If you don’t have any shrimp you could throw in some other type of seafood instead. If you don’t like oysters (I fall in this department!) then not to worry. This is the type of dish where you can be creative and make substitutions as you see fit…and best of all enjoy the end result (and don’t forget to freeze the leftovers!).
When I recently made this dish I did not use sausage (we used bacon instead) and I did not add any of the extra black pepper or hot sauce. There is already a little red pepper in the Creole seasoning so that was the only source of heat in our dish. And to my surprise both of my girls ate (small amounts) of it when it was served. Point being – at least they didn’t hate it! When I first added the spices I took a bite and immediately thought it would be too spicy for them, but after the rice and liquids got cooking it really made the dish more palatable for those younger taste buds. So give it shot with your children before offering up a separate kid meal!
Easy Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ pound sausage (preferably andouille (or you can use bacon instead))
- 1 large bell pepper (any color, large dice)
- 1 large onion (large dice)
- 3 ribs celery (large dice)
- 1 head garlic (peeled and minced)
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- 2 large tomatoes (chopped (or equivalent quantity of cherry tomatoes))
- 3/4 pound shrimp (raw and peeled)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice ((quick cooking variety))
- 2 cups chicken broth ((if you don’t have any stock you could use water instead))
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 pint oysters (shucked, with their liquor (optional))
- hot sauce (to taste (optional))
- green onions (for garnish (optional))
Instructions
- Combine the butter and sausage (or bacon) in a large soup pot over high heat. Cook for about 6 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add the bell pepper, onion, celery, garlic, Creole seasoning, salt and black pepper to taste. Sauté over high heat for about 8 minutes, or until the veggies have browned and caramelized.
- Add the tomatoes, shrimp, and bay leaves, and stir for a couple of minutes.
- Add the rice, stir gently, then add the broth and water. Gently stir the rice again to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes (or until the rice is tender).
- Turn off the heat and fold in the oysters (if using), cover, and let sit for about 8 minutes. If not using oysters you can skip this step altogether.
- Garnish with green onions and serve.
Delicious! I used uncured cajun chicken andouille sausage and did not pre-cook the brown rice. Cooked it for 35-40 min after adding the rice and liquid as indicated. Great consitancy and warms up well in the crockpot. (with a bit of added broth)
I just got to the end of the creole seasoning I made from your website years ago – we’ve Mande your jambalaya and it’s amazing every time – we love it. Do you have a link to the recipe for the creole seasoning? The link in the recipe takes me to amazon now. Thanks!!
Hi Lindsey. Doesn’t look like the recipe is on the site anymore, like you said, but it’s basically a mix of salt, different peppers, garlic, and other spices. – Nicole
Going to try this tomorrow with cauliflower rice to make it Paleo! Im thinking I will need less liquid, but we’ll see.
Is it really an entire head of garlic that is needed? Or just a clove of garlic?
I know I’ve made this before, but it’s been awhile. A whole head does sound like a lot, but 1 clove doesn’t sound like enough. I’m going try 3 – 4 cloves and see how it goes. Did you end up trying the recipe?
i wish it told us about cooking the rice first
I made this for this week’s dinners and am curious if there’s any nutritional value?
if using precooked brown rice, how many cups and how much liquid do I add?
Hi there. If you are using precooked rice, you could eliminate a cup of the liquid ingredients.
Why not use sausage? Is it processed? I guess I always considered it “blended” rather than processed.
Hi. Sausage is processed but if you prefer to use it, it will work, too. Just look for a source that is minimally processed without added nitrates.
Ok, not educated on nitrates but will do some research and see if I can find anything that fits the bill. Thanks!
:) Lisa buys a lot if Applegate products. They make sausage links, too.
Very excited about this– wondering how to transition it to a crock pot recipe so it can simmer with the spices
I would like to use regular brown rice for this recipe. I am wondering if I should either at least partially cook the brown rice prior to adding, and how the liquid should be adjusted. It seems like there would not be enough liquid if I just sub the brown rice and cook for 50 minutes. Has anybody tried regular rice? Thanks.
Hi. I would cook the rice first in a combination of stock and water. You can reserve some of the liquid in the recipe and add it back in as needed for the right consistency.
Hi Susanna. We’ve not used pasta in this dish but I imagine you could without making changes.
Can I substitute pasta instead of rice? Do I cook it the same way?
Hello, I am just beginning to start a whole foods journey as my husband is having some liver trouble. Doctor says we must move to whole foods. I was concerned about the sausage in the recipe. Can a whole foods diet consist of bacon and sausage? Or what else could I use for similar taste?
Hi Shannon. These are ingredients that Lisa very occasionally uses in her recipes. What she buys is at the very least uncured meat with no added nitrates. You can always leave them out but you would definitely sacrifice flavor. :)
Shannon, I used chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s. I’m not the biggest fan of chicken sausage on its own, but in this recipe with all the seasonings, it was absolutely fantastic!
Absolutely fantastic!!!
How many servings does this make?
This made a TON of food! Our family of 5 had enough for 2 full meals. And yes, even my children ate it(even though their portions are smaller)! I’d say it is at least 8 1 cup servings but didn’t measure. My husband is asking if we could make this for our Super Bowl party instead of chili this year!
We made this jambalaya last night and it was FANTASTIC! And it really was easy! My fiancé (who can be a bit of a food snob) could not stop talking about it! I’ve made three things so far this week from 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook and website and they’ve all been great! I’m so glad I bought the cookbook and we’re both really looking forward to eating healthier and cutting out processed foods from our diets. Thank you!!!
I didn’t think the quick-cooking rice fit the real food definition. Isn’t it too processed?
Hi Beverly. Yes, it is slightly more processed but it work well in this recipe. ~Amy
I made this last night and it was so yummy! It was great only with shrimps but I would love to try again with oysters.
I incorporated this recipe in my Free Clean Eating Challenge (http://worldklassrunners.com/clean-eating-challenge-for-runners/) Thank you so much!!
I am curious as to how many servings this makes? I am a family of 2, and am wondering if I should cut the recipe in half.
I made this recipe for Jambalaya for dinner tonight. It was great! I will make this again. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Denise. It makes about six servings. You can always freeze it for another dinner, another day. :)
Hi, I just finished shopping with the meal plan 1 grocery shopping list and I didn’t get quick cooking brown rice as it didn’t say that :-( Is that going to make a big difference in the recipe or cooking time using regular brown rice??
Hi Janae. It will just take longer for your rice to cook through. ~Amy
Being from Louisiana and there is ALWAYS jambalaya offered everywhere at every occasion. I have grown tired of this dish over the years. I was hesitant to try this recipe due to that fact. Well, I gave in and must say this is an AWESOME recipe….even my daughter who HATES jambalaya loves this dish. Will definitely be put on our monthly menu rotation. Thanks again for a great recipe :-)
Yum! Made this for dinner last night and it was easy and delicious! Thank you for this great recipe!
Every time I make this I love it! Today we made a vegetarian variety with lots of peppers, onions, celery and garlic, homemade veggie stock and basmati rice, and home-canned stewed tomatoes instead of fresh. It was delicious (I just never add enough salt).
Made this for dinner tonight. It was a-may-zing!! I absolutely loved it and so did the hubby who is finally on board with healthy eating! We skipped the oysters and used a chicken sausage with chipotle peppers. I also added the shrimp at step 5 and it was just right.
I served it over a bed of sautéed spinach and mushrooms that needed to be cooked. It was delish! Will be putting it on the favorites list.
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes and info you provide for us who are wanting to eat healthier but just don’t have time to do the “due diligence”!
We are signing up for your 10 day challenge to kick things off for the whole family!