside in refrigerator. If possible do this 1-2 hr. ahead or even better the night before you begin to cook.

Mix oil and flour in heavy bottom s/s or Magnalite (cast alum.) pot; if you omit the potatoes (or substitute with turnips) you can also use cured cast iron.

Begin heating on med/low fire to brown Roux to a dark chocolate color.

WARNING: Do not rush this or Roux will burn. Any burning/scorching and you must discard and start over. As it darkens you may lower heat.

Blend in Trinity and sauté 15 min.

Add in pork. Stir around till pork is lightly browned. 

Option: You may instead brown pork separate in a skillet then add in to main pot at this point. 

Important: Don’t Panic!!  It will look like a gooey mess. Add broth and keep stirring at med. heat and it will thin it out after about 5 min.

Pre-dissolve Stew Mix in boiling water then stir in. Add in Rotel and Cream of Mushroom. Now it will be perfect consistency, texture and color.

*Add in all remaining ingredients, cover and simmer on very low 2-3 hrs. stirring every 10-15 min. If any sticking, add a couple of ounces of water.

TIP: Have errands to run and too busy to keep checking on it? Then try this; > At point * dump everything into a crock pot, set on “LOW”, and forget about it for the rest of the day. It will be ready when you are. 

Serve over hot, steaming, cooked rice with halved peeled boiled eggs.

Submitted By: Tony Guidry, EMT-Paramedic

Louisiana, USA

Josh’s Crawfish Fettucini

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Serving Size: 20 people

6 lbs. peeled Crawfish Tails

4 sticks Butter

1 1/2 quarts Half and Half

1 large block of Velveeta Cheese

2 Containers of Fresh Chopped Seasoning (May be substituted with 2 medium Onions, 1 large Bell Pepper, and 1/2 cup of Green Onions

1 can of Rotel Tomatoes

1 tablespoon Garlic, minced

1/2 cup Olive Oil

6-7 12 oz. bags of extra broad Egg Noodles

3-4 large Bay Leaves

1/4 cup Cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere's)

1 - 1 1/2 cups Parmesan Cheese

Sauteé fresh seasonings and garlic in butter until onions are clear. Add crawfish, Rotel, cajun seasoning, and bay leaves and cook approximately 30 minutes on medium heat. 

Add half and half and cook on low (DO NOT BOIL, MILK WILL SCORCH). Cut Velveeta into chunks and add. Cook on low until all cheese melts. Allow entire mixture to simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Boil pasta in large stock pot with olive oil. Drain, do not rinse. Add pasta to sauce a little at a time to mix pasta and sauce.  Add Parmesan cheese to mixture to absorb some of the liquid. 

Leave mixture somewhat juicy and let set for approximately 30 minutes. Mixture will "tighten up.” 

Enjoy! 

Submitted By: Josh Falgoust, EMT-Paramedic

Lousiana, USA