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Weeknight Sausage Jambalaya

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This quick and easy Weeknight Sausage Jambalaya recipe doesn’t take any shortcuts with flavor, it’s positively delicious!

weeknight sausage Jambalaya recipe easy

As much as I love to cook, it can be challenging to find the time to do it. ย I know you can relate. ย I’ve found that to be especially true now that I have two toddlers. ย And so there are definitely times when I really appreciate the convenience of quick, healthy meals that I can make for my family in a time crunch. ย Like this one.

So get your Creole on in just 30 minutes with this Weeknight Jambalaya andย laissez les bons temps rouler!!

Jambalaya is a traditional Creole dish from New Orleans, though there are also Cajun varieties. ย It has been said that jambalaya was the South’s attempt at recreating Spanish paella in the New World. Jambalaya can include any one or combination of chicken, crawfish, shrimp, andouille sausage, and diced ham. ย Cajun varieties have traditionally included oysters, alligator, turtle, and…nutria. ย If you don’t know what that last one is (I didn’t), educate yourself by googling it. ย So yes, we’re going to stick with Creole jambalaya.

Whether one or several meats are used, it’s all thrown in with rice, tomatoes, green bell peppers, and – of course – a healthy dose of Creole seasoning. ย I wanted to make jambalaya with some good sausage (though you can substitute any meat you want). ย I made a quick dash into Safeway and made my way over to the stash of Hillshire Farmย goods. ย I’ve always enjoyed kielbasa and thought this smoky sausage would work wonderfully in my Jambalaya. ย It did.

Let’s get to that Weeknight Jambalaya, shall we? ย Alright!

weeknight sausage Jambalaya recipe easy

Easy Weeknight Jambalaya Recipe

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute the veggies for about 6-7 minutes.

cooking the veggies

cooking the veggies

Add the tomatoes with their juice, the Creole seasoning, salt, and hot sauce if using.

adding tomatoes and seasonings

Stir to combine.

cooking the veggies

Add the rice, kielbasa, bay leaf, and chicken stock.

adding sausage rice and broth

Stir to combine. ย Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. ย Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.

weeknight sausage Jambalaya recipe easy

Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.

weeknight sausage Jambalaya recipe easy

Serve immediately accompanied byย the Carpenters’ “Jambalaya (On The Bayou)”

That’s optional, of course.

weeknight sausage Jambalaya recipe easy

weeknight sausage Jambalaya recipe easy

Weeknight Sausage Jambalaya

4.75 from 4 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Creole
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion , chopped
  • 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Creole Seasoning (click link for our BEST homemade Creole Seasoning!)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce or more according to heat preference , optional
  • 1 14 oz package Hillshire Farm Polska Kielbasa, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 cup long grain rice , e.g., Basmati
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions
 

  • Melt the butter over medium-high heat and saute the onions, bell peppers, celery and garlic for about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice, Creole seasoning, salt, and hot sauce if using. Stir to combine.
    Add the kielbasa, rice, chicken broth, bay leaf and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 25 minutes or until the rice is tender.
    (Try to avoid removing the lid while it's cooking) Remove from heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Then fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately.
Keyword Jambalaya, Sausage Jambalaya
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Hi, Iโ€™m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!

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Recipe Rating




4.75 from 4 votes

25 Comments

  1. I am from Louisiana and have made Jambalaya, gumbo, etc for many years. I’ve always used a pre-packaged base roux to make life easier. I had my doubts about this recipe but gave it a try last night. I was impressed! The only change I made was browning the beef sausage before adding to the mix. It was a bit spicy after adding the tobasco sauce plus Tony’s cajun seasoning and lots of black pepper but definitely worth the burn! Great job with this recipe! I will definitely make it again and share with my cajun cooking friends.

  2. I have to say this is the best jambalaya by far and easy to make. I added shrimp and scallops makes for an amazing home cooked meal!

  3. This turned out amazing. I doubled the recipe and used sausage and left over rotisserie chicken.. I served my family for 6 with seconds and leftovers for me for lunch!

  4. I did not have celery or canned tomatoes. I used tomato paste mixed with the chicken stock. I had some frozen shrimp and threw it in. Loved it!!!!

  5. I made this last night, but I changed it up a bit using some andouille sausage and riced cauliflower instead of rice. Delicious and spicy!

  6. Hello…I was wondering if this could be made in advance and reheated the next day? Would the rice hold up?

  7. Made this tonight and it is really good! I added 1/2 a can of pinto beans and 1/2 cup of cooked chicken. Delicious! Thank you!

  8. Thank you Kimberly, this is such a fantastic and easy dish.. Made it three times in the past month and it’s excellent every time. And only takes one pot.

  9. Your recipe is not very clear on the type of Kielbasa sausage used for this recipe. There are many kinds, so which one would you recommend?

    1. Hi Cynthia! Any will do the job. I generally prefer pork – better flavor in my opinion – but that’s just personal preference.

  10. I’m from the south and my dad’s family is from Louisiana and this is legit, for sure. Very quick and easy and great for a weeknight. I added a red bell pepper and made it extra spicy. The rice was still a little crunchy after 25 mins and it was a bit thick so I added a little water and let it go for a few more mins. Will definitely be making again.