Easy Jambalaya Using Rice Mix loaded with sausage, chicken, shrimp, and homegrown okra, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, and thyme.
Our current house here in Wyoming took almost forever to build. The completion date kept getting pushed back month after month because of supply chain and labor issues. We listed the house in Colorado for sale in September, 2021 and it sold in a just few days. Long story short, we needed to move but our new house was not ready and so we ended up in a short term rental with the bulk of our household items in storage. Since the rental had a small kitchen, I brought only very few kitchen utensils with us.
Convenient Rice Mix
I made simple semi-homemade meals with the limited utensils I had. It was during this time of transition that I discovered Zatarain’s Jambalaya. I have always wanted to make Jambalaya but never got round to it until I found this convenient rice mix. As suggested in the packaging, I added sausage and store bought rotisserie chicken to the rice. It was good and we enjoyed it very much and that is why I am sharing it with you today. This is not a sponsored post.
One-Pot Easy Jambalaya
This easy one-pot meal is great especially on busy weeknights. It can be prepared in under one hour depending on how much you want to spice it up and how much effort you want to put in. The more ingredients you add, the longer the prep time but it also means greater flavor. It is totally up to you to decide.
Homegrown Vegetables
For the vegetables, the very least I would add are bell peppers, onion, and garlic. I figured that okra and tomatoes will also go well in this dish and I got to test it out with our homegrown okra and abundant tomatoes. I also threw in some fresh thyme for even greater flavor and to my delight they all worked really well together.
Note: The same okra seeds planted here yielded vastly different results than when planted in Colorado. The altitude is higher and the climate much drier here than in Colorado. The okra plants did not grow as lush or as tall as seen here.
A Delicious One-Pot Meal
This time round, I also added some shrimp to the mix and garnished the dish with some chopped parsley. All the extras made this a colorful and delicious one-pot meal. Similar to Seafood Paella, this dish is “kinda” festive. The only thing I might do differently the next time round is to dust the shrimp with some Creole Seasoning before adding it to the pot. I hope you will give this a try.
Similar Tools Used in Making This Easy Jambalaya
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Zatarain’s Jambalaya, 8 oz (Pack of 12)
Zatarain’s Family Size Jambalaya, 12 oz (Pack of 12)
Staub Cocotte Round 20 cm La Mer
Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Cup and Spoon Set
Zatarain’s New Orleans Traditional Creole Seasoning – 8 Oz. (Pack of 2)
Easy Jambalaya Using Rice Mix
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 fully cooked Andouille smoked sausage (cut into thin coins)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 small onion (peeled and diced)
- 1 green bell pepper (cut into ½ inch pieces)
- 1 piece chicken breast (cut into thin slices)
- 1 medium tomato (cut into thin wedges)
- 1 package family size Zatarain’s Jambalaya (12 oz/340g)
- 4 sprigs thyme (optional)
- 3¾ cup water (900ml)
- 10 to 12 pods okra (cut diagonally into thin slices)
- 6 oz shrimp, peeled (peeled) (170g)
- 12 cherry tomatoes (halved)
Instructions
- Heat extra virgin olive oil in a medium cast iron pot. Brown Andouille smoked sausage for 2 minutes.
- Add garlic, onion, and green pepper. Stir fry for another 2 minutes.
- Add chicken and continue to stir fry for another 3 minutes.
- Stir in tomato wedges.
- Empty Zatarain’s Jambalaya rice mix into the pot. Stir to mix and add thyme (if using).
- Pour in water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove lid and add okra. Gently stir it in. Cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove lid and arrange shrimp and cherry tomatoes on the top of rice. Cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
- Turn off stove and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
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