Crock Pot Jambalaya

I'm a little late for the official day of Mardi Gras but it is always the season for Jambalaya, a spicy meat/rice stew that's a delicious traditional New Orleans dish.  There are endless variations including chicken, sausage, shrimp, even alligator!  The important keys are the trio of onion, green pepper, and celery.  (Now where can I find alligator in Utah?...) 

I did some reading about the dish and ended up with a recipe of my own since none quite matched up with what I had on hand.  This is turkey sausage; not quite as pretty as the Andouille sausage (dark and spicy) that is usually used but it was tasty.  I used red chili pepper flakes in the Cajun spice mix instead of cayenne pepper and ended up adding cayenne too.  It has a nice kick but really needs the Andouille style sausage to be the right flavor.  Still, I'm calling this one a success!

I used a mix for cornbread - Bob's Red Mill gluten-free - and it was a great accompaniment.  For dessert, bourbon-praline ice cream.  Just needs a side of cooked greens and some jazz music and dinner is perfect!

Crock Pot Jambalaya

Crock Pot Jambalaya

INGREDIENTS
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
1 1/2 lbs sausage, sliced into rounds
2 cups chicken broth
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 medium white onion, diced
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
1 stick celery, diced
1 Tbsp Cajun spices*
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
Cooked white rice


DIRECTIONS
Layer the meat at the bottom of the crockpot, then everything except the rice on top.  Cook on low for 9 hours. Cook rice and mix into the crock pot so the rice soaks up the flavors before serving - OR pour over the cooked rice.  Serve with cornbread, green salad, and iced tea. 


*For the Cajun spices, I used the mix from Emeril Lagasse on the Food Network (click here to open it in a new window).  I prefer doing my own spice mixes instead of the store-bought ones; I know exactly what goes into it and if I have something I grew or made, then it's all the better.  This oregano was home-grown and kept in the old spice bottle.  :)

Here is the lovely spice lineup (well, most of it):

Cajun spice mix