My Rice Dressing / Dirty Rice Recipe - With Pics

This was my grandmother's recipe. I've posted it in a few threads, but took some pics last time I made it and updated the directions a little, as they left some things out and were a tad vague. The unique thing about this recipe is the use of eggplant. I haven't seen it used in any other recipe, and it sets it apart from other recipe's IMO.

3 tsp of chopped garlic
3 onions, chopped
5 stalks of celery, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
5 green eggplants or 2 large purple eggplants (peel skin off purple), chopped
4 lb of ground meat
2 pkg (1 lb each) of regular flavor pork sausage rolls(owens or jimmy deans)
3.5 - 4 cups uncooked rice
1 bunch green onion
1 bunch parsley
Creole Seasoning of your choice
Other spices that you may want to add (garlic powder, tabasco, etc) to taste.

Cook rice 1 day ahead of time and refrigerate.

Chop vegetables first, then brown your meat in a large pot. Season meat while cooking with creole seasoning.



Add vegetables and saute' with meat. Cook until vegetables are translucent. Eggplant should have disintegrated.







Remove grease with a ladel but leave any water / broth leftover from the vegetables.

Grease in pot


Grease removed



Pic after grease removed


Taste meat and add seasoning to desired taste (if needed). It should be a tad salty since rice will be added later.



Add 8 cups of previously refrigerated cooked rice (or to desired ratio of rice to meat). Adding cooled rice keeps the dressing from being mushy which happens when adding hot rice.





Taste finish product, and adjust seasoning if needed. When ready to serve, add chopped green onions and parsley.



Serves about 25.