Chicken Jambalaya Since March 13, 2001, this recipe has been viewed times!

You'll need:

• At least an 8-qt covered pot
• 1 to 1 1/2 lb. diced chicken breast (dark meat OK)
• 1 lb. andouille sausage (polish or smoked ring sausage is OK, but spicy andouille is authentic.)
• 1-2 tbsp. minced garlic (I use even more)
• 4 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups chopped green pepper
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 4 cups of uncooked parboiled (converted) rice
• 5 cups chicken broth
• cajun or creole spice mix to taste
• Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet (optional)

One-pot Preparation:

Cook sausage. If using lowfat sausage, first put 2 tbsp of cooking oil in the pot. If using andouille, ignore instructions not to puncture the casing - let the oil drain out during cooking. Remove the sausage and set aside, leaving the oil in the pot.

Brown the chicken in the oil and remove. Add 2 more tbsp. oil to the pot and put all the vegetables in. Sautee them, turning frequently, until they seem to be softening. Slice or dice the sausage and put it and the chicken back into the pot.

Add the chicken broth and turn the heat to high. This is the time to spice the Jambalaya, so the flavor will get into the rice. So add Tony Cachere's or some similar cajun spice mix to taste (go easy at first, in case your family doesn't like it too spicy). If desired, at this point you can add enough Kitchen Bouquet or Gravy Master to make the broth a nice dark color. Jambalaya is often dark because a roux is used, but roux is a pain and is very fattening, so I don't use it.

Bring the broth to a boil and add the rice. Turn it over (it's getting big now, isn't it?) and put a lid on it. Turn the heat down to simmer (make sure it keeps bubbling) for 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat, but leave the pot right where it is. Turn the rice over and put the lid back on. Wait 10 more minutes.

Turn the rice over again and put the lid back on for 10 more minutes.

It's done. Turn it over once more and serve it with a shaker of the cajun spice at the table so people can make it as spicy and salty as they like. Our guests always love it. Jambalaya goes fast and gathers plenty of compliments for the cook.

Questions? Send email to Bill Cernansky at