Jambalaya with Chicken and Shrimp

Here’s an easy dish to prepare that is as much fun to make as it is to say. 

According to Zatarains, a New Orleans Tradition since 1889, ”Jambalaya is one of the most celebrated foods on Louisiana menus. The spicy concoction makes an appearance at virtually every festival in South Louisiana—especially the Jambalaya Festival in Gonzales, west of New Orleans, which calls itself the Jambalaya Capital of the World.

Similar to a Spanish paella, but feistier, jambalaya is made by cooking rice with almost any combination of meat, poultry, seafood, or game, along with peppers and other Creole seasonings. The name is believed to have come from the French word for ham, “jambon.” 

Jambalaya is great for entertaining since it’s easy to make in either small or large batches. Cajun and Creole cooks often prepare it outdoors in huge seafood boiling pots over propane burners.”

Our version is prepared in a Slow Cooker, and we promise you, this is one of the best dishes we’ve made.    

You are really going to love this.

From our kitchen to yours.  Enjoy the adventure.

Ingredients

Jambalaya

1 cup Celery, diced

1 large Onion, chopped

1     14 ½ oz can Tomatoes, low sodium, diced

1  14 ½ oz can Chicken broth, low sodium, reduced fat

3 oz Tomato paste

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 ½ tsp Creole Seasoning

1 pound Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into ¾ inch pieces

1 ½ cups Instant Rice

8 oz Shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined

¾ cup Green Pepper, chopped

Instructions

In a 4 quart Crock Pot combine Celery, Onion, Un-drained Tomatoes, Broth, Tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and Creole seasoning.  Stir in chicken.

Cover and cook on low heat for 5 hours. 

Stir in Rice Shrimp and Green Pepper. 

Cover and let stand 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed into the Rice, and the Rice is tender. 

Note; If you have any left-overs, this dish will taste even better the second night, as the liquids continue to be absorbed into the rice, and the flavors continue to marry.

Yields 6 servings. PointsPlus value per serving is 6. Prep time is 15 minutes. Cooking time is about 5 ¼ hours. Level of difficulty is Easy.

Weight Watchers and PointsPlus are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers Intl. Inc.

Recipes shown may not be exactly the same as those found on any website. Judy and I tend to "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes and ideas. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate. 

Photo by Barry Baruh