The Best Jambalaya is a flavorful, vibrant dish that originates from Louisiana. It includes tender chicken, spicy sausage and a combination of perfectly steamed rice, onions and celery.
8stalks celerydiced, about 3 ½ cups, but save the tops
2bunches green onionsdiced - about 10 green onions or 2 cups
1, 6ouncebox Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild RiceIncluding the spice packet
2 ½cupslong grain white rice
6 ½cupschicken brothI like Better than Bouillon, chicken
Cavender's seasoningto taste, about 1 teaspoon to start
Cayenne pepper to taste - about ½ teaspoon to start
Instructions
Cook and Dice Chicken
Place chicken breasts, water and celery tops in a large stockpot with enough water to cover them all, bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes or until fully cooked, then drain off the water.Or, if using a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store simply remove the skin and bones from the cooked chicken. Dice the chicken and set aside.
Cook Sausage and Veggies
In the same stockpot, cook the ground sausage, drain and set aside. With a little olive oil or butter, brown beef smoked sausage for a few minutes, add diced celery and diced green onions and cook until the veggies are slightly softened.
Combine All Ingredients, Simmer
Add all the remaining ingredients into the stockpot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer covered over medium low heat for about 45 minutes. Remove from heat, still covered, allow to steam for about 15 minutes.
Serve
Serves 10-12, or plan to enjoy plenty of leftovers for several days.
Leftovers
For warming up leftovers, I like to place the jambalaya in a 13" x 9" glass baking dish, cover with foil and let it slowly heat up in a 325° oven for about 45 minutes.
Notes
Pro Tip: After everything has simmered for about 45 minutes, be sure to allow plenty of time with the heat turned off - at least 15 minutes. Serve with Mixed Bean Salad for an incredible flavor combination.