Jambalaya

Tonight was another Sunday dinner. This month my theme was you had to bring something that started with either the letter of your first name or your last. So, I made Jambalaya. And oh boy was it fantastic.

I doubled the recipe for 7 people. We had enough for dinner, seconds, and perfect amount for everyone to take home some.

I did two types of sausage, Andouille and Linguisa. I like the flavor profile of them both. They, with the cajun spice, have just the right heat to it.

Super easy recipe, that you could make for a week night dinner.

Jambalaya
Recipe from Gimmesomeoven.com

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Photo from GimmeSomeOven.com

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound andouille sausage, thinly sliced into rounds
3 small bell peppers, cored and diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3-4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1 pound raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
optional garnishes: chopped fresh parsley, thinly-sliced green onions, hot sauce

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a stock pot (or a very large, deep sauté pan) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sausage and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sausage is lightly browned. Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the stock pot. Add bell peppers, celery, jalapeño, onion and garlic. Sauté for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened.

Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, rice, Cajun seasoning, thyme, cayenne, bay leaf, cooked chicken and sausage, and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is nearly cooked through, stirring every 5 minutes or so along the way so that the rice does not burn.

Add the shrimp and okra, and stir to combine. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through and pink. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Taste season the jambalaya with salt, pepper, and additional Cajun seasoning if needed. Remove from heat.

**I took out the okra and bell pepper from this recipe.  You'll see in the recipe above where the okra comes into play. The bell pepper is sauted with the onion, celery and jalapeno.