A Family Favorite Meal: Jambalaya
Ya’ll. This weekend it was so stinking hot here in the midwest. And as I write this, the rain has finally come in and cooler weather ahead. I like the summer, but wow. That heat. And humidity. And stickiness. Yikes. But enough about the weather…that’s not why you came here.
I’m still enjoying looking back at pictures from my Dad’s visit here earlier this week. Most of the year, my parents live in KC, but they live in the Black Hills in South Dakota during the summer. I know we are unbelievably blessed to have our parents nearby so much. But man, do I miss them when they are in South Dakota. These littles sure do love their Papa.
Ok – here’s the deal. I’m not a chef. I follow recipes EXACTLY like 99.9% of the time. I decided years back when Nathan and I got engaged, that I wanted to be a better cook. I committed to cooking at least twice a week. And let me tell you, there were many meals that were not. good.
There were meals of uncooked chicken. At least one pasta where I didn’t get all of the alcohol reduced out (HELLO VODKA!). In between some really truly bad meals, there have also been LOADS of average meals.
But I kept at it. And over the past six years, I have to say, we’ve found recipes that we both LOVE. Not to mention that I’ve also become a decent amateur cook. And at the very least, I’ve become less scared of the kitchen and screwing up. So I wanted to share some of our favorite recipes. They are tried and true, and ones that I keep going back to over and over again. Hopefully, this Jambalaya becomes a favorite of your family!
Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 3 T olive oil
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 1 white onion diced
- 1 small red bell pepper diced
- 1 small yellow bell pepper diced
- 1 small green bell pepper diced
- 1-2 jalapenos seeded, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 bonesless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 lb andouille sausage thinly sliced
- 3 c chicken stock
- 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 c uncooked brown rice
- 2 T cajun or creole seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp thyme crushed
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1 lb raw, shrimp peeled, deveined
Instructions
- Heat 2T olive oil over medium, high heat. Add celery, onion, bell peppers, jalapenos, garlic. Saute 5 min. Add 1 T olive oil, chicken, sausage. Cook 5 min or until no longer pink.
- Add chicken stock, rice, Cajun seasoning, cayenne, thyme, bay leaf, and tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add shrimp, let continue to simmer until shrimp are pink and cooked. Remove bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste.