Wk 5 – Bubba's Jambalaya

So after a fun day at Honeymoon Island beach with the boys, I was pondering what I should cook for dinner when Davy asks, “Can I watch The Princess and the Frog?”  Humm…New Orleans/Cajun flavored food….and the lightbulb goes off….Jambalaya.  A one pot dish!  Most of the ingredients I had, but I still needed to make a quick trip to the grocery store, so this worked out perfect.

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com so I must give credit where credit is due (thank you Bubba), but if you know me…I gave it some “love sauce”…and added garlic bread on the side.

• 6 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 pound cubed cooked ham
• 1/2 pound cubed cooked chicken
• 1/2 pound cubed smoked sausage
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, with liquid
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (I used Luzianne)
• 2 cups uncooked white rice (I used 1 cup white, 1 cup brown)
• 1/2 pound peeled/deveined shrimp

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Add celery, bell pepper, and onion to the bacon drippings, and cook until tender.
2. Add the ham, chicken and sausage to the pot, and pour in the tomatoes, beef broth and chicken broth. Season with thyme and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil, and add the rice. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender.
3. Stir in the shrimp and bacon just before serving, and heat through. If you use uncooked shrimp, let it cook for about 5 minutes before serving.