Dirty Rice

Dirty rice is packed with Cajun flavor and the texture is to die for! It has the most amazing blend of delicious spices, meats, and rice that will definitely be something that your family will go crazy for!

Cook this in one pot and you will see just how quick and easy this recipe is! It’s definitely one of my go-to side dishes. If you love the Cajun flavor that this recipe brings then try this cod, shrimp, and lobster tails! They are all delicious and bursting with that amazing delicious taste!

Dirty Rice Recipe

Dirty rice (or sometimes known as “Cajun Rice”) gets its name from the color that it becomes after you mix all of its ingredients together! Now, I know that you have all had rice as a side to your meals. Whether that is white rice or brown rice or fried rice. But… If you really want to take it to the next level, dirty rice is about to be your new best friend! If you make it with this homemade Cajun seasoning, it will really set it apart!

You can make this recipe at home in under 30 minutes! You can cook it as a side to eat with some of this yummy baked chicken. Or better yet, eat it for your main meal at lunch! It is filling and super delicious! You could even make it ahead and prepare enough to have for lunch all week. Whatever you decide to eat it with, you will absolutely love it! Oh, and don’t forget that it can be cooked all in one pot so not only is it fast but it’s going to be super easy cleanup for you as well!

Ingredients in Easy Dirty Rice

The ingredients in this recipe are all simple and once you combine them all, will turn out amazing! See the recipe card below for a list of exact measurements.

• Ground beef and pork: The protein helps make this dish super filling!
• Onion, green pepper and celery: Dice these all up to about the same size so that they cook evenly.
• Garlic: If you don’t have any fresh garlic cloves that you can mince, use the minced garlic from your fridge. ½ tsp equals about 1 clove of garlic.
• Cajun Seasoning: If you can, make this cajun seasoning ahead of time and you will never go back to store bought again!
• Rice: Long grained rice is what you will want to try and use for this recipe.
• Beef broth: This will bring in flavor while you cook the rice.
• Salt: Sprinkle this in to taste!

How to Cook Dirty Rice on the Stove

Quick and easy is the name of this game! Dirty rice cooks all in one pot so cooking is an absolute breeze. This rice tastes so delicious that you won’t be able to stop at one serving!

1. Cook meat and add in veggies: In a large pot cook and crumble the ground beef and pork until no longer pink. Add in the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic and cajun and cook until they start to soften.
2. Add rice: Add in rice and beef broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Fluff and serve.

Tips and Ideas for the Best Dirty Rice

If you want to take your dirty rice up a notch, I have come up with a few tips and tricks on how to change things up to make this work just for you!

• Healthy alternatives: For a slightly healthier option, you could use ground turkey instead of beef and pork. You can also substitute the white rice for some brown rice in stead! These are sublte changes that won’t change the flavor of the dish!
• Stuffed Peppers: This is an amazing rice to use with peppers! Cut the top off of a bell pepper (any flavor or color) and stuff this dirty rice in them. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees and you suddently have yourself another (totally different!) delicious meal with no extra work!
• Go heavy on the meat: The meat is the heartiest part of this dish so make sure that you don’t skimp on the meat!

How to Store or Freeze Leftover Rice

You can cook some of this ahead of time and store it in your fridge or freezer for an easy meal later! Follow these instructions to find out how you store this rice and how to reheat your leftovers!

• Refrigerator: Store your rice in an airtight container. It will last in your fridge for 5-6 days!
• Freezer: Once your rice has cooled, place it in a sealed ziplock bag or container and label it with the date. You can store it in your freezer for up to 3 months.
• Reheat: Make sure you have thawed your rice in the fridge overnight. Once it’s thawed you can reheat it in the microwave, stirring often until heated through. Or, you can heat it up on the stove until warm.

More Rice Recipes to Love

Rice is an excellent option for side dishes and main dishes. You can’t go wrong with it and it’s something that everyone (even kids!) love! So here are a few more of my favorite rice recipes. I’ve picked some out that are different enough that you should be able to find something that goes with whatever it is that you are cooking! They are all so delicious that its hard to choose which one is best!

Dinner

Better than Takeout Ham Fried Rice

Dinner

Grilled Lime Coconut Chicken with Coconut Rice

Side Dishes

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Side Dishes

Mexican Rice

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Dirty Rice

Dirty rice is packed with Cajun flavor and the texture is to die for! It has the most amazing blend of delicious spices, meats, and rice that will definitely be something that your family will go crazy for!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword dirty rice, dirty rice recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 583kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• 2 stalks celery diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 Tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups long grain rice
• 3 1/2 cups beef broth
• salt to taste

Instructions

• In a large pot cook and crumble the ground beef and pork until no longer pink. Add in the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and cajun and cook until they start to soften.
• Add in rice and beef broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Fluff and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 583kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 859mg | Potassium: 641mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 986IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 3mg

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Corn Fritters

Corn Fritters are the best combination of savory tastes that are cooked to golden brown perfection! Crispy on the outside with a soft and tender inside, these are insanely delicious!

These corn fritters are an excellent side dish that will go with just about anything! I absolutely love a unique side and these are exactly that! A few more side dishes that you MUST try are some of my favorites such as fried green tomatoes, bacon wrapped asparagus and roasted garlic carrots.

Corn Fritters Recipe

Corn fritters are fried cakes that have a thick batter with chopped vegetables that are fried to perfection! They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and incredibly delicious! They are super easy to make and can be used with fresh, frozen, or canned corn. Which makes this side dish something that you can make and add to your meals all year long! Corn fritters can be dipped in sauces, used as an appetizer, added in as a side, or even used at breakfast! Besides, everyone loves a recipe that can be used for any type of meal!

There are a few ways to make corn fritters unique and just perfect for you! In fact, I have included some variations at the end of this post. Corn fritters are a huge hit at our house and have quickly become one of the most requested side dishes that I make! My kids go crazy over them and they go fantastic with grilled shrimp, or hamburgers! If you do try them, be ready to make them again and again because they are THAT good!

Ingredients for Easy Corn Fritters

In order to make these corn fritters, you just need a few everyday ingredients. Most of which you will probably already have in your kitchen and pantry! See the recipe card below for exact ingredient measurements.

• Vegetable oil: If you have canola oil on hand, you can use that instead.
• Corn: You can use fresh corn or canned corn for this recipe. 
• Flour: I used all purpose flour in this recipe.
• Cornmeal: Creating a bright flavor and color, the cornmeal helps to create that delicious and crispy outside!
• Baking powder: This helps create that soft texture in the inside of the corn fritter.
• Salt: Will enhance all of the other flavors!
• Paprika: Paprika is a sweet spice that adds a unique taste.
• Green onion: Green onions make this dish savory and are an excellent garnish.
• Milk: Use whole milk!
• Eggs: Eggs bind all of the ingredients together!

How to Make Corn Fritters

These corn fritters are easy to make and even more delicious to eat! Which is a good thing because you will be coming back to this recipe again and again.

1. Simmer and Combine: In a medium sized skillet heat the oil over medium high heat until shimmering. In a medium sized bowl combine the corn, flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sat, paprika, green onion, milk and egg.
2. Fry: Drop the batter with a ¼ cup slowly into the oil. Fry on each side until golden for 2-3 minutes. Carefully remove with a spatula and serve.

The Best Corn Frittter Tips

Frying food is a simple and easy way to get a perfectly crisp shell on your food! Try using Here are a few easy tips to help you make these corn fritters absolutely perfect from the get-go!

• To get a crispy outside: HOT OIL. You want to make sure that you heat up the pan with about ⅛ inch of oil in the bottom of it. Heat the oil for a few minutes before attempting to fry your corn fritters. Once you put them in to cook, don’t overcrowd the pan. You will get crispier corn fritters if you only do a few at a time!
• Oil Temperature: If you have a deep fry thermometer, make sure that your oil doesn’t go higher than 365 degrees. This will be TOO hot and burn your fritters.
• Flatten them out: When you drop some batter into the oil, it will stay as a ball.Try and flatten it out with a spatula. This will help them cook more evenly.

Variations of Corn Fritters

The best part about corn fritters is that you can make them in a few different ways, dip them in a few different things, or mix and match them with different meals! Here are some suggestions on how you can switch them up so that if you are making them a lot, they taste different every time!

• Add protein: If you want to make these fritters the main course, try adding a little meat to them! Chopped up ham or bacon is delicious!
• Mexican style: Add in some jalepenos, cilantro and squeeze in some lime juice and you have a totally new and delicious taste!
• Toppings: Serve these with a variety of toppings! These ones have green onions but you could try adding in some sour cream. Or, if you want to make them sweeter, try them without the green onions and drizzle them with some maple syrup!

How to Store and Reheat Leftover Old Fashioned Corn Fritters

If you want to save some of these for later, here is how you can store and reheat them! They make delicious leftovers so you could even double the recipe and make your life easier for later!

• Refrigerator: You can tore them in an airtight container in your fridge for 3-5 days.
• Freezer: M ake sure that the corn fritters have fully cooled. Once they have, place them in an airtight container or resealable bag in a single layer (no stacking). Make sure to put the date on the container! You can freeze them for up to 2 months.
• Reheat: Make sure that you have thawed your frozen fritters overnight in your fridge. Using a tablespoon of oil in a pan, reheat them on both sides until they are warm and crispy!

More Fritters to Love

I love any kind of fritters and these corn fritters are no exception! Here are a few more tried and true ones that are SOO good and that your friends and family will love! Add them to a meal, use them in an appetizer or eat them on their own because they are just that good! There are so many delicious options that I’m positive that you will find one that you love!

Appetizers

Cheesy Zucchini Fritters

Appetizers

Crispy Cauliflower Fritters

Breakfast

Homemade Apple Fritters

Side Dishes

Potato Pancakes

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Corn Fritters

Corn Fritters are the best combination of savory tastes that are cooked to golden brown perfection! Crispy on the outside with a soft and tender inside, these are insanely delicious!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword corn fritters, how to make corn fritters

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 593kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups corn fresh or canned
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 Tablespoons cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 3 Tablespoons chopped green onion
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs

Instructions

• In a medium-sized skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. In a medium-sized bowl combine the corn, flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, paprika, green onion, milk, and egg.
• Drop the batter with a ¼ cup slowly into the oil. Fry on each side until golden for 2-3 minutes. Carefully remove with a spatula and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 593kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 634mg | Potassium: 601mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 611IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 4mg

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Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars are a heavenly combination of buttery shortbread, topped with decadent cheesecake, tantalizing apple filling, crunchy sweet streusel and drizzled with ooey caramel on top. Nothing says here comes fall quite like these!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars are the perfect way to serve rich luscious cheesecake in the palm of your hand. I love serving these and others winners like Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars,  Nutella Swirl Cheesecake Bars, and Lemon Cheesecake Bars. They are always the first to go at a party or dinner.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Talk about a powerhouse dessert. This Caramel Apple Cheesecake bar has it all. Buttery melt in your mouth shortbread crust is just the beginning. Creamy smooth cream cheese layers on top for a delicious middle. Next spiced apple filling is spread on top and covered in a crumbly sweet streusel topping. After these cool the whole thing is drizzled with a caramel topping perfectly combining all the flavors into an explosion of home baked goodness in your mouth.

These are so extravagant yet so homey you can take and serve them anywhere. From your dinner table to the potluck to the work party, these are perfect. The balance of the tart apples goes perfectly with the tangy cream cheese filling. The crumb topping with caramel will make everyone want the recipe so be prepared with copies.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars Ingredients:

The list may look long, but it’s not complicated at all, it’s just simple sweet elegance.

• Flour: All purpose or bread flour work for this recipe
• Brown Sugar: Try dark brown sugar for more of a rich flavor
• Butter: Be sure to soften the butter for easy mixing.
• Cream Cheese: Low fat cream cheese will work here but I wouldn’t recommend non fat.
• Eggs: Make sure to get Large eggs.
• Vanilla: Helps sweeten the cream cheese.
• Granny Smith Apples: The tartness of granny smiths pairs perfectly with the caramel.
• Ground Cinnamon: Adds spice and warmth.
• Ground Nutmeg: Makes everything taste like fall.
• Caramel Topping: Use your favorite caramel topping or make your own.

Streusel Topping: 

• Brown Sugar: Light or dark will work beautifully.
• Flour: Needed to help make that crumb texture.
• Quick Cooking Oats: Make sure they’re not rolled oats.
• Butter: Don’t substitute shortening or margarine here. You want that clean smooth buttery taste in your crumb.

How to Make Apple Cheesecake Bars:

This a simple recipe, it just takes a little time but it’s easy to do.

1. Line: Line your 9 x 13 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray to make removal of the bars easier. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine and Bake: Mix the flour and brown sugar in a medium sized bowl. Cut in the butter till mixture is crumbly. Press into the bottom of your pan and bake for 15 min till lightly brown.
3. Beat: In another bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed till smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs one at a time wand the vanilla. Mix well and pour over warm crust
4. Apple Filling: In a small bowl combine the apples, two Tablespoons of sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and spoon over the cream cheese layer.
5. Streusel: Combine brown sugar, flour, oats and butter till crumbly and sprinkle over the apple layer.
6. Bake: Bake for 30 min. until filling is set. After cooking drizzle with caramel topping.

 

Hints for Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars:

This delicious caramel apple cheesecake dessert has all of the amazing flavors of fall combined into it. The best part is the caramel drizzled on top! Now drool. 🙂

• Apples: Cut the apples up into pea sized pieces. This ensures they’ll cook and be easier to eat. If you don’t have Granny Smith apples you can use Jonathan, Jonagold, or even Fugi.The taste will be slightly more sweet however.
• Streusel: Don’t melt the butter, keep it cold, but a little soft to ensure you get that nice crumbly texture. Use two knives or a fork to work the butter in if you don’t have a pastry cutter. Use a measuring cup or your hands to press evenly into the pan.
• Cream Cheese: You can use either full fat or 1/3 less fat cream cheese, however the full fat will give you a slightly thicker batter. Try adding a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg to the cream cheese mixture to add a little bit more flavor.
• Prepare: These do take time to prepare, bake, cook and then cool for an hour all before you refrigerate them for at least 3 hours.So before serving these amazing bars make sure you plan accordingly, It will be worth it. I promise.

 

How to Store Cheesecake Bars:

• Refrigerator: Cover bars tightly with foil or place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days
• Freezer: Cheesecake has always frozen well and these are no exception. Before freezing do not but the caramel sauce on. It doesn’t freeze quite as well. Place  the bars in an airtight container, or freezer safe ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months.  Thaw in the refrigerator over night or at least for 4-5 hours. When ready to serve drizzle with the caramel sauce.

More Tempting Caramel Apple Recipes:

There is nothing like biting into a crisp fall apple that has been dipped in caramel. Try these for more caramel apple deliciousness:

• Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
• Delicious Caramel Apple Cupcakes
• Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
• Salted Caramel Apple Butter Bars
• Dutch Caramel Apple Pie Bars

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Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Delicious apple cheesecake streusel bars drizzled with caramel topping!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword caramel apple bars, carmmel apple cheesecake bars, cheesecake bars

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 12 Slices

Calories 528kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup butter softened
• 2 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup caramel topping

Streusel topping:

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup butter softened

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. This makes removal of the bars easier.
• In a medium sized bowl combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly. Press into the bottom of your 9x13 pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
• In a large mixing bowl beat with a hand mixer the cream cheese, 1/2 sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust. In a small bowl combine apples, remaining 2 Tbs sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Spoon evenly on top of the cheesecake layer.
• Combine brown sugar, flour, cooking oats and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle streusel topping over the apple layer.
• Bake for 30 minutes until filling is set. Allow to cool and drizzle with caramel topping.

Notes

Updated on September 9, 2020

Originally Posted on October 4, 2913

Nutrition

Calories: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 257mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 787IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg

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