Jennie's Jambalaya

I’ve always loved jambalaya, but my mom had only ever made the Zatarain’s brand stuff out of the box, which is fine, don’t get me wrong. But when I started craving jambalaya a couple weeks ago, I scoured the Interweb for a homemade recipe. After finding quite a few that contained just sausage and shrimp or just chicken and shrimp, I decided to take it upon myself to come up with my own recipe - shocking, I know. This was the result and, while there was some fuss involved, I will likely never, ever eat the Zatarain’s brand jambalaya again.

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed and diced

1-1/2 Tbsp. Creole seasoning, divided

1 Tbsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 Tbsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt and pepper seasoning

1/2 cup fire-roasted diced tomatoes

3 cups chicken broth

3 bay leaves

1 green bell pepper, diced

3 ribs of celery, sliced 1/8” thick

1 cup brown rice

1/2 lb. fresh cooked shrimp 

6.5 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced

In a small bowl, combine the onion and garlic. In another small bowl, work 3/4 Tbsp. Creole seasoning into diced chicken. In a large saucepan, sauté the chicken and half the onion and garlic in 2 Tbsp. oil. Season with paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. In a small saucepan, sauté the green pepper and celery in 2 Tbsp. oil with remaining onion and garlic mixture until veggies are slightly tender. Transfer to the saucepan containing the chicken. Add the rice, stir and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low,cover the saucepan and simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove the lid to check the rice. If rice is still too firm, cook longer. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the shrimp and sausage and work the remaining 3/4 Tbsp. Creole seasoning into the meat. When the rice is tender, add the shrimp and sausage and cook covered for 5-10 minutes. taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve.