Jambalaya – A Beautiful Mess

Jambalaya is a dish originally from Louisiana and makes me think of New Orleans. It’s a Cajun recipe with roots from West Africa, Spain and France. It reminds me of risotto or paella and is made similarly. It also has a lot of the same flavors as gumbo. So, if you can chop and stir, you can make this Jambalaya recipe.

This is comfort food at its best! Jambalaya is flavorful and easy to make, plus very filling. I like to use shrimp and sausage, but other proteins like chicken are welcome too.

Related: To use in this recipe and others, learn to make your own Cajun seasoning.

Ingredients

• Andouille sausage
• Shrimp
• Green bell pepper
• Celery
• Jalapeno
• White onion
• Garlic
• Crushed tomatoes
• Chicken stock
• Worcestershire sauce
• Long-grain rice
• Cajun seasoning/Creole seasoning
• Red pepper flakes
• Bay leaves
• Salt and black pepper

You may also want some fresh parsley, thyme or green onions to top this with.

How to cook Jambalaya

Thaw the shrimp. Remove the tails and devein if needed; some frozen shrimp brands will have this step already done. Slice the sausage into small coins. In a large dutch oven or pot, cook the sausage and shrimp together over medium heat for a couple minutes. The goal here is just to give the meat some texture as well as impact some of the andouille sausage flavor to the pot, as we begin to build the flavor of the Jambalaya.

Meanwhile, finely chop the bell peppers, celery, jalapeno (removing the inner veins and seeds) and onion. Mince the garlic.

Once you have removed the meat from the dutch oven, add the vegetables: bell peppers, celery, jalapeno and onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat. You likely won’t need to add oil, as some of the fat from the sausage is in the pot, BUT if you notice things sticking feel free to drizzle some into the pot.

Then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Then add the crushed tomatoes and season everything with the Cajun/creole seasoning and red pepper flakes.

Turn the heat down to medium and add in the chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, rice and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the rice on the bottom doesn’t burn or stick to the pot.

Once all the liquid has absorbed and the rice is tender to the bite, remove the bay leaves and add the meat back in. Cook until everything is hot. Taste and season with a little more salt and pepper, or hot sauce, as needed. Garnish with fresh herbs, if using.

Tips and Notes

• You can use chicken in place of shrimp, or even both if you prefer.
• I like to use cooked (cocktail) shrimp for weeknight dinners because it’s easy. The best way to thaw frozen shrimp is to place the sealed bag in the refrigerator overnight.
• I like to use a mix of green and orange or red bell peppers for color. But you can use all green bell peppers if you like.
• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple days. Rewarm on the stove top or in the microwave. Jambalaya makes great leftovers.

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