Off The Menu's Famous Jambalaya: A Meal With Southern Charm That Cooks Itself

Sometimes I get a craving for something that is stew like that I can just throw together easily in that great invention known as a slow cooker. What better way to satisfy that stew craving by making Jambalaya, a meal that is both meaty and delicious to the last drop. To accomplish this feat, I broke out an old southern family recipe and got to work.



To try this for yourself and you won't regret it, you'll need:

2 frozen chicken breasts (slice it the way you will)

1 lb smoked sausage or sausage of your choice

28 ounces of canned diced tomatoes with juice

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

2 teaspoons dried parsley

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 pound frozen cooked shrimp without tails
DIRECTIONS:

1. In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, canned diced tomatoes, onion, green bell pepper, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, and thyme.

2. Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. Stir in the shrimp during the last 30 minutes of cook time.

3. Serve over rice if you so desire or without if that is your style.

A very early morning preparation goes into this meal if you have to go to work early and are wanting it to cook while you're at work thinking about it! A very useful tip for you working folks is to mix the ingredients in plastic containers the night before and store it in the refrigerator overnight. Then, when you wake up and dinner is furthest from your mind, you can throw all prepared ingredients into the old crock pot while still in your PJ's! The above is what you'll see before you walk out the door. This also works if you don't have to work in the morning, and just want to enjoy the morning smelling it, instead of preparing it! Remember, this recipe literally cooks itself!

It might sound crazy but why not put your leftover Jambalaya on a sandwich to have for lunch. I did just that on my sandwich blog at: Sandwich Everything It also might sound kind of crazy but it was actually mighty tasty.