This is not a quick recipe to fix. It can be a bit time consuming, but for the most part, will cook without needing a lot of attention. Please try this, I am sure you will find that it is worth the extra time to make this from Scratch!

1 lb dried red beans (kidney beans will work)
2 tbsp bacon drippings or vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
1 med bell pepper, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 quarts water (for cooking)
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsps dried parsley
2 large or 3 small bay leaves
Tabasco
Liquid Smoke
2 or 3 smoked hamhocks, (or a nice ham bone, with some meat on it)
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb smoked sausage
Serve over hot fluffy (Louisiana) rice......

The night before, wash and sort the beans. Place in a large bowl and cover with water. You should have at least an inch of water over the tops of the beans. Cover with a towel, and soak overnight.

The next day, discard the water that the beans were soaking in. (Water your plants with it, they will thank you for it!) Rinse the beans well, and set aside. (Discarding the soaking water, and rinsing them will help eliminate some of the "gassey discomfort" that beans can cause).

In a large, heavy stock pot, (or dutch oven), saute the vegetables in the bacon drippings. Add the drained and rinsed beans, 2 quarts of water, the bouillon cubes, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, bay leaves, 3 or 4 shakes of Tabasco (or to taste), 2 or 3 shakes of the Liquid Smoke, and the hamhocks. Stir to evenly distribute the seasonings. (You may notice that I did not add any salt yet, since many of the ingredients have salt in them, I always wait until near the end of the cooking process to determine if any extra salt is needed. You can at this time add 1/8 to 1/2 tsp of black pepper.)

Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Stir every so often. After 2 hours, remove the hamhocks and take the meat from the bones. Return the meat to the pot, and continue to cook until the beans are tender. While stirring, take the back of the spoon, and mash the beans against the side of the pot. This makes the beans creamy. If you prefer more "broth" simply add more water.

Thirty to forty-five minutes before you plan to serve, add 1 pound of smoked sausage, cut into small pieces. Taste to adjust seasonings, and add salt if needed. Serve over hot rice. In our house, we always add a pan of homemade cornbread! YUM YUM!

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1 (2-3 pound) whole chicken
1 large onion
2 ribs celery
1 tbsp salt
1/4 tsp Tabasco
1 bunch green onions

Cook the chicken in 2 quarts of water and the above ingredients. When the chicken is done, remove the meat from the bones. Reserve the meat, and strain the broth the chicken cooked in.

1 pound smoked sausage, cut into small pieces
3 tbsps bacon drippings, or oil
3 tbsps flour
2 medium onions, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
2 tbsps parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups rice
3 cups reseved chicken broth
salt, cayenne and black pepper to taste

I find that a large cast iron dutch oven works wonderfully for this...Brown the sausage in the bacon drippings. Add the flour, and cook stirring constantly to make a nice dark roux. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, parsley and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the reserved chicken, the sausage, the broth, the rice and the seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook covered for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until rice is done. If you find the Jambalaya too moist..cook uncovered for a few minutes longer to evaporate the extra moisture.

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Yeast Version
Ingredients:
1 pkg yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs, well beaten
4 cups flour
3 1/2 cups flour, approximately
oil for deep frying
powdered sugar

Dissolve yeast in the warm water and set aside. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the shortening, sugar, and salt. Add mile, yeast mixture, and eggs. Stir in 4 cups flour and beat vigorously. Add remainder of the flour, to make a soft dough, YOU MAY NOT NEED ALL THE FLOUR!!! Oil a large bowl, and place the dough inside and cover. Refrigerate and store until needed. (you can make this the night ahead, and then fry in the morning)
When ready to cook, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness, and cut into squares or rectangles, approx 2 by 3 inches. Deep fry in oil heated to 350 degrees. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when done, and serve warm.

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Baking Powder Version
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of baking soda
oil oil or fat for frying

Sift all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add milk and egg and mix well. Drop by spoonfuls into deep fat heated to 375 degrees. Fry the beignets until golden. Drain on paper towels, and serve with syrup and butter, or sprinkle with powdered sugar.