Easy Jambalaya

 Jambalaya is actually a Creole dish that is really a blend of backgrounds. "Jambon" is the French word for ham. "Ya" is an African term for rice. Put them all together with "a la" (meaning in the manner or style of) and you get Jambalaya. I find this dish very similar to Paella, which I also cook.

Down in the Crescent City, they add tomatoes. I prefer it without. You should do it your way.

Here is a version of Jambalaya that you can easily make and enjoy on a weeknight after working all day.  This dish uses leftover chicken (or turkey, or duck….whatever you have). It also uses dried onion soup. You can either buy the soup mix in the envelope packages at the store, or make your own. I’ve included my version of Beefy Onion Soup mix in a separate post.

You start this dish on the stove top and then finish it in the oven. It is delicious, simple and quick. I hope you enjoy it.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this:

• 4 cups of cooked chicken, torn into bite sized pieces
• 1 green bell pepper - chopped
• 1 bunch green onions- white and green parts
• 1 pound Andouille sausage (or your favorite smoked sausage), sliced into ¼ inch pieces
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 or 3 toes of garlic- minced
• 2 cups uncooked white rice
• 1 package (or recipe) Beefy Onion Soup Mix
• 5 cups water
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• A few dashes of hot sauce!
• 2 tablespoons butter for sautéing the veggies and sausage

Here’s an overview of what we’re going to do:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Chop the pepper, green onion and celery.
3. Get the leftover chicken ready.
4. Slice the sausage.
5. Sauté the pepper, celery and green onion.
6. Add the garlic.
7. Add rice, water, seasonings, Worcestershire sauce and soup mix.
8. Add the chicken and sausage.
9. Bring to a boil. 
10. Cover and transfer to the oven for 45 minutes.
11. Serve!

Note: Before I give you the Step By Step instructions, the sequence here isn’t all that critical. As long as you sauté the vegetables and get everything else in the pot, bring it to a boil, cover it and get it in the oven, you’ll be just fine. These instructions are just to help you.

Step 1:

Pre-heat your oven to normal bake at 350 degrees.

Step 2:

Chop the green bell pepper, green onions and celery. This is a rustic dish, so don’t be overly concerned with everything being chopped to exactly the same sizes. You don’t need to keep them separate, just put them all in the same bowl.

This is also a good time to get mince your garlic.

Once the vegetables (aromatics) are ready, set them aside for a few minutes.

Step 3:

Let’s get your chicken (duck, turkey, whatever…) ready. I usually do this by hand, tearing the meat into bite sized pieces and making sure to omit any bones. Best to also remove the skin in the case of left over fried chicken. When you’re done, you need about 4 cups of meat.

Step 4:

Slice the sausage. I like mine about ¼” or so thick.

Step 5:

If you are making your own soup mix, like I do, this is a good time to get that ready.

Step 6:

In a nice large pot or Dutch oven (you will need a lid later), melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter is melted, add the chopped bell pepper, celery and green onions. Stir them a little bit and cook for about 5 minutes.

Step 7:

Add the garlic and cook just long enough that you can smell it. About a minute or two should be plenty. 

Step 8:

Add the water, rice, soup mix, Cajun seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. Stir them together so they get acquainted.

Step 9:

Next, add the chicken and sliced sausage. Stir again and bring the pot to a boil.

Step 10:

Once you have the pot boiling, cover with a lid, remove from the stove and transfer to the oven for 45 minutes.

Step 11:

When the time is up, remove the pot from the oven, give the Jambalaya a nice stir to fluff it up a bit, and then serve. You don’t believe how good this tastes!