Quick Jambalaya Perfect for a Holiday Potluck

Jambalaya is the state hotdish of Louisiana. It can be made with  just about any meat or seafood, it’s easy to prepare ahead and gets better the next day after all the flavors marry. Sometimes I make Jambalaya from scratch, but also sometimes I use a little Jambalaya help from Zatarain’s Jambalaya Mix. It’s made in Louisiana since 1889 so it has passed the test of quality over the years with the Cajun cooks.  I add my own meats and vegetables to it to give it a texture boost. The mix supplies the spice flavor that I have a hard time duplicating.

Here’s how you do it-

First chop some colorful peppers

Throw in some celery and onions, this is called the Holy Trinity of cajun cooking

Garlic! you can never have too much with Cajun cooking...

Brown your chicken with a little Cajun seasoning.. now we are cooking!

Brown the garlic quickly for about 20 seconds and add the raw vegetables

Add those beautiful vegetables...

Then add water or stock, bring to a boil

Add sliced sausage and cooked chicken back in..

Add the shrimp in the last 10 minutes of cooking. I used only a pound for this recipe

When done, stir in green onions and parsley

Let stand at least 10-20 minutes before serving

Potluck Jambalaya for a Mob

Serves 20 potluck servings

Ingredients

2 cups colorful peppers, chopped

4 cups celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1/4-1/2 cup raw garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/4 lb chicken breast, boneless, chopped in 1 inch pcs

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

7 1/2 cups water or stock

1 pound turkey smoked sausage, sliced thin

3 boxes Zatarain’s low sodium New Orleans Style Jambalaya Mix

1 pound peeled shrimp

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

Instructions:

Chop vegetables, set aside in a bowl. Chop garlic.

In a large pot, (6 quart) or dutch oven, heat pan and add olive oil. Add chicken chunks, browning evenly. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning. Turning once, do not crowd pan or chicken will steam. When browned, remove from pot and add garlic.

Saute garlic quickly and add vegetables.  Cook for about 5 minutes until slightly soft. Add water or stock and bring to a boil. When boiling, add browned chicken, smoked sausage and rice mix. Stir well and bring to a boil again. Cover and cook 35 minutes, adding shrimp 10 minutes before the jambalaya is done. The mixture may be a little watery, but not to worry, the rice will suck up all that juice in no time. Right before serving, add the green onions and parsley. This dish is better the second day!