Guest Post: Quick & Painless Jambalaya

My friend Rachael is doing a blog post this week because I'm moving and all of my camera equipment is packed up.

I've known Rachael for 10+ years and if you're a fan of mine, you'll likely be a fan of hers. Rachael is a new mom and blogs about her experiences. If you're a mommy looking for support or just need someone to relate to, check out Rachael's blog here. For this post, Rachael made a Jambalaya. I remember the first time she told me she was going to make it. I am a big fan of anything spicy. This sounds fantastic, does it?

-Jessie
You can also follow Rachael on Twitter here.
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Quick & Painless Jambalaya by Rachael Kelley

Photo by Rachael Kelley

The first time I made this recipe, I was sure my husband would hate it. You see, he's a very picky eater, and the only ingredient he will admit to liking is the rice. Since that first time, I've been lucky to see leftovers the next day. I took some shortcuts and sneaky cheats to avoid obvious things he claimed to hate like onions, tomatoes & green peppers, and still managed to come up with a flavorful weeknight meal.

This makes a fairly mild/medium hot batch so feel free to add more hot sauce, cajun seasoning or spicier meats to suit your taste.

Quick & Painless Jambalaya

2 TBSP olive oil
1 lb Sausage (andouille, kielbasa, other 'hot' variety), sliced
1 cup chopped sweet onion (about 1 small)
2-3 chopped green onions
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
2 TBSP tomato paste
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp "Cajun Seasoning" (I used Emeril's Bayou Blast)
1/2 tsp Louisiana Hot Sauce
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups uncooked Minute Brown Rice

Optional

1 shredded chicken breast

1/2 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined 

In a large pot, or dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. Add sausage and sweet onion & saute for 3-4 minutes. Add green onion and red peppers, cook until just tender, about 1-2 additional minutes. Add all remaining seasonings and spices, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add rice, cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If you're going to use shrimp, add it in after 10 minutes to prevent over-cooking.) Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes uncovered. Serves 4