Louisiana Real and Rustic Series – Cajun Side Dishes
Although this may not be the most popular of posts in this series, never-the-less Louisiana cooking isn’t all about gumbos and shrimp dishes. We do, after all, need our veggies as well! That said, I thought I’d give you a side dish two-fer; Cajun Corn Maque Choux and Eggplant Shrimp Casserole, for your side dish pleasure. 
Cajun Corn Maque Choux
Packed full of flavor, this side dish compliments almost any Cajun main course. It’s packed with flavor due to the addition of bacon, onion, jalapenos and of course roasted corn. This particular recipe finds inspiration from the Chilipeppermadness.com website.
Course. Lunch or Dinner Side Dish.
Cuisine. Louisiana Cajun
Makes. 4-5 servings
Takes. 30 minutes assembly, or 60 minutes if pre-roasting the corn.
Ingredients
4 ears corn on the cob
4 slices bacon chopped
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1-2 jalapeno peppers chopped – seeds removed
1 tablespoon Tony C’s or other Cajun seasonings
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chicken stock
Hot Sauce for serving
Directions
Fire up your grill and roast off your corn cobs to achieve a lite char. After cooling a bit, slice the corn kernels from the corn cobs and set them aside into the bowl. Use the dull edge of a knife to scrape the edges of the corn cobs to release their "milk" into the bowl. Set aside.
Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the bacon. Cook the bacon until it becomes nice and crispy, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the corn, onion, peppers and Cajun seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until they soften up and start to caramelize, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes. The mixture will thicken nicely with the stock and corn milk. Let it continue to warm for about 2 minutes, stirring a bit, then remove from heat.
Serve with some hot sauce to allow your guests to up the heat! Refrigerates well up to a week.
Eggplant & Shrimp Casserole
Eggplant’s popularity in South Louisiana is seen in many Cajun and Creole dishes. An eggplant and shrimp casserole then is a must at many Cajun or Creole tables. My family and I love eggplant and this recipe is just one example of the versatility of this vegetable. Its creamy texture and delicate flavor go well with other vegetables, meats, and seafood.
It’s common to see eggplant at roadside vegetable stands or grown in backyard vegetable gardens throughout South Louisiana. Introduced by the Spanish in the early days of Louisiana, the climate and soil conditions proved to be ideal for the eggplant to thrive. It also harkens back to the Italian traditions of such dishes as Eggplant Parmesan which has it’s influences here as well. Paired with shrimp, this side dish is a Real and Rustic classic.
Recipe inspired by Emeril Lagasse.
Course. Lunch or Dinner Side Dish.
Cuisine. Louisiana Cajun-Creole
Makes. 3-4 servings
Takes. 30 minutes prep, 60 minutes cooking
Ingredients
1/4 cup avocado oil
1 medium eggplant peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2-pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons Tony C’s or other Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or more to kick up the heat!)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup water or shrimp stock made from the shells
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup dried fine bread crumbs divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan divided
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375ºF or add to your smoker for a delicious smoky variant.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant, Cajun seasoning, cayenne, and black pepper. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly soft. Add the onions, bell pepper, and celery and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened.
Next add the shrimp, thyme, oregano, and garlic. Stir and cook for about 1 minute, or until the shrimp turns light pink. DO NOT OVER COOK THE SHRIMP. They will finish during the baking process. They tend to turn rubbery if overdone. Add the water (or stock), parsley and cook for about 3 minutes more, stirring to combine. Remove from the heat and add about 2/3rds of the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, mixing well.
Spoon into a casserole dish and sprinkle the reserved crumbs and cheese over the top. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve hot as a side at your table.
In case you missed any recipes in this series, check out these other Louisiana Real and Rustic dishes;
Seafood Courtboullion
Boudin Stuffed Quail
Shrimp & Oyster Stuffed Whole Flounder
Red Beans & Rice
Cajun Corn Maque Choux
Packed full of flavor, this side dish compliments almost any Cajun main course. It’s packed with flavor due to the addition of bacon, onion, jalapenos and of course roasted corn. This particular recipe finds inspiration from the Chilipeppermadness.com website.
Course. Lunch or Dinner Side Dish.
Cuisine. Louisiana Cajun
Makes. 4-5 servings
Takes. 30 minutes assembly, or 60 minutes if pre-roasting the corn.
Ingredients
4 ears corn on the cob
4 slices bacon chopped
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1-2 jalapeno peppers chopped – seeds removed
1 tablespoon Tony C’s or other Cajun seasonings
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chicken stock
Hot Sauce for serving
Directions
Fire up your grill and roast off your corn cobs to achieve a lite char. After cooling a bit, slice the corn kernels from the corn cobs and set them aside into the bowl. Use the dull edge of a knife to scrape the edges of the corn cobs to release their "milk" into the bowl. Set aside.
Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the bacon. Cook the bacon until it becomes nice and crispy, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the corn, onion, peppers and Cajun seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until they soften up and start to caramelize, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes. The mixture will thicken nicely with the stock and corn milk. Let it continue to warm for about 2 minutes, stirring a bit, then remove from heat.
Serve with some hot sauce to allow your guests to up the heat! Refrigerates well up to a week.
Eggplant & Shrimp Casserole
Eggplant’s popularity in South Louisiana is seen in many Cajun and Creole dishes. An eggplant and shrimp casserole then is a must at many Cajun or Creole tables. My family and I love eggplant and this recipe is just one example of the versatility of this vegetable. Its creamy texture and delicate flavor go well with other vegetables, meats, and seafood.
It’s common to see eggplant at roadside vegetable stands or grown in backyard vegetable gardens throughout South Louisiana. Introduced by the Spanish in the early days of Louisiana, the climate and soil conditions proved to be ideal for the eggplant to thrive. It also harkens back to the Italian traditions of such dishes as Eggplant Parmesan which has it’s influences here as well. Paired with shrimp, this side dish is a Real and Rustic classic.
Recipe inspired by Emeril Lagasse.
Course. Lunch or Dinner Side Dish.
Cuisine. Louisiana Cajun-Creole
Makes. 3-4 servings
Takes. 30 minutes prep, 60 minutes cooking
Ingredients
1/4 cup avocado oil
1 medium eggplant peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2-pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons Tony C’s or other Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or more to kick up the heat!)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup water or shrimp stock made from the shells
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup dried fine bread crumbs divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan divided
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375ºF or add to your smoker for a delicious smoky variant.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant, Cajun seasoning, cayenne, and black pepper. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly soft. Add the onions, bell pepper, and celery and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened.
Next add the shrimp, thyme, oregano, and garlic. Stir and cook for about 1 minute, or until the shrimp turns light pink. DO NOT OVER COOK THE SHRIMP. They will finish during the baking process. They tend to turn rubbery if overdone. Add the water (or stock), parsley and cook for about 3 minutes more, stirring to combine. Remove from the heat and add about 2/3rds of the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, mixing well.
Spoon into a casserole dish and sprinkle the reserved crumbs and cheese over the top. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve hot as a side at your table.
In case you missed any recipes in this series, check out these other Louisiana Real and Rustic dishes;
Seafood Courtboullion
Boudin Stuffed Quail
Shrimp & Oyster Stuffed Whole Flounder
Red Beans & Rice
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