Looking for some Cajun inspired recipes to add a little spice to your Christmas Eve buffet? Here are my favorite recipes!
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WEEK 119
WHAT ARE WE MIXIN’ UP THIS WEEK?
Looking for some Cajun inspired recipes to add a little spice to your Christmas Eve buffet? I have gathered together my favorite Mad Dash Mixes Recipes into one great menu!
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When I was growing up, my Mom had an open house every Christmas Eve. A few times, she did hold it the Sunday before Christmas but normally it was on Christmas Eve. It would start at 6 in the morning with biscuits and gravy and end sometime in the late evening. People would come and go all day. She would prepare a variety of things and other people would also bring appetizers and desserts to add to the celebration.
We weren’t just celebrating Christmas; we were also celebrating my Dad’s birthday. He was born on Christmas Eve!
One of my parents’ friends sent me this invitation after my parents had both passed away. She had saved it for a number of years and had found it when she was clearing out a drawer. It was a great reminder of my parents and their many friends.
Cajun Inspired Christmas Eve Buffet
Fast forward a number of years and now Dave and I are in Florida trying to start our own new family traditions. I decided to plan a Christmas Eve open house of our own!
Knowing that the Louisiana Gumbo is one of Dave’s favorite recipes, I decided to come up with a Cajun Inspired Christmas Eve buffet menu.
Here is the menu:
- Zesty Crab Dip
- Louisiana Gumbo
- Red Beans & Rice
- Mini Pecan Muffins
Our open house won’t start as early as 6 am or go as late as some of my parents’ parties did! The young man who was helping me clear out the property saw some of the pictures from my parents’ parties and commented that they were quite the partiers! This is the same young man that re-wired my Mom’s stand mixer so I could bring it to Florida! He is quite talented!
Let’s Get to Mixin’
Zesty Crab Dip
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- spatula
- measuring cups
- wooden spoon
- serving bowl or dish
Ingredients
- 8 oz mayonnaise
- 8 oz sour cream
- 1/2 lb chopped imitation Crab
- 1 packet Zesty Crab Dip Mix A Mad Dash Mixes Blend
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, blend mayonnaise & sour cream together until well blended
- Once the mayonnaise & sour cream are well blended, add the contents of the Seasoning Mix packet and blend well
- Add the chopped crab to the mayonnaise/sour cream/seasoning packet blend. Stir until well blended. Chill for at least 4 hours.
- After the dip has chilled, put the dip into a serving bowl.
- Serve the Zesty Crab Dip with a selection of crackers, vegetables, chips or slices of bread
Notes
Louisiana Gumbo with Shrimp
Equipment
- dutch oven or large saucepan
- measuring cups
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 packet Louisiana Gumbo Soup Mix Packet by Mad Dash Mixes
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes do not drain
- 10 oz smoked sausage, sliced
- 1 1/2 lbs peeled & deveined Shrimp
- cooked white rice
Instructions
- Add the Soup Mix packet to 4 cups of water in a large saucepan or dutch oven
- then add the tomatoes and sliced smoked sausage to the saucepan
- Bring to a rolling boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally
- After the gumbo has simmered for 20 minutes, add 1 1/2 lbs of peeled and deveined Shrimp and cook until Shrimp is cooked.
- Serve over white rice
Notes
Red Beans & Rice with Sausage
Equipment
- dutch oven or large stock pot
- measuring cups
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 packet Red Beans & Rice by Mad Dash Mixes
- 2 cups water
- 16 oz smoked sausage, sliced
- 2 cans Dark Kidney beans, drained & rinsed
Instructions
- Drain & Rinse 2 cans of Kidney Beans and add them to the stock pot
- then add the seasoning mix packet and the rice packet to the kidney beans & stir until blended
- Add 2 cups water and bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally
- Add the smoked sausage, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the rice is tender. Stir occassionally
- Once the rice is tender, there still may be extra liquid in the pot. This is normal.
- Serve the Red Beans & Rice with Sausage in a bowl
Notes
Mini Pecan Pie Muffins
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- spatula
- wooden spoon
- mini muffin tin
Ingredients
- 1 packet Mini Pecan Pie Mix by Mad Dash Mixes
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 stick butter melted
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- cooking spray with flour added
- pecan halves
Instructions
- gather ingredients, preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with a fork
- Add the contents of the packet of muffin mix to the beaten eggs and mix well
- Add melted butter to the batter in the bowl, mix well
- Add pecans to batter and blend well
- spray the mini muffin tin with the cooking spray. If you don't have cooking spray with flour , you can use a kitchen spritzer with oil and then dust the pan with cocoa.
- Fill the muffin tins 1/3 of the way full with the muffin batter. Before baking, wipe off excess cocoa dust!
- Bake muffins at 350 for 6 to 9 minutes. Test with a toothpick . The toothpick will come out clean when the muffins are done
- Cool for about 10 minutes and then remove from the muffin tin. Finish cooling on a rack
- After the muffins have finishing cooling, you can add a pecan half to each muffin for a little extra garnish
Notes
Save This Pin For Later!
Bonus Recipe!
My Mom prepared this Shrimp Dip for almost every party! It is so delicious!
Quick & Easy Shrimp Dip
Favorite Serving Pieces
Two of the recipes can be kept warm through the open house by using a crock pot or slow cooker. My favorite slow cooker is my vintage Hamilton Beach slow cooker. It has a removable ceramic insert that make clean up a lot easier.
I love to use my Mom’s ceramic fish dip from the 50s when I am entertaining! She always used it for the Christmas Eve open house and served her shrimp dip in it!
To keep the dip fresh throughout the party, I would set the dish on a tray of ice.
Won’t you stop by and enjoy our Cajun Inspired Christmas Eve Buffet menu with us?
Wishing you a Merry Christmas & A Very Happy New Year!
Need Ideas for a New Year’s Eve Party?
COOKING WITH KIM
Disclosure: this post was written in collaboration with Mad Dash Mixes
All opinions are my own.
Please see my disclosure page for more information.
[…] I kept the menu simple for this Holiday Open House. If you are looking for a menu with heartier foods, please see my post Cajun Inspired Christmas Eve Buffet […]