Ragin' Cajun Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers with Crawfish

Ingredients

5-6 large bell peppers (various colors if preferred), tops and seeds removed
1 1/2 cups cooked Riceland Gold Perfected Rice
1/2 pound ground round
1/2 pound ground mild Italian sausage (or hot if you prefer)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup each: green yellow and red bell peppers
1/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
1 teaspoon smoked ground chipotle
12 ounces thawed, fully cooked, shucked crawfish*
1 cup homemade cream of celery soup, recipe follows (or 1/2 can condensed cream of celery soup)

Preparation

1. To parboil the peppers, bring a very large saucepan of water to boiling. Add topped and seeded peppers and their tops to boiling water and parboil about 3 minutes. Drain and remove to a layer of paper towels until ready to stuff.
2. In a large skillet or Dutch oven brown ground chuck and Italian sausage over medium-high heat; drain excess fat and return meat to Dutch oven or skillet.
3. Add onions, peppers and celery. Sauté until slightly tender. Stir in minced garlic and sauté 2-3 minutes.
4. Add meat and vegetables with Creole seasoning, sea salt, Worcestershire sauce, Liquid Smoke and ground chipotle. Stir to combine thoroughly.
5. Stir in 1 cup homemade cream of celery soup; reduce heat to medium and simmer 10-15 minutes until soup begins to thicken.
6. Add thawed crawfish to filling mixture, stirring well to combine. Remove from heat and allow to rest 15 minutes before filling peppers.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour 1/8-inch hot water in a baking dish large enough to hold peppers.
8. Stuff the parboiled bell peppers with rice mixture and place in baking dish. Top with parboiled pepper tops. Bake until the peppers are very tender and the filling is heated through, 25 to 30 minutes. Gently remove tops about 10 minutes before peppers are finished to allow rice to firm and lightly brown. Place tops back on to serve.
9. Allow peppers to rest 10 minutes prior to serving.

*Note: An equal amount of cooked shrimp may be substituted

Homemade Cream of Celery Soup

Equals approximately  2 cans of prepared canned condensed cream of celery soup; serves 4 as soup.

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 cups thinly sliced celery, preferably organic
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup Wondra
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup milk (at least 2%)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, optional

Instructions

1. In a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat.
2. Sauté onions and celery 5-8 minutes until tender; reduce heat to medium and add garlic and sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add Wondra, stirring to coat all of the vegetables; cook for 1 - 2 minutes.
4. Add broth, milk and cream. Stir until the mixture is smooth.
5. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
6. Add salt, white pepper and ground chipotle, if using.
7. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth.

Note: Store in the refrigerator 3-4 days.

 Adapted recipe of 2004 Miss Arkansas County Rice Kailee Kimrey of Almyra, Arkansas.