Cajun Black Bean Rice Chowder

While going through the cabinet making my grocery list I found that I had what I thought would be a fantastic chowder. I love just grabbing items and trying your hand at creating a new dish, stepping out of the box is a great thing and I think everyone should give it a try. I am not big on spice but this chowder had me at the first bite, to me it did have a kick but my husband said it was not that spicy. Even better than the items to make this wonderful chowder I also had items to toss together some great crisps to have on the side.

½ - Red Onion (diced)
2 Tbs. - Garlic Powder
1 - Kielbasa (diced)
4 Slices - Bacon (diced)
3 - 15.25 oz. Cans - Black Beans
2 - 16 oz. Cans - Refried Beans
32 oz. - Chicken Broth
1 Tbs. - Cajun Seasoning
1 Tbs. - McCormick Steak Seasoning
2 C. - Cooked White Rice
1 ½ C. - Frozen Corn Kernels
Salt & Pepper
EVOO

In a medium frying pan lightly cover the bottom with EVOO and sauté the onion, when tender remove the onion and cook the kielbasa and bacon. When the meat is brown place it along with the onion into a soup pot. Add the broth, beans and seasonings, let the chowder simmer for about 15 min. then season with salt & pepper and add the corn and rice. Cook for another 10 minutes until thick, serve alongside a Parmesan crisp.

Parmesan Crisp

2 Sheets of Puff Pastry
Butter
Parmesan Cheese

But each sheet of pastry into 6 sections, place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Poke the pastry with a fork so it does not puff too much while baking. Spread the top of each piece of pastry with butter and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

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