Saturday, June 18, 2011

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

I will not ever claim that I am a master chef or that I am a chef. I love to cook and I love to eat. I really hope that some people will enjoy the food that I post, like I have with many food blogs. 
This recipe is a family favorite. It does make a good amount; serves maybe 6.  I love to pair this with some fried corn from the garden. You can add more spice if you like, just depending on how hot you like it. The recipe is a Betty Crocker recipe,  I have modified a bit over the years; please note it is a low-fat recipe (until you start adding the sausage, but I LOVE sausage). 
First, I start with boiling, or grilling one or two  boneless chicken breast. (you can use shrimp instead)
Recipe:
1 cup diced Vidalia Onion
1 cup diced Green Pepper
1 cup diced Celery
Fresh minced Garlic -- 3 or 4 cloves
1 tablespoon chopped Parsley 
1 teaspoon crushed Oregano or Basil
2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon of crushed Red Pepper (added for the extra bang)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 or 2 tablespoons of Red Hot **  (depends on how hot you like it, I sometimes put in more)
Celery, Vidalia Onion and Green Pepper, diced.
You can use use a food processor,
but I like the bigger chucks. 
1 Polish Kielbasa Sausage -- you can use a Turkey Sausage also. (the pre-cooked kind)
1 cup of cooked, shredded Chicken
1 Can (14.5oz) diced Tomatoes 
2 cups Chicken Stock 
1 ½ of uncooked Rice (I use the Uncle Ben's brown rice that cooks in 10 minutes) 
Additional water as needed. 


Fresh herbs: Oregano and parsley. 
Begin by putting the garlic in the pan with 1 tsp of oil. Next place onion, green pepper & celery in saucepan with the garlic and oil; cook for 5 -10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Then add the canned tomatoes (do not drain tomatoes and I use the Italian style ) with all seasonings and hot sauce.
 


I cut the sausage into smaller pieces, so they don't break a
part during cooking. 


 Cook on medium or at 300 if using a electric skillet. Stir in chicken stock  (if you have regular rice, or the kind that takes 30 or so minutes to cook, you will want to add it now).  If you are using 10 minute rice wait  a bit and allow vegetables to cook for 10-15 minutes before adding the uncooked rice. (I also add some water in as the rice cooks and absorbs the liquid.) Allow to cook according to type of rice. Whenever your rice is cooked and water is absorbed; then add the sausage and chicken. (I slice the sausage and shred the chicken). 




Mix the meat in and allow to cook for another 5 minutes.  Turn off heat; and allow to cool, cause it will be hot!! Yum! 
** The hot sauce does not have to be Red Hot; it can be Tabasco or any hot sauce you prefer. 

1 comment:

  1. This dish,...may very well be the reason that I married this woman! When she makes it, she usually makes enough so that "the family" could eat on it for days,...but it seems word spreads fast even when no one is spreading it. So we tend to have a dinner guest or two on Jambalaya night. They just come out of the woodwork or something! Do yourself a favor,...find a pretty girl, have her make this for you, then marry her! Thank me later & I wanna see some pics of that Wedding!!

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