Jambalaya

This recipe is one of the husband's favorites...and since it's one that I made up myself I can never remember the exact recipe! This time around I wrote everything down so that I could share it with you and the husband said it was the best version yet. Now, if you are looking for an authentic jambalaya recipe, I am pretty certain this isn't it. But...it's what I named it because I think it's close enough. You can easily adjust this recipe to include things that your family likes and can just as easily take out the things I use. I've substituted chicken for the sausage before and it turned out great and I usually only add shrimp if they are on sale. Hope you all enjoy!

What you need (serves 4)

- 1 T Cajun seasoning (recipe below)
- 1/2 lb sausage, sliced (I used turkey sausage)
- 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 small onions, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 C green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 C red pepper, chopped
- 2 T chicken broth
- 1 T tomato paste
- 1 C cooked rice
- 2 green onions, sliced (optional)




Cajun Spice Recipe
You could certainly buy a cajun spice mix, but I had all these ingredients on hand anyway so I made my own. If you buy a spice mix, check the label for hidden gluten!

- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1 1/4 tsp thyme
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp chili powder

 Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until evenly blended. Store extra spice mix in an airtight container.

Directions


- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat a bit of oil over medium heat

- Add the sausage and start to brown

- Add 1/2 T of the cajun spice mixture and stir to coat the sausage pieces

- When the sausage is browned, remove to a plate and set aside

- In the same pot, add the white onion, celery and bell peppers. Cook 2-3 minutes

- Add 1/2 T of the cajun spice mixture and stir to coat

- Add in the shrimp and stir

- Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the shrimp start to turn pink. I put the lid on my pot so the steam could help them along.

- Add in 2 T chicken broth to deglaze the pot

- Add 1 T of tomato paste

- Add 1 C cooked rice (white or brown) and stir well. I like using white rice for this dish because it's easier to tell when the rice has soaked up all the flavor.

- Add in the cooked sausage and stir to combine

- Top with green onion (if using) and serve! This makes great leftovers too!

*NOTE: This is only mildly spicy. I can't take too much heat so the husband always adds hot sauce to his serving.

Happy Saturday everyone!