Jambalaya

Jambalaya with rice in the center.

    I took one of those funky little Facebook quizzes, "Which famous chef are you?" and the result was Emeril Lagasse. Imagine? Even though I really like Bobby Flay's southwestern style, I do tend to use more of Cajun flavors - not really hot, but spicy for sure! Hot is an option, but not a requirement.
   The family has gotten accustomed to my style and they are up for Cajun anytime. One of their favorites is this Jambalaya recipe - in a crockpot. I've tried a few stove top variations, but they didn't fly as well as this one. Boxed mixes? Sorry, step aside. The crockpot makes it even easier. One thing nice about this recipe is that the rice is served on the side that way you can have as much as you like, or not.

Jambalaya
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in 1 inch cubes
1/2 lb. spicy smoked sausage (andouille if you can find it)
1 medium onion, choppped

Jambalaya served over rice.

2 cloves garlic, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped (use 1/2 tsp. celery seed if you need to)
1 can chicken broth (or 2 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 1-1/2 cups water)
1 can diced tomatoes, with their juice
2 tsp. oregano (more if using fresh herb)
1 T. Cajun or Creole seasoning
1 tsp. hot sauce
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. thyme (more if using fresh herb)
1 lb. frozen peeled and cooked shrimp, thawed
2 cups cooked rice

Put all ingredients in crock pot except shrimp and rice. Let cook on low for 7 hours or high for 3 hours. Stir in thawed shrimp. Cover and cook about 5 minutes until shrimp are heated. Discard bay leaves and serve over cooked rice.

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