Slow Cooker Jambalaya

I've got a great recipe for you for this busy season.  I adapted this slightly from Robin Miller and I've been making it for several years now.  All you do is combine the ingredients in the slow cooker and turn it on low.  Then you can go wrap presents and bake cookies, which is way, way more fun than cooking dinner.

The original recipe is here.  Robin uses raw chicken, so if you don't have any cooked chicken, refer to her recipe.  I made this the weekend after Thanksgiving and I used some leftover smoked turkey and it was wonderful.  Leftover ham would be great thrown in there, too.

I have found that cooking it seven hours on low as she states in her directions is a little too long for my slow cooker, because the sausage gets a little mushy, so I reduced the cooking time a bit.  If all your meat is cooked going in, it just needs a thorough warming and a little time for the flavors to marry. 

I'm out the door in a few minutes for a big day of shopping.  I'm going by myself today and I'm looking forward to it. 

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Adapted from Robin Miller

Printable Recipe

1/2 pound andouille, smoked or turkey sausage, diced

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (OR 1 cup water and 1 chicken bouillon cube )

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning

1 teaspoon hot sauce

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken

1 pound frozen peeled and cooked shrimp, thawed

Cooked rice

1.   In a slow cooker, combine the sausage, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, celery, and chicken broth. Stir in oregano, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, and thyme.

2.   Cover, and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2 1/2 hours. Stir in the chicken and thawed shrimp and cover and cook until the shrimp is heated through, about 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves and spoon mixture over cooked rice.