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NICK ACOSTA’S PASTALAYA Serves 12-15 WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 tablespoons Rouses Creole Seasoning, or more to taste 1½ pounds Rouses Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces 1½ pounds boneless Boston butt, cut into ½-inch cubes 1½ pounds smoked sausage, cut into ½-inch rounds 1½ pounds medium onions, finely chopped 4 stalks celery, finely diced 2 small green bell peppers, finely diced 3 tablespoons Rouses Minced Garlic 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped ½ cup Rouses Dried Parsley Flakes 3 bay leaves Dash of Rouses Hot Sauce, or more to taste 1 10-ounce can Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies 4 cups of beef stock, plus ½ cup of water 1 Family Size 22.6-ounce can Campbells Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup Dash of Rouses Ground Black Pepper Dash of Rouses Cayenne Pepper 2 tablespoons Rouses Garlic Powder 2 tablespoons Rouses Worcestershire Sauce 2 tablespoons Rouses Steak Sauce 1½ pounds uncooked Rouses Penne or Farfalle Bow Tie pasta 1 bunch chopped green onions HOW TO PREP: Season the boneless chicken thighs with Creole seasoning. Heat the oil till shimmering in a large, heavy-bottomed pot; add seasoned chicken and brown it, then remove from pot and set aside. Brown the pork butt next, then add enough water to the pot to cover the pork by 1 inch. Bring the mixture to a boil and let boil (about 30 minutes), until most of the water is reduced. Once the water is reduced, add the sliced sausage to the pot and brown for about 10 minutes over medium heat; stir constantly to prevent the sausage from sticking. Next add onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, basil, parsley flakes, bay leaves and hot sauce to the pot, and stir to combine. Add can of tomatoes & chilies, and stir.

Let mixture cook over medium heat; stir frequently to prevent sticking. (The vegetables will help create extra liquid.) When vegetables are wilted and cooked thoroughly, add the 4 cups of beef stock, the ½ cup of water and cream of mushroom soup to the pot. Return chicken to the pot. Next, season mixture with black and cayenne peppers, garlic powder, Worcestershire, steak sauce and additional Creole seasoning, if desired for spicier flavor. Stir to combine. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the mixture and stir well. When all the pasta has softened and most of the water has been absorbed, lower heat to medium-low and add the green onions. Stir carefully; place lid on pot for 3 minutes. Lift the lid; stir well, then replace the lid. Lower heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off but do not remove the lid; let sit, covered, for 30 minutes. After this, the pastalaya is ready to enjoy. CHRIS ACOSTA’S HONEY-GARLIC CHICKEN Serves 8 WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 8 boneless chicken thighs, skin-on or skinless Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed ½ medium onion, finely chopped 1 head garlic (10-12 cloves), chopped 1 cup honey ½ cup soy sauce 1 pinch onion powder, or to taste 1 pinch garlic powder, or to taste ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley HOW TO PREP: Season chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned on one side, about 3-5 minutes. Flip chicken and add chopped onion and garlic. Continue cooking until chicken is mostly cooked through and the vegetables are softened, about 5-7 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add honey, soy sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder to the skillet. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return chicken to the skillet. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until chicken is fully cooked through, and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes, turning chicken once halfway through. An instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken should read 165°F. Arrange chicken on a serving platter and drizzle with sauce from the pan. Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley and serve.

12 ROUSES SUMMER 2025 • WWW.ROUSES.COM