Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Since I began this blog, I vowed to always tell the truth about the meals I've prepared. Last nights meal is one of those stories that just has to be shared! 

I need to start by mentioning the idea for this meal. It came to me when I was thinking about what I have stored in my freezer. I realized that I have tons of chicken breast and a few spicy sausage links. What could I make with these? Instantly, Jambalaya to mind. The funny part about this, I don't really care for cajun flavors in dishes, but I push myself to try new things. That is exactly what I did. Sundays meal plan = Chicken and Sausage Jambalay

Now that we're all up to speed, allow me to explain the fiasco that became of this dish. Obviously, the first rule to cooking so to read your recipe through before you begin cooking. Last night, I didn't bother to do that. I rubbed the chicken breasts with creole seasoning and began browning it in the heated oil. Within minutes, the creole season began to burn. Luckily, not in flames, but a stinky, black, smokey burn that I knew would ruin the dish. I removed the chicken and poured water in the pan to deglaze it. Once the burnt seasoning had softened, I cleaned my pan and started over.

This time, since I had already browned the chicken, I started to brown the sausage in oil. If I hadn't burned the pan the first time around, I would have had creole seasoning in the pan so I tossed a little bit in with the sausage. As that was browning I scanned the recipe. Oops! I was suppose to cook the sausage first, with no seasoning, all along. If I had done this, there would have been rendered fat from the sausage in the pan, preventing the creole seasoning from burning. Lesson learned. Read before you cook! 

Now on to the recipe...Don't skip anything! ;)

Recipe:

1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch chunks

2 tsp creole seasoning

2 tbsp olive oil

3 links of spicy sausage

1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch strips

1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch strips

1 small green pepper, cut into 1 inch strips

1 medium white onion, diced

2 tsp dried thyme

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup raw brown rice

3 cups chicken broth

1 16 oz can diced tomatoes, in juice

parsley for garnish

Directions:

1) Season chicken with creole season. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown for about 2 minutes. Transfer to plate. Add chicken and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to plate.

2) Add peppers, onion, thyme, flour and cayenne to pot and cook, stirring continuously, until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in rice then add brother and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

3) Stir in chicken and sausage, cover and continue to simmer for 12 minutes. 

4) Serve and garnish with parsley. This would be great with a fresh piece of bread.