Friday Fun: Slow Cooker Jambalaya

There's just something about the word 'jambalaya' that sounds like an instant party. Seriously! Spicy, delicious jambalaya, cold beer and some jazz music. Sounds like a great night to us! The only problem is by the time you're done making the jambalaya, you're ready for a nap. It's a labor intensive dish with a ton of ingredients. But no worries; the Wisconsin Test Kitchen found a pared-down version of the same delicious dish, and has the slow cooker doing all the work for you.

We made our jambalaya with chicken thighs, venison sausage and shrimp. You can customize the dish slightly based on your taste profile; and make sure to serve over hot rice. 

Jambalaya

2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 small can of tomato paste
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut up
1 large sausage link
1 (14.5 ounce) can reduced- sodium chicken broth
1 green pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 basil leaves
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 frozen medium shrimp (thawed), peeled and deveined
4 cups hot cooked white or brown rice



Add tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken (cooked or raw), sausage, broth, green pepper, onion, celery, Cajun seasoning, garlic, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to slow cooker. Stir gently to combine all the ingredients.

Cook this portion on low for about 2 hours if your chicken is already cooked or 5 to 6 hours if you adding raw chicken.

Add shrimp and cook about another 10 minutes until the shrimp is warm.
You can serve this over cooked white rice or combine the rice in the slow cooker just before serving.

Funny story about this jambalaya recipe... SB saw it and immediately refused to try it. We coaxed her into trying a bite of the venison sausage, since it's her favorite. Two bowls of jambalaya later- she asked when we could have it for dinner again. This one is both kid-tested and approved! 

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew