1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork sausage (no, not Jimmy Dean)
1 lb. smoked sausage links (Andoulle is great but Hillshire farms or Chappel Hill will work well - the sausage adds the great smoky flavor to this dish)
1/4 lb. chicken livers
4 tbsp. canola oil
1 cup peeled and chopped eggplant
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
3 cups of chicken broth (save the reserve stock)
1 (8 or 9 oz.) pkg. chicken gizzards
bay leaf
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 cup finely chopped bell pepper
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
3/4 finely chopped green onions-(include the tops)
3 tbsp. sea salt
4 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Louisiana hot sauce (preferably Trappey's but Tabasco will do nicely), to taste
2 cups cooked rice

Start by adding one coarsely chopped onion and 1 cup of coarsely chopped celery in a saucepan along with chicken broth and bay leaf. Add gizzards, bring to a boil then simmer for about 60-75 minutes until very tender. It really isn't necessary to salt the gizzards, but adding pepper is perfectly okay.

In a BIG Dutch oven, slowly brown the ground beef and sausage. Once browned, drain excess fat and set aside. In the Dutch oven cook the "Holy Trinity" (Bell pepper, onions, celery) until sweated and onions are transparent.

Add livers and continue cooking until the livers are cooked. Once the liver is cooked, remove from the Dutch oven and add to the gizzards and run through a food processor until coarsely chopped. Return to the Dutch oven and add eggplant and cook for 5-7 minutes on a low heat until eggplant is "cooked down" completely.

Return the meat to the vegetable, stir in chopped sausage, and all seasonings. Stir and simmer on low heat for approximately 90 minutes stirring frequently to make sure the ingredients do not stick to the bottom. Add some of the reserve chicken gizzard stock to keep the ingredients moist and held together. DO NOT add too much liquid, you don't want soup!

Take cooked rice and combine in the Dutch oven along with the minced green onions and parsley. Stir thoroughly and cover for another 15-20 minutes. Add more stock if the dirty rice seems too dry.

Add more salt/pepper and cayenne and hot sauce, to taste.

This recipe will feed an army, or half of Lafayette Parish.

Note: This is classic French Acadian Louisiana Rice Dressing that calls for no short cuts. True French Acadian cooking does not allow for short cuts! You'll find the flavor of this dish incomparable and can be eaten as a main dish, a side dish, wonderful stuffed in a chicken or duck, and makes a great stuffing for bell peppers. Refrigerate.

This dish is better the next day. Bon apetit!

Prep time: 30 minutes; Cooking time: 2 hours.

Submitted by: Gary K.