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Southern comfort cooking: Paula Deen’s gumbo

The celebrity chef shares her delicious and easy-to-make fall dishes

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Oct. 3: The “Queen of Southern Cuisine” shows TODAY’s Hoda Kotb how to cook this traditional dish filled with chicken, sausage and shrimp.

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Paula Deen on food and faith
Oct. 3: The queen of Southern cooking tells TODAY’s Hoda Kotb about her long journey to success and getting over her fears.

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TODAY
updated 12:11 p.m. ET Oct. 3, 2007

The first lady of Southern hospitality, Paula Deen, shares her tasty recipes that are perfect for the new season. Learn how to prepare a traditional gumbo, filled with chicken, sausage and shrimp — a dish you can put together in the morning and let simmer until dinner. Then top it off with a scrumptious caramel apple cheesecake:

Gumbo
Paula Deen

INGREDIENTS

3 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons margarine
1 large onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish
4 cups hot water
5 beef bouillon cubes
1 14-ounce can stewed tomatoes with juice
2 cups frozen sliced okra
4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts
1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked

Recipe continues below ↓
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DIRECTIONS

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, then remove.

Sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of margarine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. Let the roux cool. Return the Dutch oven to low heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons margarine.

Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste and the 1/4 bunch parsley. Cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.

Add 4 cups hot water and bouillon cubes, whisking constantly. Add the chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add tomatoes and okra. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Just before serving add the green onions, shrimp and chopped parsley.

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Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Paula Deen

INGREDIENTS

1 21-ounce can apple pie filling
1 9-inch graham cracker crust
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup caramel topping
12 pecan halves, plus 2 tablespoons chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Reserve 3/4 cup of the apple filling; set aside. Spoon the remaining filling into the crust. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs and mix well. Pour this over the pie filling.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the center of the cake is set. Cool to room temperature.

Mix the reserved pie filling and caramel topping in a small saucepan and heat for about 1 minute, or until spreadable. Spoon the apple-caramel mixture over the top of the cheesecake and spread evenly. Decorate the edge of the cake with pecan halves and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.

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