What in the hell is a Cajun Stir Fry? You can make a Stir Fry Casserole? Have you lost your damn mind? Well, folks, to keep things short and simple, yes I probably have lost it, but I have created the most delicious fusion meal of the century! We all love Cajun food, stir fry meals, and casseroles but up until now they have been three separate dishes. I must admit that I'm very excited to bring you today's recipe, Cajun Stir Fry Casserole, and change your mind about food limitations forever! It's a down home meal consisting of Cajun flavors cooked with Asian-influenced ideas prepared in that classic Mid-Western favorite casserole form! I know I definitely sound crazy with this one, but trust me when I say it will fill your belly and satisfy those tastebuds like nothing you have ever experienced. All I can say is get ready to have your mind blown with this one...Let's Get Cooking!
While the whole idea of this recipe may still sound crazy to you, both Cajun food and stir fry share many similar ingredients. Rice, for example, normally accompanies a stir fry but for today's recipe it serves as the base layer of our casserole. Add the rice and chicken stock to a large baking pan. Now I know tomatoes are controversial in Cajun vs Creole cooking, whether they she be included or not, but for the purpose of a little extra flavor on the rice we are definitely going to use a can of Rotel. Don't bother draining it, though, because we want that extra tomato-infused liquid to get dispersed throughout the rice base layer. Give everything a quick stir to make sure it is all evenly distributed before moving on to the next step.
One of my favorite things about modern grocery stores is the vast availability of what used to be regional ingredients. Andouille Sausage is well known in the South and is widely used in Cajun cooking. You don't have to use Andouille by any means, but it works well in this recipe and definitely adds a bit more Cajun influence on the overall casserole. Anyway, most sausages can be found in 12-ounce packages so take an Andouille, or a nice spicy polish sausage, and slice it into 1/4-inch rounds. Layer the sausage slices over the rice in an even layer.
Alright, so far so good, eh? Now the next couple layers of this wild casserole require a bit of prep work. You are going to need to deseed and slice up a few bell peppers as well as prep a large onion into similar sized pieces. These ingredients bring a little more "stir fry" action back to the recipe so don't skimp out! I used a combination of green, yellow, and red bell pepper, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. I will admit, however, the yellow and red tend to be a tad sweeter than the green so using a bit of all of them seems to work best. Anyway, once you have your peppers prepped, mix them up and spread them over the sausage slices. It's probably also a good idea to pull out your favorite Cajun Seasoning mix and give everything a good sprinkle. There are a lot of parts and pieces to this casserole so don't hold back and be sure to season it well!
Continuing on, repeat the process with that onion you sliced. This time, instead of Cajun Seasoning, top the onions off with a metric ton of minced garlic! After all, we have to keep adding those stir fry elements, eh?
What do you think after 4 layers so far? We could probably call it a day and stop here, but why not keep taking things to the next level and throw down another layer of a second Andouille Sausage?!?!?! Like last time, slice it into 1/4-inch rounds and spread them evenly across the top of the onion and garlic layer. Since this will be our top layer, be sure to finish seasoning everything with more of that Cajun mix and several tablespoons of olive oil. As this casserole bakes, the oil on top will drain down throughout the layers bringing the flavors with it until eventually it all blends together into umami goodness!
Now that we have layer upon layer of Cajun flavors intertwined with stir fry staples, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour. The internal steam released from the veggies and stock will make sure the rice gets cooked while the olive oil and seasoning blend will carry those Cajun flavors throughout every ingredient!
One hour later, carefully remove that aluminum foil covering and prepare your senses to be overwhelmed with flavor and goodness! It may not look like much from the top down, but as soon as you pull a big scoop out and see all those layers you will have a hard time not digging right in!
What do you think? Did I actually just create the world's first Cajun Stir Fry Casserole? I think I nailed it! Plus, like any casserole, you can pretty much swap ingredients or add whatever you like. Maybe spice it up a bit more with some sliced jalapenos, or use different types of sausages, or even throw in some chicken and shrimp to make it lean more towards a Jambalaya casserole. The possibilities and options are nearly limitless with this recipe. Be sure to make this recipe and tag me on Instagram under @grubbongrub with your #CajunStirFryCasserole pics! Sometimes it truly pays off to get a little wild and wacky in the kitchen by trying your own crazy ideas.....Just Keep Cooking!
CAJUN STIR FRY CASSEROLE
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