Anne's Jambalaya

This is the kind of dish you can leave sitting on your stove awhile, tending to it here and there. It is not a lot of work, but the goodness does take some time, 1-2 hrs depending on how long your caramelize your onions.

2 cups uncooked white rice

3/4 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks

½ lb. Andouille sausage, cooked and cut into ¼ inch slices (I used 3 Johnsonville New Orleans Brand Andouille Recipe Smoked Sausage)

1 medium onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 t ground cayenne or Creole Seasoning

2 t salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 T and 1 t butter

3-4 T Vegetable Oil

1.5 cups chicken broth

2 Bay leaves

1. Start cooking your rice. I used a rice cooker, with a dash of salt stirred in and a pat of butter on top. Feel free to cook it in a pan, however you normally cook your rice (it won’t be cooked in the pot like other Jambalayas).

2. In a medium sized Dutch Oven over medium low heat, melt a tablespoon of butter and start adding the chopped onion. After the onion cooks for 5 minutes, add in a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil. Add in the bell pepper, celery, and garlic cloves and slowly caramelize, stirring every few minutes. The longer the better (1 hour), but if you are in a hurry turn up the heat to medium and cook until your vegetables turn brownish (at least 20 mins), stirring often. Sprinkle with ground cayenne (more spicy) or Creole Seasoning (less spicey) to your spicy preference. I sprinkled with cayenne 2-3 times over one hour which resulted in a medium spicy Jambalaya. Add some dashes of salt and ground pepper. In the last 10-15 minutes add the sliced Andouille Sausage.

3. In a medium pan add 2 T vegetable oil and sauté the chicken over medium heat until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with ground cayenne or Creole Seasoning.

4. Use a slotted spoon to add the chicken in to the dutch oven, stir.

5. Add two bay leaves, the cooked rice, and the chicken broth, stir. Cover and cook on medium low for 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally.

Serves 4-6