Saturday, November 14, 2020

Appetizer Spotlight: Award Winning Big Easy Egg Rolls with Creole Dipping Sauce #gameday #appetizer #eggroll #bigflavorfood #fusionfood

Have I got an appetizer for you today, friends! Between the holiday season and weekly Houston Texans game day food, I'm always looking for fun new appetizers to share. My award winning Big Easy Egg Rolls with Creamy Creole Dipping Sauce are bursting with the Big Flavors we love. I entered this recipe in a blogger contest in 2018, winning third place!! These tasty egg rolls feature classic Louisiana flavors like sausage, shrimp, and chicken; sautéed onion, celery, and bell pepper (aka trinity); hot sauce and Creole seasoning for spice; and cream cheese to bring everything together. After they're fried, these fusion egg rolls are served with a quick remoulade dipping sauce. Get ready for rave reviews when you serve these appetizers at your next party -- everyone who tries them goes absolutely crazy for them!

Big Easy Egg Rolls with Creole Dipping Sauce
a Weekend Gourmet Original

Ingredients (makes 6 egg rolls):
  • 6 egg roll wrappers
  • 1 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
  • 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup diced andouille sausage [NOTE: can use regular smoked sausage plus 1 tsp. additional Creole seasoning]
  • 3/4 cup diced chicken breast
  • 1/2 cup shrimp, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 Tbs. + 1 tbs. Creole seasoning
  • 1 Tbs. hot sauce
  • Vegetable oil for frying egg rolls
For the dipping sauce:
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbs. Creole mustard [NOTE: can use any grainy mustard]
  • 2 Tbs. ketchup
  • 1 Tbs. hot sauce
  • 1 Tbs. lemon juice
  • 1 Tbs. Creole seasoning
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Directions:
Step 1: Make the remoulade dipping sauce. Add the mayonnaise, Creole mustard, ketchup, hot sauce, lemon juice, Creole seasoning, and green onion to a bowl. Whisk to completely combine. Cover and refrigerate until the egg rolls are ready to serve. [NOTE: This step can be completed up to 24 hours before you plan to serve the egg rolls.]

Step 2: Add the olive oil to a non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Add the celery, onion, bell pepper, and 1 Tbs. of Creole seasoning. Cook until the veggies begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Turn heat to medium and add the sausage. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, until the sausage is browned.

Step 3: Add the chicken and shrimp to the pan and sauté until cooked through. Add the cream cheese, hot sauce, and remaining Tbs. of Creole seasoning. Stir until the cream cheese melts and is evenly incorporated with the veggies and meats. Cool the filling mixture slightly. 
Step 4: Place an egg roll wrapper on a large plate, in the shape of a diamond -- with the pointed ends vertical. Place approximately 1/3 cup of filling in the lower half of the wrapper. Fold the sides in over the filling, then roll the wrapper over the filling, away from you...tucking as you go. Brush the inside of the egg roll wrapper with water as you roll tightly to ensure a tight seal. Seal the edges of each egg roll with more water and lay seam side down. Repeat the process with the remaining wrappers. 

Step 5: Heat vegetable oil in a skillet with high sides over med-high heat for about 5 minutes. When the oil is hot, fry the egg rolls in two batches of three. This avoids crowding, which causes soggy egg rolls. Cook until golden-brown on one side, then flip and cook until the other side is browned. Drain well on paper towels and sprinkle with additional Creole seasoning. Place the egg rolls on a serving platter, with a bowl of dipping sauce in the middle. 
This fun spin on traditional egg rolls is amazing! The filling is spicy, but not overly so -- the cream cheese cools things off nicely. Feel free to adjust the amount of hot sauce and Creole seasoning to match your personal spice tolerance. The delicious creamy dipping sauce is tangy and a bit spicy! Its flavors perfectly compliment the egg rolls. Make a batch of these egg rolls for your next game day or holiday party -- and let the good times roll! To save yourself time during the busy holiday season, these egg rolls can be assembled and frozen in an airtight container for up to a month. When you're ready to serve, take the egg rolls out of the freezer and thaw on the counter for 2-3 hours before frying. That gives you a pocket of time to whip up the easy dipping sauce. I haven't made these egg rolls in my air fryer, but a few readers have told me that they have...with excellent results.

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