Corn Maque Choux with Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage

This Corn Maque Choux with Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage is a classic southern Louisiana dish.  It might be difficult to pronounce, but it’s easy to make…and it’s delicious, too!

Disclosure: This Corn Maque Choux with Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage post was sponsored by al fresco, but the recipe and opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Spiced!

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This Corn Maque Choux with Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage is a classic southern Louisiana dish.  It might be difficult to pronounce, but it's easy to make...and it's delicious, too!

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to return to my roots.  Well, sorta.  While I grew up in the Carolinas, I lived in south Louisiana for a while after college, and I credit that area with expanding my interest in food.  You can’t help but love delicious food when you live in south Louisiana!

I spent almost a week in New Orleans, and I ate like a king every single day.  In fact, I took a foodie tour of the French Quarter one afternoon where we got to sample tasty bits and bites from 6 different places.  If you’ve never been to New Orleans, then go.  Seriously.  It’s an amazing city, and I love wandering around the side streets around the Quarter.  (You gotta see Bourbon Street when you go to New Orleans.  So go see it, then go wander the side streets instead!)

New Orleans

On the food tour, we got into a really fascinating discussion about the differences between Cajun and Creole.  These terms are often used interchangeably, but they are actually unique.  Both Cajun and Creole styles of cooking include French, Spanish, American Indian and African influences.  After all, New Orleans is a real melting pot of cultures thanks to its history.  The primary settlers in the area – the Acadians – were French outcasts who migrated to the Maritime Islands in Canada only to be outcast again to south Louisiana.  Gumbo is Louisiana’s version of the French bouillabaisse, and jambalaya is Louisiana’s adaptation of the Spanish paella.

Creole cuisine is often described as “city food” while Cajun is described as “country food.”  In a nutshell, this is pretty close.  The Creole style came about largely as a result of wealthy European families who settled in the area.  These French and Spanish families had their own chefs, and the Creole style of cooking emerged when these chefs adapted their recipes to local foods and influences.  (That’s where the American Indian and African elements come into the picture.)

This Corn Maque Choux with Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage is a classic southern Louisiana dish.  It might be difficult to pronounce, but it's easy to make...and it's delicious, too!

Cajun food on the other hand comes more from the southwestern part of the state…so a couple hours west of New Orleans.  The settlers in this area – the Cajuns – had to adapt their cooking styles to the availability of local ingredients.  However, the food markets in the city of New Orleans had many ingredients that just weren’t available out in the country. 

The Cajuns applied their French background to the local ingredients available in the swamps and bayous of south Louisiana.  For this reason, wild game, fish, shrimp and other shellfish play a larger role in Cajun cooking as compared to Creole cooking.  Cajun families were often poor, and rice was commonly used to stretch recipes for an extra day or two.  To this day, many Cajun recipes still feature rice as a base.

This Corn Maque Choux with Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage is a classic southern Louisiana dish.  It might be difficult to pronounce, but it's easy to make...and it's delicious, too!

Corn Maque Choux with Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage

Phew.  Have I thoroughly confused you yet?  Cajun and Creole styles of cooking are indeed similar, but there are unique differences in there, too.  This recipe for Corn Maque Choux with Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage probably leans a bit more to the Creole side with a heavy American Indian influence.  Pronounced “mock shoe,” Corn Maque Choux is one heck of a delicious (and easy) recipe!  Delicious + easy?  Sign me up!

Andouille sausage plays a key role in many Cajun and Creole dishes.  (The correct pronunciation of andouille is aan·doo·ee…just in case you were wondering!) We always keep a couple packages of Cajun andouille sausage in the freezer for whenever I feel the need (or craving) for some good south Louisiana food!  Fortunately for me, Andouille sausage has become much easier to find in stores (even way up here in upstate New York), and al fresco’s Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage is one of my favorites.  This sausage is made with lean chicken so it includes 70% less fat and 30% less sodium than pork sausage.  (al fresco makes 10 flavors of fully-cooked chicken sausage, and they’re perfect for making easy weeknight dinners!)

This Corn Maque Choux with Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage is a classic southern Louisiana dish.  It might be difficult to pronounce, but it's easy to make...and it's delicious, too!

Speaking of easy dinners, I used al fresco’s Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage to make this Corn Maque Choux.  As the name implies, corn plays a key role in this dish, and fresh corn is preferable when available.  However, given the foot of snow outside right now, fresh corn isn’t front and center in our grocery store right now.  Here’s a pro tip for making Corn Maque Choux in the winter: frozen corn on the cob.  Instead of using ‘regular’ frozen corn kernels, grab a package of frozen ears of corn on the cob instead.  Thaw that corn and slice it off the cob at home.  You’ll end up with a bit more of the ‘corn milk,’ and that provides more flavor to this recipe.

Maque Choux is a classic Cajun side dish – this combination of corn, vegetables and spices is easy to prepare. Oh, and the taste is out of this world. (Yes, even with frozen corn!) (In a pinch, canned corn can be used, but I do recommend frozen ears of corn as that ‘corn milk’ produces a lot of the flavor for this dish.)

Fat Tuesday is coming up soon, and we love celebrating the Mardi Gras season by making Cajun and Creole food.  Laissez les bons temps rouler!  (That’s Cajun French for ‘Let the Good Times Roll.’)  Then pick up some andouille and corn, turn on some Zydeco music and get to cookin’!  Cheers!

This Corn Maque Choux with Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage is a classic southern Louisiana dish.  It might be difficult to pronounce, but it's easy to make...and it's delicious, too!

Did you make this Corn Maque Choux with Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage at home?  Leave a comment.  Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!

Looking for more tasty Cajun and Creole recipes?  Check out these other favorites:

Cajun Pastalaya with Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage
Cajun Fried Shrimp
Classic Mardi Gras King Cake
Mardi Gras Donut Holes
Red Beans and Rice Stuffed Peppers

This Corn Maque Choux with Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage is a classic southern Louisiana dish.  It might be difficult to pronounce, but it's easy to make...and it's delicious, too!

Corn Maque Choux with Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage

This Corn Maque Choux with Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage is a classic southern Louisiana dish.  It might be difficult to pronounce, but it’s easy to make…and it’s delicious, too!
5 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 311kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Using a deep skillet, add butter and place over medium heat. Once hot, add bell peppers and onions; sauté for 6-8 minutes or until onion begins to turn transparent.
  • Meanwhile, slice the al fresco Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat, flipping occasionally, until edges are crisp. Set sausage aside.
  • Add corn, tomatoes, garlic, Cajun seasoning, thyme, salt, pepper and heavy cream to the onion mixture; stir and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Stir the al fresco chicken sausage and green onions into corn mixture.
  • Before serving, garnish with additional chopped green onions.
This Corn Maque Choux with Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage is a classic southern Louisiana dish.  It might be difficult to pronounce, but it's easy to make...and it's delicious, too!

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24 Comments

    1. To be fair, I often lumped Cajun and Creole into the same category, too, Kelsie. They are similar for sure, but there are distinct differences hiding in there. Either way, bring on the south Louisiana fare…especially now that Mardi Gras season is here! 🙂

  1. Hi David! Love this recipe! You know I’m a huge fan of Creole/Cajun food. Andouille sausage used to be hard to find, but thankfully many stores carry it now. Way back when I had order it from a source in New Orleans. Another home run my friend!

    1. Yes! We definitely share a love of south Louisiana cuisine, Dorothy. I love it all year round, but there’s something about Mardi Gras season that really makes me crave it even more. I totally remember having to order andouille back in the day, too. I consider myself lucky that I can find tasty andouille way up here in upstate New York! Hope your week is off and running to a good start, my friend!

  2. 5 stars
    I was just thinking I needed a new recipe for Mardi Gras! This looks so good with the sweet corn, spicy sausage and Cajun spices. Thanks for the information about Cajun vs. Creole, very interesting! Love this recipe, thanks!

    1. Well then how about that for timing? 🙂 Maque Choux might be a bit lesser known on the spectrum of south Louisiana foods, but it is seriously delicious. Laura took leftovers with her to work, and she was in a work meeting during lunch. She said everyone was super jealous of the maque choux! Definitely put this on the menu. And Happy Mardi Gras, my friend!

  3. While I do like jambalaya, I’m not really familiar with the Louisiana cuisine, so I appreciate this little overview. There are many
    Acadians settlements here in Nova Scotia, and that’s always interesting to learn and find connections between different places and countries. We certainly should honor the Louisiana food by you shipping me a container of this delicious dish 🙂

    1. Interesting! I’m not surprised to hear about the Acadian settlements up there in Nova Scotia. After all, the Acadians from there moved to Louisiana, and the rest is history. I’ll be happy to send some maque choux up to you…along with a bunch of Mardi Gras beads!

  4. Happy to hear this is easier to cook than to pronounce. 😉 How cool that you did a food tour of the French Quarter! I haven’t been to New Orleans yet, and I really look forward to it — mostly to eating there. 🙂 Recipe sounds delicious!

    1. Hah! This one really is quite easy to cook, Valentina. It’s best with fresh summer corn, but the frozen cobs worked quite well in a pinch. New Orleans should be on every foodie’s bucket list. That place is so darned cool…and delicious! 🙂 Thanks so much, my friend!

  5. 5 stars
    Having been raised just outside the Louisianna Cajun side of the state and just inside the Texas Cajun side of that state, I know Texjun Mock Shoe well. Something, just add some shrimp and cornbread on the side.
    David, what a fine history lesson you provided and what a fantastic time of the year to visit NOLA. I’ve dined at many of the fine restaurants in the Quarter, but never went on a “foodie tour”. What fun.

    1. Ah! While I was born in Dallas, I still have relatives in East Texas. In fact, when I was living in Louisiana, I would often drive up through your part of the state to visit my aunt/uncle in Longview, TX. Highway 49 is a long, long road! Since you didn’t have a chance to take a foodie tour of NOLA, I say that means you need to go back. If you hurry, you can still catch a couple of parades! 🙂

  6. 5 stars
    David, what a fun name for a delicious dish! My dad’s been asking me for a fried corn dish for a while now. I sent him link to your Instagram to see it (I’m sure there’s a more modern way of saying that!), and he loved it! I’ll be making it for him the next time I go for a visit. He’s hoping it’s real soon!

    1. Fried corn, eh? That sounds delicious! Corn makes it’s way into so many awesome southern dishes. I really appreciate you sending my Instagram link along to your Dad! 🙂 Ah, technology these days! Fresh corn is best for this recipe, but I’ve used frozen cobs and they’ve worked well, too. Either way, make sure to use cobs instead of just frozen corn! I hope this Maque Choux is a hit with the fam!

  7. 5 stars
    I don’t eat meat but man I miss sausage the most. Especially smoked andouille sausage. OMG, I can imagine all that tasty food in South Louisiana, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I used to go to NOLA at least once a year. Have a great week David

    1. Oh, you should totally plan a return trip back to NOLA, Mary. I love that city! I was down there a couple of weeks ago, and I absolutely didn’t want to leave. South Louisiana eats are where it’s at! Plus, I crave Cajun and Creole food like crazy during Mardi Gras season. 🙂

    1. A foodie tour is a must in New Orleans! And then after that, just go get lost on the backstreets in the French Quarter. New Orleans is a charming city for sure! (And like most places, I’ve found Yelp to be a reliable guide when looking for tasty restaurants. It beats just wandering into a place and crossing your fingers!) In the meantime, though, we can cook up some tasty Cajun/Creole dishes here at home. Cheers, my friend! 🙂

  8. Really lovely! I had no idea there was cream in this dish! We’ve been to New Orleans twice, and we had good food, but we also had terrible food. Seems like in the less fancy restaurants they put sugar in everything. Like, even sauerkraut! I guess it’s a southern thing? Anyway, great post.

    1. Like most regional dishes, there are about a zillion ways to make maque choux. Most versions do call for a bit of cream that gets cooked in at the end. Delicious!

  9. 5 stars
    It may be difficult to pronounce David but your corn maque choux with smoked Andouille chicken sausage sure looks delicious! You always have fascinating stories as to where your dishes come from or how they were inspired. I actually prefer chicken sausage nowadays too. I hope we can get these sausages here in the UK soon.

    1. Definitely keep an eye out for these chicken sausages in the UK, Neil! I’m not sure what al fresco’s distribution plans are for across the pond, but if you see ’em, grab ’em! 🙂 And then put corn maque choux on the menu ASAP! Laura just requested that I make this recipe again so she can take it for lunches this week. That’s what I’ll be doing later this afternoon. Haha!

  10. 5 stars
    I can always count on you for super interesting history lessons, David. Where were you when I was in college? 😉

    Loving this Corn Maque Choux! Keith and I would devour it!

    1. Hah! Thanks so much, Marissa! I always love the story behind food. It might be the actual ingredient. It might be the recipe. It might be something else not related at all to food. I guess I just like to tell stories! 🙂

      Thanks so much for the kind words, my friend! I hope you had a great weekend!

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