May 7, 2018

Jambalaya

This classic Jambalaya recipe is a delicate take on a stew of chicken, sausage, and shrimp. It makes a nice Sunday dinner served with a green salad and rolls.

Wikipedia says “Jambalaya is a Louisiana-origin dish of Spanish and French (especially Provençal cuisine) influence, consisting mainly of meat and vegetables mixed with rice. Traditionally, the meat always includes sausage of some sort, often a smoked sausage such as andouille, along with some other meat or seafood, frequently pork, chicken, crawfish, or shrimp.”

This version is more Creole in origin – it has a tomato base.

We used Italian Sausage here, as it’s easier to find and it adds a nice spice to the dish. Plus, we added BACON! for a little more smoky flavor.

You can certainly buy it, but it’s pretty easy to make your own Cajun/Creole Seasoning

Plus, it’s delish sprinkled on top.

You can omit the shrimp if there is anyone that doesn’t like it (or has an allergy), but even the non-seafood eaters around here agree it adds a nice flavor to the pot.

Jambalaya

Course: Main Course

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 1

Servings: servings

Spicy rice and meats in a cajun sauce

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2 links Cajun sausage or andouille
4 strips Bacon
2 each Chicken breast, boneless, skinless cut into 1" pieces
1 medium Onion chopped in 1/4" dice
1 each Bell Pepper chopped in 1/4" dice
1 stalk Celery chopped in 1/4" dice
2 cloves Garlic chopped finely
2 15.5 ounce cans Chopped tomatoes with juice
6 cups Chicken Stock
1 large Bay Leaf
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 teaspoon Thyme Leaves
1 teaspoon Paprika
2 cups Rice long-grain
1 pound Shrimp
4 each Scallions Chopped

Instructions

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, cook bacon and sausage until lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ad chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is lightly browned and mostly cooked through.
Add onion, pepper and celery and cook until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for another minute.
Add rice and spices; stir to mix. Add tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes until rice is tender.
Add shrimp and green onions. Cook an additional seven to ten minutes until shrimp is cooked through. (It should be pink and no longer translucent.) Remove bay leaves and serve.