Jambalaya

It's been a long time since I made jambalaya. We used to eat a lot of food seasoned with Tony Chachere's seasoning simply because a southern friend of my mom recommended it for Cajun-style food. We used it on more than just Cajun or Creole recipes: steak, chicken, et cetera. My husband prefers spicy foods, so I decided it was time to revisit jambalaya.

I compiled several Cajun Jambalaya recipes and created my own using the others as a base to start. This is a Cajun style dish, so there are no tomatoes in it, but it does use Tony Chachere's Creole style seasoning. I created this recipe to be less spicy since my mom and I are not accustomed to hot foods--we are used to Mennonite cooking. However, this still has a bit of hotness to it because of the red pepper in the seasoning. My husband doesn't really notice, but if you are not used to spicy foods, you will notice. For those looking for a spicier dish, I recommend increasing the amount of seasoning in the recipe and using hot Italian sausage.

This meal goes well with French or Italian bread. Enjoy!

Jen's Jambalaya

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp Tony Chachere’s seasoning (or other Cajun/Creole seasoning)
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 lb Sweet Italian sausage (ground or links), cut into bite size pieces
1 cup chicken broth
½ sweet onion, chopped
½ green bell pepper, chopped
½ red bell pepper, chopped
1 whole celery stalk, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 scallions, sliced
2 cups cooked rice (I use Minute Rice cooked in chicken broth)

Directions:

Fry chicken in olive oil with 1 tbsp Tony Chachere’s seasoning. Add sausage. Stir every few minutes; let the liquids evaporate to brown the meat and give the bottom of the pan a crust.
Remove meat from the pan when it is cooked thoroughly and set aside. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic to the pan cook for 3 minutes.
Add 1 cup chicken broth and ½ tbsp (or more) of Tony Chachere’s seasoning to the pan and stir. Cover pan and let cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are desired tenderness.
Add meat to the pan and stir, then add the cooked rice. Stir everything together while scraping the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
Add scallions, stir, then simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir again before serving.