Jambalaya: Ayyyy-Eeeeee

I got this recipe out of one of Sister Wife’s cookbooks and tweaked it– you know how I do. I mean, we don’t really need four whole pounds of chicken and twelve cooked cups of rice, nor do I have a pot that would hold all of that.  The original recipe serves 12-18 people and I’d say that’s being a little modest. But Sister Wife grew up down in Nawlins and on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and sister friend straight up knows a good Cajun recipe when she sees one. This is a great recipe to throw together with leftover grilled chicken. I keep smoked sausage in my freezer and usually have everything else in my pantry.

This is what I do:

2-3 chicken breasts (I use leftover grilled chicken, cut into bite sized pieces or cook chicken breasts with a little cajun seasoning in the skillet.)

1 smoked sausage link  (I used Conecuh)

1 small onion, diced

1 small green bell pepper, diced

1 rib celery, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 T Worcestershire

1 T Hot sauce (I prefer Crystal but any kind will do.)

1T  cajun seasoning

2 Bay leaves

½ tsp. Thyme

3 cups chicken stock

2 cups jasmine rice (You can use plain white rice or brown rice but yours won’t be as good as mine is.)

Buttah (optional)

In a LARGE PAN WITH A LID, cook chicken if you don’t have leftovers. Slice sausage into bite-sized  rounds and brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

-IN THE SAME PAN sauté diced onions, pepper and celery in bacon drippings if you have them. You can use a olive oil, but y’all know how I feel about bacon.

-When vegetables are soft add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Don’t let the garlic brown, you just want to warm it up. Add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, cajun seasoning, bay leaves and thyme. Mix well.

-Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. (You are going to want to SLAP somebody at this point because your house is going to be smelling like Creole Heaven.)

-Stir in 2 cups of rice and cook according to package directions. If you are making Jasmine rice, you will simmer the rice covered for 20 minutes.

-Return chicken and sausage back to pot when rice is cooked and mix well.

Now Sister Wife goes all Paula Deen on her Jambalaya and melts a half of a stick of butter in the pot. I’m not going to lie– it’s good, but I think it’s just as good without it.