I used to make that boxed Zatarain’s Jambalaya, which is pretty much just spicy rice and sausage. At some point I realized that rice and sausage weren’t much of a meal, so I started adding tomatoes and veggies to the rice package. Then I needed another crock pot meal to get us through weeknight Little League games. I found a recipe somewhere for crock pot jambalaya, and started evolving it to fit our family. As you probably know, Jambalaya usually includes shrimp. But one of the boys developed a shell fish allergy, so we don’t eat shrimp anymore. I used to throw in the leftover bits of chicken from a store bought roast chicken. But as the boys grew, they pretty much cleaned all the meat off the chicken on the first night. Lately, I’ve been using just sausage for the meat. The best sausage is Cajun spiced venison sausage, if you happen to have any hunters in the family. When we don’t have venison sausage available, I really like Aidells Cajun sausage. That sausage has enough zip that I don’t add much other seasoning when I use it. If I only have regular turkey smoked sausage, I add a lot of Cajun seasoning – up to 1 tablespoon – along with about 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper. And a little Tabasco sauce on the table will let everyone adjust the heat to their own level.
Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Cajun smoked sausage
- 1 cup chopped chicken optional
- 2-3 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
- 2 stalks chopped celery
- 1 chopped green pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- Cajun spice blend up to 1 tablespoon
- Red pepper up to ½ teaspoon
- 3 cups cooked white rice
Instructions
- Throw the meat, veggies and seasoning into the crock pot and cook on low all day.
- Jambalaya can also be cooked on the stovetop. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Cooked rice can be stirred in, or jambalaya can be served over rice.
- Serve with a side of corn bread muffins.
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