Creole Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Hot and Spicy!

Jambalaya is a Creole delicacy. At least that's what I think...lol. You have rice, tomatoes, vegetables, and a lot of spices, cooked in a rich tomato chicken broth. Now that's the base for Jambalaya, but you can include shrimp, chicken, sausage, crab or any other seafood or protein you prefer. 

I received a request a couple of days ago from one of my Facebook foodies Trina. Trina needed a Jambalaya recipe that did not include seafood. Of course, we all know that my Baby Girl is allergic to seafood, therefore I have numerous recipes that traditionally include seafood but I have revamped them to make them Baby Girl friendly.

The key to a great Jambalaya is layering of flavors. You can't just throw everything in the pot and let it go. We must first start out by browning the sausage in butter and extra virgin olive. 

If you don't want to use butter, then use all olive oil. After we brown the sausage, we brown the seasoned chicken breast next. Finally, we add all the vegetables and season them nicely with my spice blend. 

 
Look what happens after about 20 minutes of browning the chicken, sausage, and vegetables. Next, we throw in some rice and toast it in this goodness we created.  

Then we add all the liquids and allow the mixture to simmer for about 30-40 minutes.

This dish may seem like a lot of steps, but it's really simple. Believe me, you will not be disappointed with the outcome.

I always serve Jambalaya with a nice side of garlic toast. Enjoy!

Creole Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

1 lb. andouille sausage, or smoked sausage, sliced
1 lb. chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into 2" chunks
14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 6oz. can tomato sauce
32 oz. chicken broth
3 cups long grain rice, uncooked
1 bell pepper, diced
1 white onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 bunch of green onions
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoon butter, unsalted
4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon creole seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions:

Mix seasoning blend and set aside. Slice sausage and set aside. Rinse, pat dry chicken, dice into 2 inch chunks, place in a medium bowl. Season chicken with 1 tablespoonful of seasoning blend, mix well and set aside.

In a large pot add butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and brown for 5 minutes. Add chicken and brown for 10 minutes more. Add all the vegetables to the pot, except garlic and season with half the seasoning blend.

Cook for about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add rice to pot and toast for about 4 minutes. Add remaining seasoning blend and mix well. Add broth, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Mix well. Bring mixture to a boil, stir, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot. Discard bay leaf.

Reduce heat to simmer, cover pot and  cook for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, stir mixture, scarping the bottom of the pot, cover and cook about 10 minutes more.

Remove pan from heat and allow food to rest covered for about 10 more minutes.  Serve with some nice toasted garlic bread and enjoy.